The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-12
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WHIMS OF HORSES.
Their Preferences of Smiths and Their Fam
cies About the Shoes They Wear,

'Tve been hammeriug iron for thirty-ive
years." said Quinn, the Fort Wayne avenue
blacksmith, as he put the finishing touches to
horse shoe, "and in this handcraft, as in every
thing else capital has combined in great factories
to furnish at low price articles of daily use
which were once fashioned by the local smith.
Fifteen or twenty years ago the horse-shoer
made every nail and every shoe he used: now
most Of our shoes and all the nails we use are
factory made. We shape the shoe to fit it to the
hocf and that's about ALL We have to shape
them rights and lefts, you know. We make
good many hand made shoes, and while they cost
the customer more than factory work, they are
worth moro, as they wear longer. Factory shoes
make the matter Of shoeing horse an easy
thing. It used to take half as long again to shoe
horse as it now does In few years. when
the old-school smiths are al dead, you won't be
able to find smith who will know how to make
a shoe nail For that matter more than half
of em don't know now In a general way. shoes
are lighter than formerly. especially for horses
driven about the city. The blacksmith or TO-
day doesn't need to be the mechanic he once
was 1t used TO be that he could turn his hand
to anything. The making of wagons, carriages,
plows and everything else by factories has LETT
him, even St bHG CEOSS-EOdUS WuST0 no ouOO Woo
the greatest man in all the country round, only
cobbler.
"While the blacksmith and wagon maker
must go, as the shoemaker and saddler are go
ing. the horse-shcer, less expert than formerly.
will probably always be with you. don't be-
lisve any effort Of inventive genius will ever be
able to devise machine that will shoe horses
A horse requires. to be treated much as a customs
err in BARRIERS chair. AS there are seldom
two men who want to be shaved alike or who
can be shaved alike, there no two horse
that can be treated alike in the horse-snoer',
hands.
"Why, horses themselves. as well as their
owners, have whims about shoeiug, and we more
frequently incline to the fances of the horse
than to those Of his master. There are horses
who have their preferences Ia horse.shosrs and
won't let everybody shoe them. I've known
horses that in the hands Of one smith would De
very refractory that In the hands OF another,
who perhaps was no more expert would be as
docils as lamb. horse gets in the habit of
being shod by one man when brought to the
shop, and If there are half dozen smiths he will
indicate his preference
''Shoeing colt the first time is much like
getting baby to sit for his photograph. You
have to coax and fondle him, promise him all
sorts of things perhaps give him lump or two
of sugar After two or three visits to the smith
he rather likes to come There are horses, it
seems to me, that take as much delight in new
shoes as boy who has gone barefooted all sum
mer clear into November. After the shoes are
on they go out of the shop head and tail up,
with an air of pride that is unmistakable"