FAULTY CONFOKMATIOX AND MOVEMENT. 211 



ject well back at the heels, having good, long-heel calkins. 

 The driver or farrier should be able to judge of the weight of 

 shoes to be used. I have used four-calkin hind shoes in many 

 cases with the best of results. 



Speedy Cutting. — This is caused by the horse being un- 

 evenly balanced. Having more propelling power behind than 

 in front — that is, the front feet not being able to get out of the 

 way of the hind legs as they pass, the outside of the front f^ot 

 strikes and wounds the inside of the shin bone in the hind leg, 

 frequently causing much pain and soreness. It is termed " speedy 

 cutting,'' from happening while the horse is in rapid action. It 

 is an evident fact that all horses with bold, lofty knee action 

 are not speedy cutters. Those, however, who travel with a low^ 

 gliding, forward movement, like Lady Thorne, are called " daisy 

 cutters," and are proverbially afflicted with speedy cutting in 

 rapid motion. To overcome this defect, it is necessary to equal- 

 ize the different actions of the parts by quickening that of the 

 front and slowing that of the hind. This can only be done in 

 shoeing. 



As there are, however, but few trotting horses that can have 

 their toes shortened, since it would have a tendency to make 

 them double up or shorten their stride, I use for them a double 

 rolling-motion flat shoe, gradually thinning the shoe from 

 quarters to heel and from quarters to toe, with dropped crease 

 on the outer quarters. Such a shoe will allow the front foot to 

 land on its heels, roll over the toe more quickly, and get out of 

 the way of the hind legs. -If the front feet or tendons are sore, 

 it would have a tendency to slow the front action of the horse 

 in landing, as he fears to hit the ground. In such cases shorten 

 the toe of the front foot as much as safety will permit, examine 

 the feet as well as the splint bones, for, if soreness is present, 

 it will have a tendency to retard the action in front. If the 

 horse is a long strider or dweller, apply the scoop-toed, rolling- 



