Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-01
Agricultural Help
Shoes for Horses.


A noted physician and writer in
leading publication this past summer
made some misleading statements
about the cruelty of shoeing horses
His argument against tight toes and
high heels in shoes for human beings
were well TO the point. But when any
person tries to make a sensible farmer
believe that horse is more comfor-
table barefooted on ice, frozen ground,
or graveled road, he either does not
know what he is talking about, or is
trying to make long-handed compar-
ison.
A horse barefooted in winter on
frozen ground, or at any season on
gravel or rock roads, walks at almost
as much disadvantage as a barefooted
man in a stubble field. In our own
neighborhood most of the roads are
graveled and there is considerable
rocky land over which work teams
must walk in doing general farm
work. Our work horses are kept rough
shod almost all of the year. In the
spring for a few weeks we often re-
move the shoes while spring blowing
and cultivation are in progress. Later
Ill SuIIlIltlt llhWtNtlt Wiitl TIC SiohiAN
becomes harder, and more hauling is
DONE the horses soon show signs of
distress in their feet if not shod. They
lose spirit and often flesh without
their shoes. Immediately after they are
we'll shod all around they become
much more spirited and perform work
with much more ease. ] firmly believe
that our horses can do more work on
less feed when well shod, especially
in winter when the ground is frozen,
and in summer, when the ground is
hard
1t is positively cruel to work horses
without shoes on gravel roads and on
roughly frozen ground. 1t is danger
Gus to drive horse on icy ground un-
less. the animal is rough shod. There
is danger of the animal slipping. In
fact, the animal is slipping all the
time, not only being in danger of in.
jury. but annoyed and performing
more muscular exertion than is re-
quired for the work Slipping while
pulling is very firing on a horse.
Not long ago the writer was out in
the country five miles from railway
station. 1t was winter and the mud
roads were frozen up rough and icy.
A farmer with his team was employed
to make the drive TO town. The horses
were unshod, hence progress was slow.
Some months later this farmer was
seen again. and he spoke of our trip
over the frozen road to the railway
station. He said that his horses were
SO sore footed when they reached
home that winters evening that he
could scarcely make them walk. The
next morning he fed the horses and
attempted to take them out of the
stable to water, but they would not
step, so sore We're their feet. He car
they We're able to walk without pain
The horse, like many other dumb an
imals. will endure a vast amount of
pain without showing signs of pain.
There is no telling how much pain
some horses endure from sore feet.
caused by walking on frozen and
rocky ground without shoes. Animal
comfort is one secret of securing the
most good from animals. We must not
only make horses comfortable by feed
ING, sheltering. grooming and good
bedding but we must dress them com
fartably. Harness and shoes must be
suited to the work and weather. The
well-dressed horse, shoes included.
other things being equal, is a more eff
feient and serviceable horse than one
in poor harness and no shoes.
The work horse lives under different
conditions from the wild horse or hor-
SEES in pasture. Animals on free range
go where they choose. If they feel like
walking On hard ground they do so.
When they do not care to walk they
stand still or lie down. But the work
animal is forced to go where the driv-
err wills, usually on hard ground that
is wearing on hoofs. And the horse i'll
harness is walking all day long, while
the animal in pasture is walking only
a small portion of the time. The wear
on hoofs of work animals is very great,
hence shoes are required to check the
wearing and to give foot comfort.
H. II. SHEPARD.