Downhill and Uphill Trials Compared 283 



lessened in both up and down grade movements, and the leverage 

 at the toes will be ineffective though easy at U', and also difficult be- 

 cause it does not occur at the right moment, and the consequence of 

 such effects is i) that the feet U and U' point back and increase the 

 upward action of the leg because of this too quick toe leverage ; and 

 2) that the feet D and D' will point forward to ease the leverage and 

 therefore will lose the effect of a good hold with the toe, because they 

 lack backward extension and action. Or, again, we may say that while 

 U and U' are checked by a higher heel on the down grade the feet 

 at D and D' are checked by the lower heel and the more pointed toe. 

 We shall find on the ground surface a consequent greater concussion 

 of the heels of the former and the toes of the latter feet. 



The feet best adapted to the down grade would be D and D' 

 of i as the fore feet and U and U' of 2 as the hind feet, while for 

 upgrade U and U' of i would serve best as the hind feet and nearly 

 as well for the fore feet. It will be readily seen that if we put D 

 and D' in either figure as the hind and U and U' as the fore feet we 

 shall have as a result a probable intereference and a cramped loco- 

 motion, because these legs or feet would in either case point toward 

 ^ach other instead of pointing away from each other. 



The practical benefit, therefore, which such trials on inclines seem 

 to offer is a hint as to the angles of the fore and of the hind feet 

 rather than the length of the toes, for the angle determines the ease 

 or the difficulty with which the leverage at the toe takes place. In- 

 cidentally it may also lead to the solution of the weight and the shape 

 of the shoes. Attention has been called to the variations which the 

 fore or hind legs may show from the average stride. They may 

 be greater or smaller at either extremity. The horse may "recover" 

 in front, or may hop or change behind, owing to such defective or 

 excessive leverage at the toe. 



If we take U and U' in 2 of Fig. 204 as the fore feet we shall 

 have excessive ease of leverage ; that is to say, the leg may lack for- 

 ward extension, which would not be the case with D and D' in i as 

 the fore feet. And vice versa, in going uphill we would have the 

 feet U and U' of i to better advantage than they are in D and D' of 



