Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-10
UnsHod Horses.

Ne confess TO having no experience il the
use Of unshod horses, but if we were again
10 begin tine use Of a colt we should certainly
try the experiment of using MIN without
shoes If the colt was accustomed to 90
barefoot from the beginning the feet would
naturally be gradually toughened by use His
feet would be more likely to stand hard roads
without injury than the feet of a barefoot
horse that had once been shod. When a
horse loses shoe, the foot, not being hard
ened by use, Is Of course tender. and If he Is
driven much on a hard road ne becomes lame.
This is no proof that the shoes are a necessi-
ty. The foot had been trimmed by the black
smith, ana perhaps the natural proportion of
weight falling on the different parts destroyed
This might be sufficient to cause iameness
without the tenderness induced by wearing
the shoe. One or both these causes is quite
sure to produce lsmeness when a horse loses
shoe and travels many miles without having
II replaced yet II Is possible that he might
be perfectly free from lameness if gradually
accustomed to travel without shoes. The ex-
pertinent Of using horses unshod has been
often tried. and frequently with complete sue
cess. 1t no doubt depends largely upon the
amount and kind of work which a horse has
to perform. whether shoes are needed We
are inclined to believe that II d horse Was used
without shoes from a colt-never shod-for
ordinary uses ne would travel as well and be
less liable TO diseases OF the feet and lameness
a writer IL the New England Farmer SAYS.
Horse shoeing as generally prActiced is
done IL a ygTv uuEClfutTfln manner The
horses foot never Was designed 10 be shOd
In many countries horses go unEhod. ana trav-
81 on haru, rocky ROADS longer distances than
our snou horses usually go, and suffer very
little, II any, inconvenience tnerefrom The
frog OF the foot WAS designed Dy nature TO
sustain most of the weight OF the animal aud
Keep the feet from slipping The hoof Is
merely horny lin to AFFORD protection to the
frog Inc frog Is elastic. and breaks the
force Of the Jar when the foot strikes the
ground. Ii you examine a colts foot which
has never been shOd. you will find that the
frog Is nearly on level with the rim of the
hoot, and when the foot Is placed upon the
ground the animals weight presses the frog
down no that most of the weight Is sustained
by It, Nov look al a horse which has lust
been snod. Inc shoe raises the frog halt AL
inch or more from the gravel and the weight
OF the animal rests upon the outer shell of
~
recent writer says IL regard 10 this: The
practice Is a. sensible as 1t would be for a man
TO travel on all tours. taking the weight on the
nails OF his fingers ana toes rather than on
the cushion which lies behind them. 1t Is
always the soft part-the lndla-ru bber part OF
the feet OF animals that have such-whicn re-
celves the weight, and not the shelly nard
part We know what al elephants foot is
It Is all rubber like. The horse has the same
enclosed IL a shell, which gives tine horse &C
euracy and steadIness OF movement Nov.
TINS casing protects the frog. 1t grows SLOW.
ly the frog grows rapidly. Inc healthy foot
OF the colt shows centre, if not projecting
al least level with the line of the hoof He
does not take his weight wholly on the rim Of
MS feet. Old horses would have feet more
like them if only blaeksmiths would allow
they knew little less than nature and really
knew enough TO read her intentions The
object IN snoelng should be merely TO protect
the rim Of the hoOf from undue wear and
guard against slipping. A toe-shoe TO pro
tect the toe from wearing OF, and allowing
the frog 10 come TO the ground, Is a good
form Tor summer shoe. If l had a colt that
had never been shOd. / would drive MIN with
out having him sh0d
A correspondent of the Popular Science
News also writes
cover three years ago articles appeared in
several papers advising the working of horses
without Shoes and at the same time giving
the experience of various persons who had
used them without shoes with complete sue
Cess. was so impressed with the statements
that was induced TO have the shoes Of one
Of my horses taken of ! turned him out To
grass for about month, and then put him 10
work, lightly at first, and. / must confess,
with fear and trembling but after q trial l
was so pleased with the result that l took the
shoes on my other two horses and have
worked them without shoes ever sinoe-now
about three years. / hnd they work better
are more sure-toOted, and are far less liable to
lameness than when shod, and am well sat
lsned that horses feet as nature made them
are ali sutncient for ordinary work. and. be-
heVe, Tor extraordinary work. After my long
experience . should uOW as soon think of 90
lug TO tRrrier myself 70 be shod as 20 send
my horses Tor that purpose. WHAT surprised
me most was that one OF my horses was con
rnualiy falling lame, ana we never could dis
cover the cause but since she mas been work
ca without shoes she has never shown the
least symptom OF iameness. ana never stun
bled' which she dlu very much when shod-
from which l infer that pairing the soles when
shoelng made her feet very tender. ana was
the cause Of all the trouble. Our roads are