with a loose surface, simply because he was 

 trying- to trot over it in flat, smooth shoes that 

 suited him on a track that was hard, or at least 

 had firm footing. A horse, trotter or pacer, 

 with a long, sweeping stride that wants his 

 feet to slip forward a little every time they hit 

 the ground, will not do well if shod with rim 

 shoes or calks. The rims or calks will stop him 

 too much ; make him muscle-sore and shorten 

 his stride ; but with a swedge, or crease across 

 the toe of the shoe, or if the toes of the shoes — 

 all around — are scooped — convexed — the for- 

 ward motion will not be interferred with, and 

 when the reverse motion comes, there will be 

 sufficient grab at the toe to hold him and keep 

 him on his stride. 



The horse with the round, full motion at 

 both ends or the one that goes "choppy" and 

 very rapid all around, can w^ear low grabs and 

 calks to good advantage, because when his feet 

 land they come down straight, are picked up 

 the same way and the reverse action has really 

 begun before the foot hits the ground. That 

 kind of a horse will trot in the mud or on ice, 

 or any old track, but the calks or rim shoes will 

 benefit him. 



CHAPTER IX. 



Bar-Shoes Behind. 



It is a mistaken idea that bar-shoes should 

 be used only on the front feet. There are many 

 times in the course of the racing or training 

 season when a bar-shoe on your horse's hind 

 foot will prove beneficial. Of course, they can- 

 not be as heavy as the front bar, but a thin, 



75 



