46 Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



those curves of motion of the feet, as found in the previous chapter, 

 first proved to me the irregularity of such motion and the need of 

 ascertaining by means of general averages the variations of a gait. I 

 found later on that the two eminent Frenchmen, Goubaux and Barrier, 

 had ingeniously investigated the motion of the horse in their excellent 

 work "The Exterior of the Horse." 



This helped and encouraged me in my investigations to find a 

 method by which proper balance may be more easily found than by 

 guess-work. Though shoeing may be considered an art, the proper 

 correction of a faulty gait must be based on a proper analysis of that 

 gait. There may be an infinite variety of conditions and the relations 

 between the four legs may be very intricate, yet there ought to be some 

 logical deductions possible in each case, provided the actual facts are 

 put down in black and white. From such a series of experiments 

 I hope to give to the reader some simple generalizations. Should, how- 

 ever, the reader still insist that each horse is a case by itself and doubt 

 the general application of such generalizations, he can always, by this 

 method at least, find the relative effect of each successive shoeing for 

 that horse, and make the necessary changes to improve the gait of 

 that particular animal. 



In looking at the tracks on the ground or the impressions left by 

 the shoe, we must judge of their nature first by the actual contact with 

 the soil. The ground over which a trial for this purpose is to be made 

 should not only be harrowed, but also be hand-raked so as to present 

 a reasonably smooth surface. A smooth, frictionless and easy gait, 

 or that of a horse well balanced, should show even and firm impres- 

 sions on the ground of the four feet, without any slip or concussion. 



Whenever there is any sliding or a marked hardening of soil at 

 any point, and a repetition thereof, there is also an irregularity of gait 

 and a difficulty of action. Notes should be made of such repeated con- 

 cussions, because this shows a fact of a deranged action. 



Now then, our horse has just moved over such a prepared piece 

 of ground, practically level, for a distance that should give us -20 

 strides for each leg, as before mentioned. Let us then take a loo'ft 

 tape line and put its end-ring at the toe of near fore by means of a 



