advantages as being lighter in hand—no trifling one—and all his gaits would become more elastic and airy, rendering him much easier to sit and ride, and give his rider a more graceful seat, while at the same time she would experience less fatigue, and be in greater safety.
Should these lines attract the notice of any fair reader, it is to be hoped that she may give their substance due consideration. Let her reflect that the present prevailing mode of shoeing is an unscientific and old-fashioned affair, and that it is now high time there should be a change of fashion, for ladies, at least. Let her consider that the hoof grows from above downwards; and thus, when the bottom part gets fair play, diseases and defects of the hoof will gradually disappear to a great extent, if not entirely. Any lady may improve her present favourite, both in comfort to him and in safety as well as comfort to herself, by having him shod all round with tips. The Charlier is much the best system, but where it cannot easily be put in practice, the common tip, made as narrow and thin as the Charlier, will be found very effective, and a very great improvement on the broad, heavy, ‘full’ shoe now in almost universal use.
Charlier did not invent the narrow, thin shoe or tip; he only made better use of such a piece of iron by imbedding it in the crust, on a level with the outer edge of the sole—and this was certainly an improvement. Mayhew says:—’All idea of the breadth of shoe affording the slightest protection
