believe that "the boy buckled those boots too 

 tight and they pinched his heels." The light, 

 fleece-lined, felt bell-boot will give him all the 

 protection he needs, and if the track is heavy 

 or the least bit slopp}^ take them off also. 

 Usuallv the trotter that goes to his elbows is 

 possessed of plenty of hock action — perhaps it's 

 sympathetic — and a very light hind shoe will 

 suffice. 



Pacers hit their elbow^s too, and if I was go- 

 ing to help a friend cash his life insurance, I'd 

 present him with an elbow-hitting pacer that 

 wore hobbles. I recall a pacing mare that raced 

 on the Grand Circuit about sixteen years ago, 

 that had a pair of misfits hung on in front. One 

 foot was short with a high heel ; the other was 

 long with a low ''underslung" heel. The angle 

 of the latter foot was 44 degrees and the high- 

 heeled one stood at about 50 deg'rees. One foot 

 grew all to toe, the other grew straight down. 

 We would lower the heels on the high, strais^ht 

 foot and build up the heels on the other in or- 

 der to even up matters, but when the low- 

 heeled foot would grow out — just like a duck's 

 foot — she would begin to rap her elbow on that 

 side. I remember a heat, where she was lead- 

 ing into the stretch and looked to have her field 

 beaten, when bang! went her slow foot into hrr 

 elbow^ and she slowed up as if she carried air 

 brakes and they were all set. Some time in 

 your life you have bumped your elbow^ — 3^our 

 "crazy bone" ; remember how it was paralyzed 

 for a few moments? That is what happened 

 to this pacing wonder with the front feet that 

 were not mates. That is what is liable to hap- 



57 



