Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-02-12
LIE Horse.

eceniIy uriisered lecture III New York
IN the Horses Foot" in which he ex-
planned its structure, functions, diseases,
md errors in shoeing. The injury which
s inflicted :. Lorsehesh through the ig-
norauce and wilful stupidity OF blalA- !
smiths and farriers, is incalculable and !
the subject is desc rving Of increased at
tention from all interested in the welfare |
of an animal, whose comfort and value is
more dependent upon sound feet than any
other quality. mo foot, no horse" is an
on ,1age; and it behooves all owners OF
horses 10 keep careful watch over their
feet, and to trust tl.ol skceing to none
but the most skillful in the art for 1t is
an art, AM Il Cannot be successfully prac-
ticed by every knight of the leather apron.
1t seems TO be almost an impossibility
for blacksmiths 10 omi. trimming the frog
of the foot, and the horse cannot travel
easily, safely or rapidly until it is renew
ed. The blacksmiths' only plea for trim
ming the frog is to give it a comely shape.
Again, blacksmiths 80 apply ho! shoes
to the foot, burning away the moisture in
The hoof, and leaving the surface as dry
and dead as well-seasoned plank. @Open-
inc the heels" as it is called, cutting away
the bars, misplacing and misftting Tie
shoes, and yagioas other determinations,
may be seen Z a'.noat ever force; and
no remedy can be found except in the
diffusion of information on the subject
among the masses, and a general waking
up to the importance Of good shooting.
The following extract from Capt. Raj
ston's lecture conTeys some important
ideas on this subject, which we commend
to the attention of owners Of horses as
we'll as farmers and blacksmiIhs
"The feet of the horse, without which
n perfectly sound state the animal is
nearly wog nless, and which is one of The
most remarkable and delicate structures
in the world, is submitted 10 ar r'2'sa-red
crcn ignorant farrier-ignorant of every
thing %. he trade of an iron worker
to fit with an iron shoe intended not only
for the preservation Of the hoof, Dut &.
assist the horse in performing his labor
TAc lard horny walls of the foot tina
nature has provided for its protection, thi
! ignorant farrier cuts and burns away II
) fit his shoe, without thought of the in
, jury he may be doing by thus preventing
by badly turned shoe, the elasticity anc
; expansion of the hoof. AS he has n:
knowledge of the purposes of that re
J markable elastic cushion called the frog
he pears that away to prevent just wha
nature intended it for, to break the jar o
= the weith of the body, and prevent
: I'm injuring the bones, joints, tendons
/ and machinery of the legs.
l. The elastic frog is peculiar structur
that yields 10 concession, and preserve
the foo; from injury. If the shoe is S
fixed as to prevent the proper expansion
: the smith counteracts nature, and diseas
{ ensues as matter OF course, and the fro
loses It's natural elasticity, and become
stiff, and the value of the horse is perms
J nently injured. The horny portion {
y the hoo, too, is very peculiarly construc
81 ed, so that he is not sustained upon til
e outer rim of the hoof, but as it were, VI
n on mass Of curious springs, all con
n bined together. No machine is equal
J. the mechanical structure of the foot, 81
OF yet they are put into the hands of mo
as unskilled persons, who apply their ire
al shoes without the least knowledge or ca
& about this curious mechanism.
OF The foot of the horse is a most impo,
at ant part of the structure of this anim
IN and requires great deal of skill to ke
it in health. 1t is most perfect piece
g mechanism, which suffers greatly up
ns hard roads, if not scientifically protecte
n 1t cannot be preserved except by gre
'e- skill. Much of the lameness of the hor
nc comes from lnconsiderate shoeing-she
ID. ing that tortures the poor creature,
n stead of protecting him from injury. T
'm foot is not only mechanical structu
DC Out very complex one. Shoeing nee
-er great skill, not only to make and Fl
es. shoe, but knowledge, acquired BY
) study of IFS anatomy, how to treat t
In foot; for, wifho1. The feet in good ord
'u' the horse is nearly worthless.
q The cause of large portion of all
I've diseases is found in bad shoeing. Son
rSe times lameness in the shoulder, which
10 called sprained, may be traced directly
unskilful shoeing, perhaps at some {
tant period; and very large proport
Of all the diseases of The limbs may
IAN traced to injuries that have arisen