Experiments and their Verification 149 



Though side poles and rods are unsightly affairs in a race much 

 may be effected by their judicious use in training out such a habit. 

 No horse can be balanced unless going straight. Such a straight di- 

 rection may be brought about by shoeing in time, but a quicker course 

 is to use a side rod in conjunction with such investigations as these. 



This carrying of head to near side always had the effect of a slight 

 increase of near hind extension. It generally happened when driven 

 close in to the fence and an allowance has to be made for that in the 

 result. Hence the shoeings here given do not show as yet conclusively 



FIG. 1 15 



fredu ceoi one. half) 



nh of \nf oh 



t t t! t 



* ^ rt ,./ 



W s.r? V* 



Directions of f/g. Iff 



fore yf cross 



t 



nfr nf\ of oh 



t ti t t 



\ 





D/rechons of fig. /I3 . 

 Xtotfed lines cure med/an lines 



the principles involved. For instance, the longer foot on right hind 

 may at times show a greater extension because of such a length and 

 also because of such a tendency of that leg and thus offset the ex- 

 tension of left hind due to this carrying of head to left. All these ex- 

 periments, therefore, should be considered in that way and they were, 

 in fact, but steps in the direction of equal extensions. 



Elsewhere it has been emphasized that time is an important element 

 of balancing, and in all trials for such investigations it has been in- 

 variably found that when they follow too closely upon a change of 

 shoeing the result is confusing and not indicative of the true effect of 



