HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 191 



horse making a dead heat ; one winning one or two heats and 

 making a dead heat, better than one winning an equal number 

 of heats but not making a dead heat; one winning a heat or 

 making a dead heat and not distanced in a race, better than 

 one that has not won a heat or made a dead heat, and one that 

 has been placed "• second " one heat, better than a horse that 

 has been placed " third " any number of heats. 



Planer. A track building and finishing machine made 

 of several patterns, all similar in construction and operated 

 much alike. In general they consist of a body or framework 

 of wood and iron, upon four small iron wheels. Under this 

 framework and between the forward and hind wheels are two 

 cutters placed diagonally to the body of the machine and to 

 the track, operated by means of levers controlled by screw 

 purchase, and by which they are raised or lowered being thus 

 properly adjusted to the work they have to do. The cutters 

 are each about thirteen feet long, placed two feet apart ; the 

 forward one usually has a serrated edge and is called a harrow ; 

 the rear one is a plane scraper. When at woijc these machines 

 di'ess or plane a section of the track from seven to nine feet 

 wide. The usual weight of such planers or track machines is 

 about two thousand pounds. 



Plantar Cushion. A thick pad of fibrous tissue, 

 situated behind and under the navicular and coffin bones, and 

 resting on the sole and frog of the foot. It is wedge-shaped, 

 the narrow, pointed end which is turned forwards and reaches 

 to the middle of the under surface of the foot, causes the 

 center triangular prominence known as the frog. The plantar 

 cushion is one of the most important divisions of the foot, its 

 office being to receive the downward pressure of the column of 

 bones in the leg, and to destroy the concussion occasioned by 

 rapid motion. See Frog. 



Plate. A light shoe, or protection for the foot, for run- 

 ning horses ; a bar plate. They are made of steel or aluminum 

 and weigh from one and three-fourths to four ounces, accord- 

 ing to the size and also to the weight the horse is to carry. 

 They have no calks and are each fastened with six small nails. 



Plate. A cup, flagon or other article of precious metal 



awarded to the winner in a contest, or to the owner of the 



winning horse; a sum of money offered as a prize in a speed 



contest, as the "king's plate," "^embers' plate." 



The trotter should be bred to trot just as the thoroughbred runs in 

 plates.— American Horse Breeder. 



Plater; Selling- Plater. A horse that competes for 

 a plate; "selling plater," is a liorse of medium quality or what 



