half-oval by drawing it through a half-oval 

 swedge so much the better. The shoe can be 

 made into a bar-shoe, but an open shoe will 

 answer the purpose. The object is to make 

 the foot swing in instead of out wdien it leaves 

 the ground, and in this way straighten the ac- 

 tion of the leg and foot and take away the 

 waste action. The outside swedge or crease 

 should be good and deep so that it will take 

 hold of the ground, for the foot will swing 

 when it lets go in the direction opposite to 

 where it "grabbed the track." To be brief, 

 shoeing a paddler is reversing the customary 

 method of shoeing a chronic knee-knocker that 

 toes out. Behind, lower the inside of the feet 

 a little and put on a regular outside-sw^edged 

 cross-firing shoe with a small, block heel-calk, 

 leaving the outside trail about a half inch 

 longer than the inside heel of the shoe. The 

 shoe should be light, about four or four and a 

 half ounces. By straightening him in front 

 and widening him a little behind you will win 

 the argument. 



b' 



Now bring in the colt with the long, sloping 

 pasterns in front, that stands with his feet in 

 front of him instead of under him, and whose 

 hind legs would make good sickles if ground 

 a little on the front side. Maybe he cannot 

 bump his hind toes right into the bottom of 

 his front feet ! and wdien 3^ou try to make him 

 imitate a trotter he rakes his hind feet, ankles 

 and shins, until it drives him insane and causes 

 him to break; after awhile he strikes a trot 

 again, but his mind, if he has an}^, is not on 

 trotting; he is expecting another whack on his 



42 



