CHAPTER XII. 

 Heavy Shoes and Pads in the Winter Season. 



I believe that trotters and pacers would have 

 better, sounder feet if they were shod heavier 

 in the winter and early spring months when 

 their feet are beino- "renovated," or when their 

 work is necessarily slow jogging or road work. 

 The idea of wearing practically the same 

 weight shoe in the winter that is worn during 

 the racing season has never appeared to me to 

 be the proper thing, except in rare cases where 

 the horse could riot carry weight and "get out 

 of his own way." AA'eight in shoes or pads on 

 the road gives the horse more protection 

 against injury. Especially is a heavy shoe or 

 pad, or both, beneficial if a horse has weak or 

 injured tendons or has been let down for some 

 time, and you are going at him again in an 

 efifort to get him to the races the next summer. 

 ' T do not mean to advise putting on a lot of cum- 

 bersome weight, but more — considerably more 

 — than the horse carries or used to carry when 

 he was racinsf. Carrving^ the weioht he hits 

 the ground without fear ; it gives him more ac- 

 tion — ankle, knee and hock action ; gives him 

 muscle and with the toes squared he learns to 

 carry his feet straight, etc. There are a good 

 mau}^ very good reasons why you should add 

 Tiore weight to the racer's foot equipment 

 vvhen he is not in active training. There is an- 

 other thing in favor of weight carrying at cer- 

 tain times. It will often make a horse do some- 

 thing you have been praying he would do. but 

 you didn't know how to make him do it. A 

 horse will get beaten a few times ; he is not just 



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