ing- shoe — it's mostly in the name. You may 

 put on a little more weight, thinking that will 

 make him trot only to find that it makes him 

 steadier and a little better-gaited pacer. The 

 usual procedure is to let him pace, develop his 

 speed at the latteral gait, and when he has 

 matured convert him back to the diagonal gait. 

 A colt develops speed at the pace much faster 

 than he does trotting, and if he has to have 

 considerable weight to change him over to the 

 trot, the best time to put it on is when he has 

 matured, and his muscles are in a better con- 

 dition to carry it. 



If^ however, you want him to trot all of the 

 time and you are not in a hurry, it is a good 

 plan to let his front toes grow out pretty well 

 — to say, four inches — and do not increase the 

 weight of his front shoes but reduce the 

 weight of his hind shoes. If practicable, let 

 him go barefoot behind for awhile and lower 

 the angle of his front foot to about .47 degrees. 

 When you want to step him up a little, slip 

 on a heavy quarter-boot, or a toe-weight, or 

 both, and let him step to where he can go, and 

 go square, being careful not to ask him for 

 more than he has got. If he insists on changing, 

 or trying to change over to the pace, put on a 

 heavy rubber pad cut through at the heels to 

 accommodate a full-length swedged shoe, set 

 full at the toe, the combined w^eight of shoe 

 and pad to be anywhere from fourteen to 

 twenty-four ounces. If he has to carry the 

 heavier weight he will look fine — like a cham- 

 pion — going at a certain clip, but I do not be- 

 lieve he would look good to you at the end of 



25 



