154 Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



behind when looked at from the side. She was rapid gaited and had 

 little knee action. Besides, she was unsteady behind and the outside 

 turned heels of hind shoes slid on ground from 3 to 4 inches. Any 

 such concussion cannot possibly benefit the gait or balance. I recom- 

 mended the use of a 2 oz. toe-weight on near -fore only as a test, and 

 the removal of turned heels behind. While she had shown a mile in 

 2 :22 with much effort, she went a smooth and easy mile in 2:18^, her 

 fastest time then. 



When examining the extensions in Fig. 120 we should remember 

 also that off fore was more or less held back by interference with the 

 near fore. For, as could be expected, by its being placed towards the 

 off fore, the near fore was now and then struck at the knee by the off 

 fore ; and this interference held back or checked the extension of the 

 off fore. The toe-weight remedied this somewhat. It steadied the 

 near fore, gave it a somewhat better direction and possibly better ex- 

 tension, and by such increased activity it also influenced its diagonal 

 mate, the off hind ; so that, all in all, the effect of that toe-weight was 

 the same as in the previous case. I regret that the result so obtained 

 by advice could not be brought down on paper as the other cases, but 

 the evidence remains that a 2 oz. toe-weight so applied and under such 

 conditions improved both gait and speed. Included in the advice given 

 was the usual and always effective rule of pointing advocated by the 

 late David Roberge, to the effect that the near fore was lowered on in- 

 side toe and the "wing" of that hoof reduced at that point. The re- 

 sult was that she quit banging her left knee. 



Two more of these fleeting cases came to my attention, where toe- 

 weights showed the same general effect. In both cases the attitude of 

 the animal was very faulty because the front and the hind legs stood 

 under ; that is, there was a pointing back of fore and a pointing for- 

 ward of hind feet. Such an attitude always causes trouble and dis- 

 appointment from the fact that interference is almost impossible to 

 overcome. The animal may have ever so much speed and ambition or 

 trotting instinct, but Nature having put up a poor structure for speed 

 balks all efforts. We can, however, modify even such an attitude in 

 time so that the animal can at least trot well enough to get into the 



