502 
REMARKS ON SHOEING. 
famous for good shoeing. The horse goes there—the fitting is 
better attended to—the horse goes better—the “ farrier ” is at a 
premium, the “ veterinary surgeon” at a discount. The fact is de¬ 
monstrable, clear to every one :—ergo, if he is thus clever in what 
can be seen, he must be clever in whatever else relates to a horse; 
and now we have the “ farrier” also called in to treat the internal 
diseases: and this is the reason why shoeing and “ doctoring” so 
frequently go together, and why the farrier is such a rival of 
the otherwise educated practitioner. 
So long as this is allowed to continue, so long will the farrier be 
the powerful opponent—so long will he be held in estimation 
akin to the better man. It is, therefore, requisite that this branch 
of every-day knowledge should be taught and understood. What 
are our schools for but to teach these things I Is there any thing 
in the shoeing which renders it more difficult of teaching in a pro¬ 
per class-room than anatomy or any other branch of the art ] Not 
a reason exists. It is important that the way to take off a shoe, 
pare out a foot, and put on a shoe, should be known : for those 
destined for the army this should be carried much farther, and 
should be insisted on as a sine qua non. A regiment, or part of 
one, might be placed in such a position that the capability of its 
veterinary surgeon on this point might be the means of its safety 
or of its efficiency ; and it is too important a subject to be neglected 
in the way it is : the authorities are keenly alive to it, and attempts 
have been made to make every dragoon capable of shoeing his 
own horse. This has failed; but the veterinary surgeon, whose 
duty it ought to be, is left alone in his ignorance and idleness:— 
can he teach to others that which he does not know himself] 
Who now regulates this subject in our army] In the bulk of 
instances, the commanding officer, the riding-master, or farrier- 
major. The complaints of the ignorance of the army veterinary 
surgeon on the shoeing of the horses have been neither few nor 
far between. I could mention instances, but to do so would be 
invidious; so also could I point, out where it has been regulated by 
caprice. This ought not to be : in so important a matter as the 
capability of marching, no whim or fashion ought to be tolerated; 
but this will ever be so until it is taught as a science in a proper 
manner. 
The principles which ought to be known to every veterinary 
surgeon are those which an intelligent farrier knows;—what kind 
or character of shoe is most fitted for the description of foot— 
whether it should be wide or narrow, thick or thin, calked, feather- 
edged, or plain—what part of the crust is best able to hold the 
nails—whether the sole should be pared much or little, the heels 
