MR MAJOR'S FARRIERS BILL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1695, 24 August 1904, Page 68

MR MAJOR'S FARRIERS BILL

(To the Editor, “N.Z. Mail.”) Sir,—l beg to ask you for a little space in your valuable journal. It has come under my notice that our member, Mr C Ei. Major, had brought before the House this session a bill for all farriers to pass an examination for horse-shoeing, and to my mind .one of the best bills ever introduced in Parliament. If such a bill were passed it would insure a better class of borse-shoeing. For instance, there are many amateurs that have not had more than three or f>ur years' experience in horse-shoeing. That is not sufficient time for them to learn the art of making the many different classes of shoes and putting them on so many different classes of horses' feet and also the dressing of the foot ready for the shoe to be fitted. Now, I maintain, that there are four principal points. The first is the -preparation of the foot for the shoe to be fitted, as it is a well-known fact that the different classes of feet require to be very differently dressed. I will put it iu this way. A horse comes into a smith's shop to have a set of new shoes. The first thing is the old shoes are taken off and the feet dressed. The apprentice or the amateur dresses the feet. Now, does he dress the feet in compliance with the natural growth of the foot P No, not in all cases, as the knife is used on the sole where it should not be, and the rasp on the wall of the foot and hoof taken away when it should not be touched, and also the bars of the foot cut away, and also the frog, which is the cushion of the foot and should never be cut, as those two parts of the foot are the main stay to the foot to prevent contraction, but are too often cut away.

In making the shoe for the different classes of feet, some feet require a heavy shoe and others a very much lighter. Now, as a rule, the same class of shoe is put on the different classes of feet. Take, for instance, a very flat foot, weak and thin sole. Thar fcot will not carry a heavy shoe. It requires a well made, light concave shoe to protect the thin sole and to keep the foot cool. Now, take the fitting of the shoe. Often the shoe is applied to the foot too hot, which is disastrous to the foot, and often one quarter of the foot is left higher than the other, when both should be on the same level as near as possible. Now the shoe is fitted and the floor man nails the shoes ou the feet, and that seems all right, but in a day or two the horse comes back to the shop and he is lame. What is the reason P Because the holes in the shoe are in and out. some too far in, and the nails are drawn through the pith of the foot and so lame the horse, and oftentimes the shoes are too short and close. Now, it is well known that there are members in the House, like Mr Major, who own valuable

horse and it would be well for them to consider that such a bill should have their support, as it would be the means of the young apprentices being more keen to study the art of horse-shoeing and make themselves thoroughly acquainted with th® business. I hope that Mr Major will not let this bill be killed, but do hi® best to have it passed. I am writing from fifty years' experience in England and New Zealand in horse-shoeing.—l am, etc WM. TAYLOR, Late of Canterbury. Hawera, August Ist