Year: 1872

Who shoes horses by the 'Charlier meth
od,' don't know, nor who prepared this ad-
mirable abstract of his plan, with hints &C
cordlng to the exact nature of the case
without waste or nonsensical word. 1
would gladly give workman on Charters
plan little gratuitous advertising. OF
course the plan is new and will make the
heads of half our horse-shoers ache to think
OF, because it is new. l am afraid it is more
adapted to the needs of the farmer and coun-
tryman than to city hack, truck and railway
horses. For the sufferings of those misera-
bles there seems little chance of alienation.
They are put into business like wagons to
wear out. Their owners know what they
cost and make out their bills of expense ac-
cordingly. Yet farmers may see that young
horse is not spoiled by heavy shoeing accord
ing to city methods before he goes to town.


'To this end the lower edge of the superb
cial crust Tor wall) only is cut away, the por-
ton removed being replaced by metallic
rim, necessarily more resisting than the nat
ural wall of the foot, but precisely the same
in form and thickness as the substance re-
moved. This metal edging or shoe lies en-
bedded in groove, made by Charters draw





purpose by the inventor, something resemb-
ling the ordinary moulding-plane, and which
any shoeingsmith can use. The shoe thus
let, as it were, into the foot becomes a con-
tinuation of the natural hOof to the tip of
the toe, but not extending beyond it; and in
a normal shaped foot at once Tor in weakly
foot after about three months duration ofthis
plan of shoeing, and consequently free
grown of hora) lies level with the sole and
frrrr h,ft f,f xxlNsn oh, hue faI 20
come into direct contact with the ground.
The frog Is never ared, and, being left en-
tire, soon becomes thick and flexible, and as
sists to support the body, forming, with its
spOngy upper cushion, medium of elasticity
to weaken the the shocks upon the tendons
and the joints. Its structure, too, soon re-
sembles India rubber, and it thus constitutes
in the hinder part of the foot a natural elastic
wedge, which expands, and keeps wide open
the heel The frog also, when well develop
ed, fulfils another Office besides strengthen
ing the bearing upon the ground, for it pre-
vents the horse from slipping, acting like the
pad under the foot of the camel, dog or cat
This last function is of very great advantage,
by securing the safety of the rider, and is all
important in the paved streets or towns, when
turning sharply round corner, or in travel
ing over ice. With Charlier's shoe the sole of
the foot is never touched, and the horn being
permitted to remain in its normal state,
growth freely, and is always healthy and
strong, for from bearing upon the ground it
becomes hard and thick, and able to resist
contact with the sharpest stbnes. Thus is
obtained that real cover for the foot so desira-
ble-a good sound sole. All artificial means
to prevent the contact of the sole with the
ground have turned out to be injurious, caus-
ing wasting, softening and disease more or
less of the sensitive portions of the foot. The
FROG and the sole narrower annQar tn he
more abundnatly secreted the more they are
exposed to attrition, and like the skin of the
hand of the blacksmith, or the foot ofthe beg
gar boy who has never worn a shoe, get to be
incredibly resisting, and capable of being ex-
posed to very hard rough usge.'