New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NATURAL AND CONVENTIONAL HORSES.

N
MORSE AND MAN: Their Mutual Dependence and
Duties. BY the Rev. j. g. WOOD. $40. Up; KNlAi''
$50. PhiIadelpha ]. b. Uppincott Company
I'm this volume the Rev. J. G.. Wood has en-
odie1 the substance of many of his lectures on the
horse and his treatment. There is no moro close
and competent observer Of animal life or more
iudieious commentator upon natural history; ana
aimee he possesses pleasant and thoroughly lucia
STYLE and takes pains to write to the level OF even
slow intelligences his book ought to DO "luey
read. His plea is for the cnfranchisemeht OF tne
borse from conventional letters lie takes up bis
parable against the shoe, the bearing or chech re'
The blinkcrs or binders, and multitude OIL stable
practices which lie regards as abuses. Inc lhost
elaborate argument is that against shoelhg hOIse9'
and it is thoroughly worked out Inc author oc-
Gins bv n careful analysis Of the anatomy OF the
horses foot showing the structure and functions
of overy part of it, examining the formation OF the
boof particularly Then lie proceeds to illustrate
the natural action of the different parts by clta-
tions showing how perfectly the hoof preserves IL
self when the animal is in wild state, ana now
mucb surer is its footing and how much greater us
climbing capacity under those conditions nc aISo
brings forward a great deal OF welI-attestcu oNi
dence from known horseOwners and trainers Ie-
citing successful experiments IN the aOahuollioHV
of shoes The perverse conventions III ooeucIoo
to which farrcrs rasp and cut and CLIP the hoo ana
frog of the horse receive ample CONSIDERATION IHo
,,o9nor in which these ignorant and conceited pco-
Nc undertake to improve Natures work. and the
disasters which they cause by their meddling and
budding. are fully described. DR.. Wood IS an
enthusiast. though by no means Incorporate IN his
orcnment. lie relies mainly on facts, and he never
cites q case without giving strong corroDorat!Ve
testimony The battle of the shoes is an ancient one
and not likely to be determined in our time but
the author goes beyond the claims OF any Oh tne od
champions by boldly asserting that no shoe is
better than any shoe. If, however shoe must be
worm he prefers the Charler, because IL IS inc
highest and the smallest. His contention IS that
all horses will do their work better ana last longer
if wholly unshod and that this applies as much TO
CITY traffic as to country roads, to driving as 10 IlO
inc. to the work of trade and commerce as 10 'u'I
of fashion and pleasure
The PRESUMPTION on behalf Of the theory that
Nature made tho horses foot sellsupporting, and
that therefore the interference OF man Is prliLa
facie mischieyous is certainly strong anu IL IS 50
powerfully reinforced by facts that the practical
impossibllity of getting the truth accepted is a
singular commentary on the prevalence oil super
sttioD and the dominant force OF Ignorance. NAcn
the arguments pro and con are fairly ranged ana
The facts on either side are marshaied, the defend
ers of the shoe have not a single position when
J. not frivolous or absurd. Everything is against
m,
of the horse is admirably adapted to the work 1t
was made for: that frog and hoof ACT together to
seeure firm footing elasticity of gait and rrotec-
tion against inequality OF hardness of the ground
that EXPANSION of the hoof IS provided for and IS
necessary to its proper working: that no matter
how hard the ground the hOOf will grow ont as fast
"a it is worn away if Nature is given full play LIZ
rerience shows that farrery is tho source of
whole catalogue of horse diseases that shoelJg
binds tie hoof, destroys the horny wall, removes
the frog. exposes tho mavicular bone, causes
thrush, laundering, and dozen other ailments
renders the footing of the animal insecure on ice or
frozen ground, diminishes It's working power ana
eLortens its time of service
Experiment shows that tho unshod horse never
suaers from thrush or any foot disease; that he
keeps his feet on the most slippery surfaces that
he pulls better: that he goes faster that he lasts
longer and does more and better service in short
there seems no escape from the conclusion that the
shoe is not only unnecessary but mscheyous, and
that the devices resorted TO for the purpose OF
increasing its usefulness, as IN the use oil
calks particularly. only enhance its harmtulness
Calks. in fact are to a horse almost precisely what
high heels are TO a human foot destroying the
ability to walk with comfort or security IAis
mart of Mr. Woods book is strongly argued; nor
l. les forcibe when lie attacks and exposes the
crueItv and folly of the checkreih. lie quotes SIT
Arthur Helps on the subject. Sir Arthur holds that
the fault is with the owner when these IelIs are
,7sed for he "1nust lie either utterly unobseryan'
of what be ought t. know, or pompous. or cruel.
lie concludes thus: g observe the e4u!pascs
where the irrational tight beaung-rein is used. l
then look on the arms on the carriage, and know
who are the greatest fools in London in the upper
classes. The bewgscd brute audstio Of coach
!. man of course thinks it very fine thing to ST
NJ Iehind these poor animals with their s,uck-uI
u hc9ds: but his master ought to know better -
ought his mistress
In the case Of the chcck-rcin, even the veterinary
surgeons have united to protest asanstthc cruelty
but while the ignorant grooms ana coachmen arr
allowed to treat horses they please, there Is NJ
reason TO suppose that either that brutality tho
vandalism of clipping the horses tails and names
customs absolutely dsgraceful 10 the alleged intel
iirepce of the time-wi be abandoned Indeed, il
the treatment of the horse generally there SEEM
an uncouquerable disposition to proceed upon TIT
theory that Nature did not know what she wa
doing when she made the animal, and that he mus
lie " improved" by undoing all that heredity ha
doue for him. Considering the very slight result
of the efforts of the reformers up to the prosen
time il is to be feared that DR. Woods really
admirable book will fall like many formc
arguments Of the same kind, before the adauantn'
wall of stupid concet and embattcd ignorance
All who take an active interest in this noble ANNA
ought to procure and carefully read a volum
which bristles with facts of the most uncompromis
ing character, which is thoroughly honest, and thu
positions Of which are 50 clearly and strongly
stated that they cannot be misscd.s
JJTEP5EY NOTES