The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-11
TnE HoRsr M wINTER.
Humane officers should See that An
imaIs Are Properly ShOd.
F5ors.erboers' Io,,rnaI

Every State and municipality of the coun-
try which processes to have any form Of
regulation has humane official whose duty
IS to prevent by punishment any of+ense
committed against the weil-understood laws
of humanity. For the most part such q
parsonage directs his efforts towards the
prevention of cruelties so commonly inflicted
upon animals, the labor in that particular
field being sufficiently bUs5ensome as to en-
gage almost his entire time. 1t is no in
frequent thing to hear of the humane officer
meeting out punishment to offenders of the
class who are noted for cruel acts against
the horse and so far as efforts go the office
Is one which tends to prevent multitude
of abuses which this animal is daily sub
jccted to by masters whose stony natures
scarcely permit of kind act to the horse
For overlooking a horse and Furnishing
him because the poor brute cannot accom-
plish task beyond his power or for driv
ing an animal that is suffering from lame
TO stand uncovered in weather so merciless
that the defenseless brute must almost per-
tsh, for brutalit1es of ovePdriving, starving
or. in fact, for any. of the dozen or more
causes which common law ana common
decency demands a prevention of the hui
name officer is ofttimes notably alert in per-
forming his function of office.
But there is a single abuse which our ami
maj friend is made to suffer that is SEEM
lngay overlooked by not only the humane
department, but by many people whose feel
1ngs for the horse are of the most humane
kind. We refer to the abuse of driving or
trying to drive an animal over icy roads
or pavements when not properly fitted by
art for such a task Horse owners or hu-
manitarians in their endeavor to force
horse over the winter streets when the calks
are rot specially prepared by being made
sharp are subjecting their animal to pun
1ShEnent so severe that any of the other
abuses named fade into oblivion when a
comparison is made A horse that is not
sharp shod and driven over slippery pave
ments suffers more intense agony than the
whip brutally applied can possibly cause
him. Every muscle, every nerve of
the animal thus subjected is made to
1eel shock at each footstep which he
gives Men often wonder at the coming of
curbs, splints, spavins, ringbones, strained
nip or shoulder in the horse, but if they
would stop and ask themselves the reason
they would invariably find that any or all
OF those ills are but the production of al
most criminal carelessness in not providing
The horse with shoes fitted for the purpose
of secure travel. Millions of dollars are used
mp IN horset1esh because of this one neglect
and the cases are plentiful where a horse
IS found almost useless when the springtime
arrives, simply because a careless or greedy
driver or owner took too long a chance
curing the slippery season OF winter. We
are conscious of the fact that it is difficult
TO create complete remedy for the correc-
ton or eradication of the glaring and cruel
practice indulged in by so many people of
driving horses unshod or rather dull-shod,
but we reason that the humane officers of
the country could well afford to take a hand
in the work of minimizing the abuse by
watching the progress of horses while NOV
Ing over icy pavements. 1t is not diff
cult matter to tell what condition a horses
calks are in during such seasons, the sim
pie movement over the streets, which may
be covered with a frost or ice, will tell the
tale itself and there need be no examina-
tion of the calks made.
In thus addressing ourselves to this sub
ject we would have 1T understood that no
thought of a mercenary character by which
the craft whom we represent might be spe-
ciaIly benefited, occupies our mind. The
whole history and purpose of the Association
of Master Horseshoers is one of concern for
the animal companion of our daily lives, his
comfort is our pleasure, our teachings both
TO our present and to the future craft, the
apprentice is an evidence of our zeal for
the welfare of the horse and while eXerting
every effort to advance the skill employed
in the art of farriery, 1t is the horse, his
owner and friends who will share equally
with ourselves the benefits accruing from
our labors So in treating the humane end
of the question we do so feeling that it is
part and parcel of a duty we owe to assist
in extending every protection to the horse,
nor do we know of any form of protection
that will bring with it finer results to the
entire animal world we'll as to those who
feel an interest in the welfare thereof than
by Offering the suggestion to humane Of
ficers that they extend their observations
to the shoeing department and insist on hav
Ing their charges thoroughly equipped to
travel in winter without their being allowed
to suffer through the carelessness or avarice
of those who own or drive the noblest of
brute creation.