The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-07-14

Chiosgo Hsrsss nadly shod.
b Recent investig ataion BY horse deal.
DIS has shown that 50 per cent Of the
iraft horses ii Chicago are shod in-t
adequately, and the assertion II made
~ veterinarians that as 4 consequence
great suffering Is inflicted on the ami
mails. AS a result the attention Of the
humane society has been called to the;
seond ition, with the Recommendation.
that the horses of factories, depart
sment stores and other concerns be in.
sspected with view Of instituting pro-
ceedings for cruelty to animals It is
proposed also to urge municipal Leg
s!slation providing for examination into.
the qualifications of horse shoers be-
fore they are permitted to work.
John G. Shortall, president Of the HUI
name society, says that the society
now constantly prosecutes owners Of
poorly shod horses and that plans arc
under way for a general thorough in.
spection Of the hoofs of animals re-.
quired to do heavy work. ]
The fault most complained Of is the
failure of horse owners to maintain
calks on the shoes Of their horses.
These calks are steel projections at the
''toes" and heels of the shoes pro-,
vided to keep the. horses from Slip.
ping. The attention of the Humane
society was called to the matter by.
Almon A. Locke, a veterinarian and
horse dealer. Out of 100 draft horses
selected at random and examined by.
him, he said, 80 were shod Improperly,
and in consequence were suffering SUI
ficiently to warrant prosecution Of
their owners. Of the ninety, forty
three were provided with shoes that
were not calked properly, fifteen were
unbalanced or wearing shoes of IT..
regular weight and application, and
twenty-one were suffering from bad
workmanship of smiths.
THE failure of horse owners to see
that the shoes of their horses always
are properly calked is inhumane,' said
Mr.. Locke. ''On stone streets it is
absolutely necessary that the shoes Of
horses be provided with calks on both
the toes and heels. Without calks
much of the strength of the animal is
wasted, The horse will fight hard
against falling down, but with. slippery
shoes and under a strain there is no
protection against it. Fear of punish
ment excites the animal. and in slip
ping and pulling much of its energy is
lost :~>. -. 4
II have made a thorough investiga-
tion Of nearly all the stables in Chi
stocks of horses have arbitrary rules
that their horses shall not be shod
more than once a month. 1t takes
week for hard-worked horse to wear
the calks off it's shoes"
MANY HORSE sHoERs INCoMPE- =
TENT +
The increase of me horse shoeing
business, it has said, has brought many
men into the trade who are not famil-
lar with the anatomy of the horses
the animal. To prevent Incompetent
men doing business Mr.. Locke sug-
gested to the officials of the Humane
society that it urge the passage by the
City Council of an ordinance requiring
shoers to take an examination before
they are given a license to practice.
Murray Howe says that there is dan
ger in shoeing a horse too frequently
eff a horse is shod more than once a
month" he said, 'the nails destroy the
horny fiber. The most substantial
calks are those which are forged to the
shoe itself. Yet there are many new
devices whereby the calk can he
screwed on when it has worn away.
A good substitute for calks is a rubber
eevice, which acts as a cushion and .
preventive of slipping" y