'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎151r] (306/312)

The smith arrives in camp with a hag of ready-made shoes, and shoeing
takes a very short time.
When the nails are hammered in, the outer sets are clinched with a small
pointed hammer. The projecting end of the nail was
Process of sboemg. ^ p ut cur l e d. U p with the point of the
hammer into a spiral, and tapped to lie flat against the hoof.
The inner sets of nails are broken short off with a pair of pincers, and rasped
down to avoid brushing.
While this was being done, the foot was placed on a little round wood
block 6 inches high and 10 inches diameter, and a small iron wedge jammed
in under the shoe between the block and the point of the toe. This ensures
the shoe bearing well up against the sole while it is being hammered in.
The drawing knives, of which there were two kinds, were of formidable
dimensions, and the hoof was pared in the most ruthless manner before the
ehoe was fitted. For paring the sole there is one handled knife about 7 inches
broad, and curved up slightly in the centre, so as to avoid taking too much off
the frog.
The other is a straight-edged knife, taken in both hands, by two projec
tions, and used for paring the sides of the foot.
These shoes caused a good deal of brushing, and came off very easily, going
over rough roads, and seem not at all suited for rocky, slippery ground.
In the evening the packs are taken off the mules, and they are^ rubbed
down with a currycomb, the principal article for
Grooming. grooming used for both horses and mules. It is a
curved shell of iron of a flattened U-shaped section. The edges are serrated
like an ordinary currycomb, and joined together by a dozen or so small iron
bars on each of which is made to slide a small iron button ; and as the animal
is Groomed, these strike the iron edges of the comb, making a peculiar clicking
noise. After the comb the animal is well rubbed down with a piece of coarse
Cl0t| The comb is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide, and seems an excel
lent article for grooming an animal coated with mud or dust after a long
During our march it was used for horses and mules, and kept their coats,
looking very well. „ , , , , , .1 j
Animals were given their first barley feed at about 4 A.M., and the second
in the evening at about 5 p.m. On coming in from the
Feeding. march, they were turned loose to find the nearest grass
° l ThTsam^mulesTIre taken from Baghdad the whole journey to Karman-
shah, a distance of about 1,600 miles. _ i i • i a
Thev came without a single gall or having to leave any behind, and they
took on again almost immediately to carry goods from Karmanshah to
^Themules were hired through the Baghdad Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. under an agree-
mentof 10 piastres per mule each day. i -r„ i
This at the rate then current in Baghdad amounted to nearly Be. 1 eac i
This includes pay of muleteers, food, &c., and the agreement said they were
to go any road ordered, and not leave unless required to.
Their pay, if paid in rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , was at the Baghdad current rate. .
The two muleteers procured were good men, and beyond an occasional
’ grumble at the length of the stages, they would go any road or to any place.