have more pacers now in proportion to what we used to have is 

 simply because the race tracks give good purses for them to 

 contend for, and therefore breeders and owners do not try to 

 make the young things trot when they are at all inclined to pace, 

 as they formerly did when they were of less value for racing 

 purposes. 



One strong argument in my favor is, to my mind, the almost 

 absolute disuse of the hock joint at the pacing gait. What was 

 that very important joint put at the propelling end for, if it were 

 not to assist the animal In his movements? So I call a pacer an 

 unbalanced trotter. 



Now one thing more about the preparation of the foot for the 

 shoe, aod I reckon I am about through. Don't remove the sole 

 from the loot aaj' more than just the width of the shoe, so that 

 the shoe will not rest on it. For winter shoeing, leaving the sole 

 untouched, prevents to a large extent " balling," and in summer 

 it offers a protection against picking up stones and a strong re- 

 sistance to nail penetration. Always use narrow-webbed shoes, 

 not over five-eighths of an inch wide. 



If the feet are trued and balanced, make the shoes of even 

 thickness all around from heel to heel, for all four shoes for each 

 horse. With a perfectly-levelled and balanced hind foot, why 

 put calkins on the heels of the shoes. Don't they throw the feet 

 out of balance? Then, as the front of the shoe wears away 

 faster than the hind part of it, is not the lay of the foot getting 

 more and more off the level all the time? 



For myself, I always put the shoes on all feet, drawn a shade, 

 only a shade, from last nail hole back to point of heel, just to 

 assist in equalizing the wear as much as possible. The last nails 

 in the shoes on either side should never be put further back 

 than on a line with the wing of the pedal bone under any circum- 

 stances, except as already explained for the foot that is too wide. 

 So it would seem that one of the surest, safest and therefore 

 best ways of balancing the trotter and pacer would be to true and 

 balance his feet, round off the edges of the walls so that the feet 

 will not break in coming in contact with the ground, and drive 

 him a lew days barefooted. 



If he is balanced, that is, even and true-gaited bare footed 

 then shoe him as directed. For it must be borne in mind that 

 the only practical way to " balance the trotter " is to true and 

 balance his feet and make them be in proper proportion and in 

 proper angle to the limbs they support. In no other way can the 

 gait be made even and true and in perfect rhythm, except at risk 

 of injury to the joints, muscles, tendons, as a natural result of 

 artificial appliances to the feet and limbs, in order to force the 

 animal to an action that the position of his joints does not fit him 

 to take." 



More insight on this subject will be obtained by following 

 the directions for preparing and shoeing the foot contained in 

 this work. 



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