206 Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



if there is a permanent inequality necessary there must be also a per- 

 manent structural fault somewhere. The two front and the two hind 

 feet may not always be alike either in size or in growth of toe or heel, 

 so that after three weeks from the date of shoeing the horse may again 

 be out of balance ; or, on the other hand, it may be just this inequality 

 in toe length and angle that may cause a better way of going at the 

 end of those three weeks. Hence arises the advisability of accurately 

 observing the actual conditions, small in difference as they may seem, 

 of the four feet at such a period of apparent balance. 



While, therefore, it may be said that more weight on front feet 

 increases the action rather than the extensions of same, when both 

 feet and shoes are alike, any inequality in length of toe or in angle or 

 in shape of foot may have a different effect, as seen in other experi- 

 ments. Besides, there is always the influence of the hind extension 

 on the fore which may induce the fore to respond to it, so that the fore 

 cannot be said to act or extend quite independently and vice versa, the 

 increased activity or extension of one fore leg influences the diagonal 

 or correlated hind leg in its movements and extensions. This inter- 

 relation of the feet is one of the most difficult points of balance to 

 adjust, and will always have to be taken into account when trying to 

 regulate the movements of one particular leg. We cannot always say 

 that one correction will influence just one particular foot, because it 

 generally reflects on the action of the correlated foot as well. Having 

 the weight and shape of shoes under consideration, I shall now en- 

 deavor to show the effect of unequal weight in front and also that of 

 the squared toe. However difficult it may appear to understand this 

 relation between the fore and hind, the effect is readily seen in the 

 results of shoeings such as here given. 



A gelding by Nutwood Wilkes will serve as a subject for unequal 

 weights, angles and toes. The peculiarities of his gait were the ex- 

 cessive extensions of near fore and off hind. The near fore was dished 

 at toe and would naturally point forward, and the off hind was in con- 

 sequence interfering with off fore and got into the habit of going in 

 between the paths of the two fore feet, or inside of off fore. 



Fig. 158 gives a shoeing intended to correct these tendencies of 



