Experiments and their Verification 229 



of going at the trot or the pace, the regularity of either gait can only; 

 be accomplished by such equal extensions. It may, therefore, be true, 

 as heretofore mentioned, that every remedy does not apply to every 

 horse, yet that does not mean that each horse is an absolute case by 

 itself, but rather that each horse has peculiarities and faults whose 

 corrections may be accomplished by always having in view this pri- 

 mary condition of the equal extensions of all four legs. 



This condition, however, of equal extensions also applies to the 

 averages of the measurements as exemplified in the various cases given, 

 but mainly to the equal forward and backward swing of the legs or 

 feet. The eye must, therefore, decide first whether the action has this 

 regularity of motion, and the method offered to ascertain the gait as 

 found on the ground must go hand in hand with that judgment of the 

 eye ; but by the calculations of the -f- and variations from average 

 stride, as given on pages 140, 159, 188 and 195, we can also determine 

 if there is such an equal swing of the leg. My observations and ex- 

 periments tend to prove that these total positive and negative varia- 

 tions indicate such forward and backward extensions ; and the more 

 nearly equal these variations are, the more equal will be the forward 

 and backward swings of that leg. A study of the variations hereto- 

 fore given will make this more clear. 



The influence of a foot trimmed or shod as given in Fig. 175 be- 

 came evident in the experiments of the last case given. The com- 

 bination of a squared toe and a high heel appeared to have eventually 

 an accelerating effect and with that over-active off hind leg, as in 

 the last case, it proved to be not as effective a correction as anticipated. 



We have seen that hind shoes with squared toes and calks had 

 a better effect to increase elevation and decrease extension than per- 

 haps the squared toes with swelled heels had, which no doubt is due 

 to the prompter check to motion which calks are apt to give. 



With the effect of shoeing under Fig. 173 carried over to the 

 next shoeing we have in Fig. 176 the subsequent adjustment of shoes 

 and the resulting extensions. The stride in both trials was practically 

 the same (14.27 ft. and 14.23 ft.) Note the same off hind excessive 

 extension. There was therefore, apparently, no difference between 



