Page:Horses and roads.djvu/119

 Rh of a work on ‘Scientific Horse-shoeing,’ professing forty years’ experience; and an American farmer who had felt obliged to shoe his own horses ‘for his own protection ’—three differently interested classes of men who were, as such, purposely quoted.

A prize essay does not necessarily carry everything before it merely because it is a prize essay. Such essays are sometimes written with a view only of obtaining a prize; and ‘coaches’ tell us that, in order to do so, they must coincide with the views of the examiners. It is not pretended, however, that the essay in question was engineered on this principle: it is much more likely that it was a thoroughly conscientious production;  but doctors differ.

An independent, practical essay on the horse, written by Lieutenant-Colonel Burdett, is appearing, since January last, in the ‘Richmond and Twickenham Times.’ Here are some extracts from the gallant colonel’s writings: ‘One of the first considerations of an owner or driver of a horse should be the feet and legs of his horse; for, should anything be the matter with either, the animal should not be put to any description of work;  for, if he is, he is sure to suffer, and in many cases most acutely.’&hellip;  ‘The foot of the horse is a most complex and elaborate piece of machinery, and perfectly adapted to the work it is intended to perform;  but our artificial assistance, so far from preserving, often cripples, and frequently totally ruins it.’&hellip;  ‘The natural sole of a horse’s