your horses to them, and make them follow out your directions through thick and thin ; it is the only way.
Aberlorna.
Appendix D.
Horse-Shoeing.
Sir,—In answer to ’Free Lance,’ my reply is that I used a chisel and mallet in preference to a knife, because with the latter it would have been a laborious job, owing to the extreme toughness of the horn. I never saw an ordinary horse’s hoof in this country so hard, because I suppose they are all shod. I regret I never compared the hoof of a shod horse with that of an unshod one in South America, as it would have been interesting to note what difference there was in the toughness.
Regarding the causeways, these were as rough as could be—stones of all descriptions and sizes laid up endways, as one sees in this country, but very roughly done and full of hollows, &c. I often wondered at the work these little horses went through, living almost entirely on grass and a little molasses mixed with their water, which they would refuse to drink without. These horses journey 400 miles or so with heavy bags of cotton and sugar slung on their backs to the coast, and make the return journey home laden as heavily with salt codfish and other provisions; yet how rare it is to see them either lame or footsore!
I am not quite sure that in this climate of ours a horse’s foot will become as hard, owing to the damp; but this I hope soon to find out to my satisfaction. All I have to say now is, let any one who has taken the trouble
