Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-09-30

bic they are, especially on a hot day.
1t takes a pretty even tempered man
to be good natured under such an at
Fiction"
Mr.. Hubbard smiled again. an in
Quiring smile, as if to say, why this
trivial dispersion"
Il have been examining your
horses feet. Her shoes pinch and
bind"
she was shod at Merwin's. lie is
considered first class workman"
He is undoubtedly a first class me-
chanic but his theory is at fault. He
constructs his shoes and then tries to
fit the feet to them. 1t should, of
course, be the reverse. You and
would not think of wearing the same
boot. My pet corn would probably
protest if I should attempt ii"
Mr., Hubbard received this with a
depreeating yet affable nod.
1T is the same with a horse The
shoe should follow the conformation
of the foot. a slight miscalculation on
any part makes all the difference be-
tween ease and torture. If you are an
observer of horses, you will notice
that most of them have at least one
foot that they favor, whereas every
foot ought to come down with firm,
even stroke"
Il know that lameness is very com
mon"
"Much of this lameness, although it
may seem to be the immediate result
of sprains, strained tendons, decayine
hoofs, and other diseases, is caus-
ed primarily by improper shooting. If
the shoe is so made that the foot is
not level, the ligaments on the low
side will be strained. You may battle
or blister for it, but until the strain
or pinch is removed the lameness will
not cease; the pain is SO great the
horse has to limp"
Il don't know much about these
matters; l have usually left them to
my coachman."
But the horses feet are his cap
ital. He isn't worth much when they
give out"
THAT is very true"
"A horses foot is really a delicate
thing. 1t is elastic, it contracts and eX-
pands, that is why the shoe should
not bind. The frog is especially elastic
and porous. The hoof has nerves the
same as our teeth do. l hold that
horseshoeing should be looked upon
as a profession, and that men should
study for it the same as they do for
dentistry. At present it is left largely
in unskilled hands. / have seen
blacksmiths pare away the hoof and
scrape off the glazed covering as
though they were whiting a piece of
board"
why have not men found this out
sooner and acted upon it,"
1T is party due to ignorance, part
ly to thOughtlessness, and partly to
false economy. Men try to get all the
work or all the speed possible out of
a horse with the least possible ex-
pense for example; car horses on
smooth and slippery pavements
should have calks on their feet; it
would prevent much of the slipping
and straining and chatting that we
see now, but car companies think it
would cost more. 1t is shortsighted
economy, however, even from a mon
ey point of view. A man does not
work we'll when he is suffering,
neither does a horse, and both wear
out sooner"
you make out strong case
Because | feel strongly; but /
must not weary you with this part of
the subject, for | would like to call
your attention to another cruel GUS
tom-the tight check rein. 1t holds
the head and neck in an unnatural
and painful position; the horse tries
to relieve himself, then the bit saws
the mouth, making it sore. 1t is not
"a natural thing for horse to foam
at the mouth, but you will observe
that most horses do so when wearing
a tight check rein. Again, a horse
ought to have his head free to draw
ought to have his head free when
drawing a load, otherwise a great
strain comes on the joints and mus
cles, and, in addition to all this, it
will be sure sooner or later, if per-
sisted in, to affect the breathing
Then there are the binders. Why
Mr.. Hubbard, let us for a moment
imagine ourselves, on a hot summer
day, in tight-ftting boost, our heads
bent back, necks strained, stiff blind
ers, preventing free use of the eyes,
and then under these hard conditions