go Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



Why do we hear everything about the ounces the shoes weigh and 

 nothing of the length of toe and angle of foot? Is it not reasonable 

 to suppose that having once established the conditions necessary for a 

 balance, that these same conditions of length of toes and angle of foot 

 would bring about the same balance at the next shoeing? These same 

 conditions prescribing the former length and angle of toe will show 

 definitely how much of the hoof is to be rasped off. There is no error 

 possible where a businesslike record is kept. There is no guess work 

 possible either. Were such a record kept from one shoeing to another 

 of the length of toe, of its angle with heels or sole surface, of the size, 

 weight and shape of shoes and of their application, the horse would 

 have a chance to improve himself instead of being thrown off his gait 

 by an approximate guess and approximate work. Were exact methods 

 employed, the, gait would not suffer, but would be more firmly estab- 

 lished, or if in spite of this there would appear any irregularity the 

 method of simple measurements as here offered would reveal the fault 

 and indicate the remedy. The prevalent superstition of "leaving well 

 enough alone" and all its attendant mysterious guess work has done 

 the greatest harm to the proper balance of the horse. To the toe of 

 the previous shoeing is added or left some more toe because the horse 

 was moving well. Then at a subsequent shoeing some more toe is 

 left, because it seems good to "leave well enough alone." All at once 

 something happens, or speed is lost, and off comes the toe again. In 

 all these operations no heed is given to the angle of the foot. It is 

 lowered indiscriminately as the toe is lengthened and the leverage at toe 

 is greatly increased thereby. The energy of the animal is overtaxed 

 and the ease of motion ceases. Harmony of action is destroyed, and if 

 speed is not diminished, the gait is apt to be of the "get-there-anyhow" 

 style. 



There is no doubt that many horses have their own peculiar gait, 

 and we may therefore be obliged to conform our endeavors of im- 

 provement to the limitations of that particular gait. But as a rule the 

 kind of trot or pace that is productive of great speed with ease is largely 

 the result of following those principles of motion given in a previous 

 chapter. That means a rational development of an ideal trot or pace. 



