120 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



the force of landing will pass through the ball of the foot on 

 the right axis of the leg, without injury to the back tendons. 

 Three nails on each side of shoe opposite each other will allow 

 the foot to expand equally on both quarters and thus avoid the 

 danger of foot and les: soreness. It should be borne in mind 

 that pressure from the shoe must be kept off around the front 

 part of the foot to prevent toe soreness, as the hoof grows more 

 at the toe than at the quarters. 



Some horses may require scoop-toe shoes, or shoes concaved 

 on the ground surface, others, small heel calks ; but these points, 

 together with w^eight of shoes, etc., must be adjusted to suit the 

 stride and gait of the horse. When starting trotting horses in 

 their spring work after a long winter's rest, it is advisable in 

 some cases to have their front shoes weigh four or five ounces 

 more than the shoes worn in the fall races, as these heavier shoes 

 will assist them in getting up more quickly to their stride. Reset 

 the shoes every ten or fifteen days, so that the foot may be kept 

 level and balanced, and at all times fit the shoes snug around 

 the hoof to avoid striking them off by an overreach. 



Another point worthy of note in this connection is, that by 

 watching the action of a trotting horse and attentively listening 

 to the sound of each footfall, the rhythm of their movement may 

 be observed and any irregularity detected. Thus, if the action 

 is balanced the succession of steps will fall in regular 1-2-3-4 

 time, but if any irregular interval occurs — either slower or faster 

 — there is a difference in the length of stride. Where there is 

 a long interval, the stride of the slow-moving limb is longer 

 than its fellows, and where there is a short interval, the stride 

 of the quick-moving limb is shorter than the others. These 

 irregularities may be due to some inequality of the foot — a high 

 heel or short toe will cause an unbalanced gait or an unequal 

 stride. A foot shorter on the ground surface — that is, with 

 short toes — is shorter in stride and quicker in its fall than the 

 others. If the front feet are upon the same angle, same height- 



