Requisites of Perfect Balance 1 1 1 



would affect the gait of the horse in the direction of the arrow. There 

 is some confusion of ideas of the shape of the shoe by inverting it, 

 because when we look at a shoe of right hind foot, for instance, we 

 generally handle it with ground surface towards us and heels down, so 

 that a longer outside heel would appear to be on the inside, and so 

 forth, something like the image of a subject in a mirror. 



If the designation or scheme of Fig. 82 is not agreeable we should 

 logically present the four shoes as in Fig. 83, where they appear as on 

 the uplifted leg, namely, with heels up and toes down. With the un- 

 derstanding that the direction of moving feet is as indicated by arrow, 

 this would in reality be the more desirable and perhaps more logical 

 representation. But I believe that Fig. 82 is more easy of compre- 

 hension if we imagine the true character of ground surface indicated 



F 1 0.83. 



as if showing through shoe, as there given. At all events the "point- 

 ing" of foot is better understood and corrected, if possible, by view- 

 ing them as set on ground and pointing in the direction in which the 

 natural motion of the horse proceeds. Therefore I have adopted it as 

 the most convenient plan for records of past shoeings and of improve- 

 ments based on the results of my analysis of ,gait. 



The great underlying principle of rocking motion as exemplified 

 in all flesh-footed animals should never be lost sight of in the con- 

 struction of a shoe designed not only for speed, but also for preserving 

 soundness of leg. I believe that the trotter and pacer have been 

 grossly sinned against in the name of speed by the construction of 

 shoes solely to effect speed, or rather to correct in some forcible way 

 the interference of feet or the action of legs. Weight in front and 



