RELATING TO HORSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2388, 7 December 1899, Page 7

RELATING TO HORSES.

SHOEING IN GOOD TIME,

There is no nearer way to spoil a. horse's feet than by neglecting shoeing. There are I know, many penny wise and pound foolish farmers and o'her horse-keepers who, fearing a too big blacksmith's bill, keep back their horses from tho forge as long as the shoes will hold oif. -The hoof -may "grow o.ver, 'the, nails may be twisted in all directions, and the soles pi tho feet may be on the ground, but still there will be no shoeing until the shoe drop 3 off. This latter, perhaps, happens on a journey a long way. from a forge, and before the blacksmith is reached the horse goes lame. Then a strange smith puts on the new shoe, and very-likely, with the fool being so worn and grown ouE of shape before'the job is done, the shoe has to bet aken off again before many days pass, the horse is laid up lame for a long time, and all for the want of ordinary care in having the animal shod in proper time. UNUSUAL TRANSITION OF COLOUR

OF A HORSE'S HOOF.

In a town not far from Edinburgh, a dark brown van horse, belonging to a tradesman,, has become rather conspicuous, owing tp a peculiar and uncommon change in his -hoofs, j The horse has two black fore legs, and the . hoofs of his fore- feet -were, black up till the end of May last, which is the normal condition ; but now these_ hoofs are white, except for a few narrow stripes of black down them, such as are sometimes found in ordinary white feet. There has been no change in the toughness or the horn, the feet carrying the shoes as well as ever they d^id. There has also been no change in the colour of the hair of the legs. The two white hoofs below two black legs give a peculiar and unique appearance to the \>orse. ■ * BITING-. - . .Horses which are naferally eviL tempered and vicious when at home in their own stables i are compararrively rare, and consequently, in nine cases out of ten, a "biter" has been made so by defective education. He bites out of revenge or in imaginary self-defence. Kindness and firmness will generally cure the propensity to bite, but fear never will. If the habit has become confirmed, or the horse is of an ugly and treacherous disposition, the muzzle is the only safeguard, to be worn whenever the animal is not feeding, aud perhaps even then. '