National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-04-19
How 10 Shoe Horses.

Robert Bonner, who is good authority
on the subject, says of ssoeing horses
We are enabled to rect the shoeinp
OF our own stable Of horses vastly more
to our own satisfaction than ever before.
Still, We hope to acquire as much more
information us we already possess. A
great deal must always depend on per-
sonal judgment and discretion in apply
ing even the best ascertained general
principles.
1t is not commonly understood, but il
is nevertheless fact, that ringbones,
spavins, cr Us, windgalls, shoulder lame
ness. Trains of the loins, "hitching,"
e,.., all aiise from either malformation
of the feet, or improper shoeing, or both
combined. If the feet are kept in proper
shape, and properly shod, it is, in our
opinion, well-nigh impossible for horse
to be troubled with any of the COM
plants we have enumerated. Hence the
Importance Of good shoeipg. .....
But the reader is probably ready to
ask, how ought horse to be shod A.? We
will answer in this way There are no
two horses in our stable that we would
shoe precisely alike consequently, We
are not inclined to give general direc-
tions. At one time, when we had made
1t little progress in our studies, We
experienced considerable benefit from
opening the heels and cutting down the
foot but we have since that time, as
we have already intimated, four1 out,
more excellent way" which we now
practice.
Lameness is not confined, rs many
people think, to horses that have been
shod fora number of years. Last autumn
we saw several colts in Orange and Suf-
folk counties that were "perfect Grip
PIES" and yet they had never been shod /!
At Comac, Long Island, Mr.. Smith
Rurr, who has for over thirty years
ranked-and deservedly so--as a leading
horseman Of Suffolk county, called our
attention to little colt, only six months
old, that was so lame that it could scarce
ly move, and yet neither Mr.. Burr nor
any one in the neighborhood could tell
where the lameness was seated Some
persons thought that the colt Was lame
in the hirl-bone, and others that the
trouble was IN the stihe-joint but no
one thought of locating it in the feet,
where it undoubtedly was. The poor
little hing was suffering from q morbid
growth or malformation Of the hoof.
There are many such cases all over the
country. At Hammond's farm, near
New London, Conn. high bred colt,
only eight months old, was affected in
this same way last fall. 1t was deemed
incurably lame, and in order to put an
end to it's misery, it was killed. We
have the affected foot in our possession.
1t has been sawn in two, and the dis
placement of the coffin and navicular
bones, produced by the morbid growth
Of the hoof, shows conclusivcly how and
where the trouble originated.
Our advice to those of our readers who
deslo to understand this subject. is to
make thorough study of it themselves.
But no one must undertake it under the
impression that he can master it in a
day, or a week, or month. Begin by
taking lessons from Roberge, Lee or
Dryden, You can learn something real
ly valuable from every one of them.
They oil have systems of their own-ond
every one has some important things
that he has himself originated. DR.. Bry.
den, of Boston, all things considered,
as veterinary surgeon, which includes
n knowledge of the foot, we prefer to
any other veterinary surgeon in the
country. The others-Roberge and Lee
are not veterinary surgeons. They
confine themselves to the foot exclusive
", and have done and are doing q great
deal of good in their special department.