64 Gait of Ike American Trotter and Pacer 



in distance and in direction. Again, it must be emphasized that the 

 averages obtained in all these calculations indicates the animal's hab- 

 itual or compulsory mode of motion under the conditions of such a 

 trial. 



Fig. 45 will show the track gauge applied to a track of a shoe, 

 which might indicate an angle outward or plus ( + ) of about 15 de- 

 grees, and a distance for off fore of about 6 inches or more. If this 

 track, however, were that of the near fore it would not only show that 

 the near fore leg crosses over, but also that the more -natural toeing 

 out has given way to a marked toeing in ; or, in other words, the near 

 fore would show a distance of 6 and a direction or angularity of 

 toe of 15 degrees. 



Perhaps it is just as 'well to illustrate all this by the actual plotting 

 or fixing of Lou Dillon's tracks. I offer here, in Fig. 46, an explanatory 

 drawing of the tracks in part as found, and along side a presentation 

 of the fore feet as they averaged in their lines of motion and direction. 

 When first seen these tracks looked like those of a pacer, and, judged 

 from the standpoint of a standard gait, this mare cannot pass muster. 

 But she is a study of compensations ; that is, of such motions of legs 

 and feet as will prevent or make improbable any interference of hind 

 with fore feet. This peculiarity of gait can be seen in Fig. 35, where 

 the mare is at full speed. The off fore is coming from the near side 

 and the off hind is seen on outside of off fore, and no interference 

 seems possible between the legs on the same side. 



Another table is offered to the reader's attention in Fig. 47, where 

 again the various measurements made with the track gauge for 19 

 strides are arranged according to fore and hind and near and off sides, 

 and the distances and angles of directions are found in columns for cal- 

 culating the averages. The distances (D) are given in inches and 

 decimal fractions thereof. The small letters "t" and "oh" or "ih" 

 stand for concussions or slips at toe (t), outside heel (oh) or inside 

 heel (ih) ; and sometimes "hh" appears, which stands for both heels. 

 A line under any of these notations, such as t, oh, ih, hh, means an 

 intensified impression caused by undue concussion or by slipping. It 

 is well to note these features of the tracks and take an average of 



