Mr. George Ransom, who appears to have had a great
experi- once in Brazil of the use of unshod horses under heavy loads on ." the roughest roads imaginable," has been maintaining in the Times that we diminish the sureness of our horses' feet, and foster all kinds of splints and other diseases, by -our practice of shoeing them. He maintains that any horse, even one accustomed to shoes, would in a fortnight of very light work become far better accustomed to going without them ; that all that is necessary would be to "keep the edges of the hoof slightly rounded off with a rasp, to prevent the ravelling- up of the edges ;" and that very soon horses would go more easily in every way on our hardest roads, and with far less liability to slipping and disease, unshod, than they do now, when shod with iron. Of course this is a startling statement, but it seems actually borne out by the experience both of the Roman horses, and of those used in other hot countries. But does it apply equally to all breeds, and to horses used in all climates? There is no doubt that the youngest colts often come in from the field with their hoofs horribly cut up ; and it may be that what answers well in hot and dry countries, would not answer equally in countries where damp and mud are the rule for more than half the year. Anyhow, it is a matter well worth investi- gation. The farrier's bill for shoes, and for treating complaints which Mr. George Ransom says are due to shoes, is a very con- siderable part of the constant expenses of a horse.
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