Green Mountain Freeman

Unshod Horses. - Mr. Sam Chapin of Lowell, writes as follows to Cotton, Wool and Iron on the subject of shoeing horses: 'I have a horse I have owned over seven years that I think a great deal of, and which I have kept for my own driving. I came to the conclusion four years ago that shoeing was against nature. I talked the same to horsemen here in Lowell, and they said it might do in some cases, but for a man who drove as I did over the pavements, it would ruin a horse's feet in one month's time. I did not believe it, although I did not get my courage up to pull off my horse's shoes until April, 1882. Since that time those shoes have hung up in the stable, and I would not put them on her feet again for any consideration. She had good feet when I took them off and she has better feet to-day, and you know, Mr. Editor, and all of my acquaintance in Lowell that I am not a slow driver, no matter whether I am on pavements or a soft road. I would not advise parties to take off their horses' shoes at this time of the year, but take them off in the spring when the frost is coming out of the ground, and by the time the ground gets hard the frog of the foot gets grown down so as to become a cushion for the hard ground and pavements to protect the nerves of the feet from injury. I now drive my horse up hill and down, over pavements, crossings, etc. I never expect to see a harder winter for ice than we had here in Lowell last year when some of my neighbors sharpened their horses' shoes twice a week, and I drove all winter (and what is called pretty sharp, too) without a shoe, and no slipping, either.'