The Angle and Length of Foot 259 



foot the leverage from heel to toe will not be as great, and hence it may 

 happen that the action will be quicker and more elevated. The greater 

 ease with which such a foot is hurled up may then induce it to reach 

 forward more. Besides, because such a foot has not, by. the nature of 

 its shape, the ability to take hold of the ground with the toe as the foot 

 with the longer toe, it follows that the propulsion is left more or less 

 to the foot with longer toe and the lower heel. It is always, therefore, 

 a characteristic of the foot that stays behind its opposite mate to leave 

 a deeper toe impression on the ground than the foot that travels ahead 

 of it. 



A case of such a hind propulsion was given under Fig. 176, the 

 off hind having a squared toe and swelled heel shoe and a shorter toe, 

 which was corrected in the shoeing of Fig. 178. The near hind at 

 every foot print left a deep toe mark, showing it to be the foot whose 

 slower leverage from heel to toe compelled it to attend to all the propul- 

 sion behind, while the off foot hopped and extended forward exces- 

 sively. It is, therefore, always advisable to equalize this leverage at toe 

 by studying not only the difference of extension, but also the toe im- 

 prints of each foot. If it is necessary to make a difference between the 

 adjustment of two opposite feet it should be effected first by the differ- 

 ence of the lengths of toes and angles of the feet before the difference 

 in the shape of the shoe is considered. 



While all cases are amenable to certain principles which I have 

 tried to expound, each individual horse has its faults and shortcomings, 

 so that only by a plan of its gait can the proper adjustment be found. 

 The apparent contradictions of the principles involved, which at times 

 may puzzle the investigator, will always have their origin in some 

 grievous and permanent defect in the equine mechanism, and an analysis 

 of a gait should precede any changes in shoeing. After that the first 

 change should always be in the shape of the foot ; that is, in its length 

 of toe and height of heel. Too much attention is given to the mere 

 weight of shoes, and while this consideration is well worth taking into 

 account the shape of the foot should precede even the shape of the 

 shoe. 

 , Although I have regretted that my opportunities did not include 



