THE SIX PKIN'CirAL DEFECTS IX GAIT. 133 



this, together with the above defect, produces ag- 

 gravated cases of speedy cutting and of cross 

 firing. Whether such interference can be rem- 

 edied depends largely upon the possibility of 

 bringing these distances between the feet back to 

 the normal, which can be done provided the fault 

 of an open or close locomotion behind is not a 

 matter of a faulty construction or conformation 

 of the hind quarters. In all excessive approach 

 of fore and hind feet and their consequent inter- 

 ference we should not entirely work on the hind 

 feet, but should also consider the fore feet as be- 

 ing somewhat responsible for too great a back- 

 ward extension and vicious curves of motion. For 

 instance, trotters that paddle and pacers that hit 

 their knees are both subject to such an interfer- 

 ence with the hind feet. The remedies for cross 

 firing are mainly obtained by modifying the in- 

 ward curves as in the previous defects discussed, 

 and by controlling or rather by developing the 

 hind action by shoes that bring about slightly more 

 elevation and backward extension of the hind legs. 

 (5) Forging and Scalping. 

 This defect is due mostly to (i) lack of ex- 

 tension of fore, and (2) extension of hind ; that is 

 to say, presuming that the motion of the legs is 

 straight and the foot level, we may still have a 

 very faulty adjustment of the foot by having a 

 wrong angle of the foot or too long or too short 

 a length of toe. As a rule, a long toe or a low 



