Hippodonomia, or, The true stucture, laws, and economy, of the horse's foot : also Podophthora, or A ruinous defect in the principle of the common shoe detected; and demonstrated by experiments : with a proposition for a new principle of shoeing, which abundant practice has since confirmed / by Bracy Clark.

  • Clark, Bracy, 1771-1860.
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hippodonomia, or, The true stucture, laws, and economy, of the horse's foot : also Podophthora, or A ruinous defect in the principle of the common shoe detected; and demonstrated by experiments : with a proposition for a new principle of shoeing, which abundant practice has since confirmed / by Bracy Clark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    PREFACE. About seven years ago, whilst pursuing some experiments on the contracted feet of horses, it occurred to me that the causes usually advanced to explain this serious imperfection were not real; and that, in fact, the accidents, carelessness, idle habits, and wanton tricks of the smith, so much inveighed against, had very little concern in its production. The efficient cause began to appear to me to lie much deeper, and to consist in the very method itself by which the shoe was affixed to the foot. To establish this opinion by the unerring evidence of experiment seemed difficult; yet a plan for effecting this purpose shortly after suggested itself, and a subject exceedingly well fitted for its appli- cation soon offered. I have thus been enabled to place this opinion beyond the reach of doubt. A detail of those experiments will be found in the following pages; and the train of consequences which terminate in the partial destruction of the foot, and pro- ceeding from the continued operation of the same cause. After having well considered these facts, and reflected on the great obscurity which has hitherto prevailed in this branch of vete- rinary science, I imagined that these discoveries might be worthy the attention of the public; especially as, the cause of this chief defect being now understood, little would remain in the art of shoeing that did not admit of easy solution. I further hoped that, by doing this, I might excite such efforts as would crown with success the attempt to remove the evil, by introducing shoes of a different construction. The few experiments which I have been able to make lead me to conjecture that it cannot be long ere this will be accomplished. Whatever may be the result in regard to this