136 CAKE AM) TRAINING OF TIJOTTKKS AND PACERS. 



vestigator of faulty gaits and one who knows the 

 effectiveness and simpHcity of the remedies sug- 

 gested, such a course is sheer folly and only ag- 

 gravates matters by confusing and exhausting the 

 intelligent horse. In these annoying unequal ex- 

 tensions of the legs the use of a heavier shoes or 

 a toe weight on one foot only, or of a different 

 adjustment regarding the angle and length of toe 

 of one foot as compared with its opposite mate, 

 have always proved to be very effective remedies, 

 either permanent or temporary, when carefully 

 applied and given time to work out. Again, the 

 legs at either extremity are sometimes of unequal 

 lengths, the same as with many human beings, and 

 a longer hoof or thicker shoe, or both, will soon 

 straighten out the defective gait into a square one. 

 Shifting to one side behind or carrying the head 

 to one side are defects that need something besides 

 the usual pole, because the root of the evil lies 

 deeper than these external applications can pos- 

 sibly remedy. They may be all right as auxiliaries, 

 but the gait should be analyzed by measurements 

 so that a better remedy can be found in the way of 

 a different adjustment of the foot and shoe. The 

 carriage of the head and its elevation play quite 

 a part in proper balance, and the check line is re- 

 sponsible for many of the evils of a disordered 

 gait. A free head promotes a pleasant mouth. It 

 is a great pity that most of our harness horses are 

 hard mouthed and therefore very unpleasant road- 



