116 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



Fig. 30. 



RACING PLATE FOB RUNNING OR 

 GALLOPING HORSES. 



able on the track — vital- 

 ity, strength, speed, and 

 endurance. The running 

 horse concentrates the 

 full power of a perfect 

 animal organism in his 

 terrific bursts of speed, 

 and is rewarded accord- 

 ing to his deserts. Con- 

 sidering the immense 

 length of stride, or the 

 distance covered with 

 each forward movement 

 or jump in the act ot 

 galloping, when each front and hind pair of bipeds are 

 extended to their utmost in rapid succession to receive, sus- 

 tain and transfer the weight of the body, as well as the burden 

 of the rider, it will be readily appreciated that the result of 

 these efforts (sometimes prolonged in hard contests) must prove 

 a severe test of the structural makeup of any horse, and that in 

 the eliminating process where exceptional speed marks the 

 *' survival of the fittest," a large proportion of all running and 

 racing horses soon cease to be available for speed or any other 

 profitable purpose. From the violence of their exertions they 

 are liable to sprains of tendons and ligaments, and a sprained 

 leg must always remain a weak leg. 



The great sprain producing or " breaking down '' pace is 

 the gallop, but (as this injury more nearly concerns the limbs 

 above the fetlock) as a rule, running horses have much better 

 feet than trotters. This is due to the softer tracks over which 

 they course, and to the consistent use of light thin shoes, 

 60 that the frog impinges the ground with such a firm tread 

 as to overcome any interposition to the expansive capacity 



