Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-08-27

some Of our grandest horses have had
imperfectionsi in their feet ct times, and
it has only been by the prompt remedy
ing of these that their triumphs have
been made possible. ~"
II were asked to furnish q practical
hint to those who own good horses as to
the best method Of caring for their feet,
I would say: Trim them early, just as
you would trim young tree to make it
grow right. Cultivate tho hoof IL you
want 1t to be perfect. Shoe them when
they are from six months to year old,
once month II you work them. with
the assurance that you can get the
foot in better shape when II rests on q
metal plate as base and support than
without it. Some have said that the
feet of very few horses are perfect, and
my experience goes to show that a
great number of those encounter are
so. Feet like those of Dexter and Sunol
are rare exceptions; but there is little
reason why horse should suffer with
his feet, 1t his owner knows how to take
care of them, and does it. There are
many differences in horses In this re
spect. The weak, spongy hoof that at.
flicts some that are pastured on low
ground, giving rise to curves and NAL
formations, needs special attention in
young horses The hoof Of the thor
oughbred, and, indeed, of any WE'LL
cared-for horse, when trimmed properly,
is in straight lines, equally balanced
and well-proportioned. For this reason
horses that are pastured on high and
dry lands have more uniform feet.
The rule that applies to the horses
of the same formation Of feet applies to
thoroughb:Ads as we'll as others. 1t
should alwars be kept in view, in the
training of yovsg horse, that a great
deal really depends upon feet as we'll
as pedigree. The soundness of the ami
NAL is very largely due to the manage
ment of his feet; for even with we'll
formed feet he may 20 lame unless
properly cared for. A young colt should
have shoes as soon as he is required to
travel over hard roads. His feet must
| be protected, for horses foot shod can
better be preserved than bare. At one
| year there is enough hoof to keep it
properly in place and to the proper
size.
Yet, even with all the care that is
usually bestowed on young horses, l
have seen many cases of foot distortion.
OF two brothers of the same breed, one
will have rigid hoof and that of the
other will be arched. Then again.
there will be differences in the feet OF
the same horse; indeed all are mere or
less peculiar that way. This is natural
enough; for the feet grow like four
different trees, some of them straight
others seemingly curved naturally. In
a formation of this description, the
| treatment is to make them grow alike,
and this can only be done by trimming
the hoof scientifically, so as to restore
the balance of the foot and relieve the
| part on which an unusual strain has
been imposed.
A rangy horse, if he be tidy in his gait,
should be shod like another horse of the
same gait. When too long in his gais
he should be shod as lightly as possible.
| In this way, in the matter of shoeins,
| the gait and other peculiarities of the
animal should be studied and every thing
done to secure his perfect freedom and
comfort. When we come to shoe horse
for speed at trotting, there is no abso-
Lutte rule as to the weight of the shoes,
which must be adapted to the horses
| requirements. On the other hand, when
| horse is to be shod to work at slow
gait, his shoes should be of uniform
weight for such purpose; but it some
| times happens that a horse intended for
racing has to be shod differently on each
foot, according to the condition of those
members. In other words, the weight
and form Of the shoes must be deter
mined by circumstances and by the con-
dition of the horse, and particularly of
his legs and feet
It is not too much to say that horse
whose feet are imperfect from any of
the causes just named need never be
expected to make a consistently notable
record. The lasting quality is often i'm
| paired by the condition of the feet, and
only those horses that have been either
naturally endowed with perfect feet,
kept in that condition by an intelligent
care, or those whose imperfections have
been remedied by the application OF
scientific principles to the treatment OF
the hoof, have succeeded in achieving
great things. 1t is through the mastery
of the science of the foot that Mr.. Bon
ner has caused many of his famous
horses to improve. The day is coming
when this science will be generally rec.
ognized among horsemen everywhere.
DAVID ROBERGE.
When She Il In Love.
AS rule, delicate woman does not
think of man as lover, or even know
whether she could care for him in that
capacity or not, until she has received
some impression of his special interest
in her. Then she begins to consider