446 MR. gloag’s experiments on horses’ feet. 
you will hear no more of permanent lameness of the fore feet of 
horses. Such have been the results of my experience with Ara¬ 
bians even, supposed to be most predisposed by caste ; and I feel 
grateful to Mr. Gloag that he has, by his satisfactory experiments, 
given me an opportunity of again recording it, trusting that Mr. 
Gloag’s next experiments will further elucidate this subject. 
The action of the hoof in the unshod state does not appear to 
have been the object of Mr. Gloag’s experiments; but the dif¬ 
ference in the action of the foot under the different circumstances 
of ordinary shoeing, i. e. with the heels of the hoof in juxta¬ 
position with the heels of the shoe, when the foot is raised from 
the ground, and that, when it is not the case, by the smith 
springing the heels of the shoe; and what is attempted to be 
proved is, that the former is inconsistent with, and the latter con¬ 
sonant to, the physiology of the foot. No matter by whom the 
physiology (and many have assisted) has been elucidated. 
Professor Coleman’s practices of shoeing always agreed with 
his doctrine of the physiology of the foot. He said, “ If one shoe 
is to do for all horses, it should be the bar shoe; but it only 
having been used in certain states of the feet, the public will not 
allow of it in ordinary shoeing.” The public, therefore, forced on 
him and his students, the paring of the sole to give artificial spring 
to the hoof, instead of the shoe, as dernier resort; and if they 
were to complain of having lame horses from the ordinary practice 
of shoeing—and it is from no other cause—to the end of time, 
veterinarians are not in the least to blame. Shoeing smiths must 
release themselves‘from the thraldom of custom, which only it is, 
of laying the heels of the shoe (whatever may be the form of its 
upper surface) against the heels of the hoof, when the foot is raised 
from the ground, and lame horses will be as uncommon as in other 
countries, for the pace is only an occasional cause. 
Mr. Gloag begins the first experiment on the unshod foot; but 
the state of the lowest circumference of the hoof is not mentioned, 
and there are several natural states of wear which should have 
been noticed ; besides, the governing principle of the action of the 
hoof, position, although alluded to by Mr. Gloag in his observations 
on the 24th experiment, is not stated, though, no doubt, it was not 
overlooked ; but it renders the experiments less explanatory, 
though to me they are perfectly satisfactory. 
Mr. Percivall, in his excellent paper in The Veterinarian, 
on the Conformation of the Horse, writes thus :—“ Still, that pro¬ 
portion has to do with power, strength, and action—and much to 
do with them—I admit; but then it must be taken in a relative 
sense and as depending upon more than meets the eye, therefore 
cannot well be subjected to any precise rule and measure : amongst 
