it; forging, scalping, speedy-cutting, shin and hock hitting 

 will cause it; carrying the head to one side at times will 

 cause it; soreness of the back, rump or muscles of whirl- 

 bone, stifle or thigh will cause it. 



Examine the faulty leg for soreness, for if the horse 

 is not lame from soreness somewhere, he can be balanced 

 to go true. If a horse begins hitching, his fast work should 

 be stopped until he is properly balanced, for no horse can 

 improve his speed after he becomes rough gaited without 

 danger to himself. The first thing to do is to get him 

 balanced. First, see that his feet are level. Nine times 

 out of ten you will find his feet are not mates or do not 

 hang level, you will find the foot on the offending leg that is 

 doing the damage different from its mate. In all my expe- 

 rience I have found the foot on the faulty gaited leg to be 

 very high on the inside, if not at the toe, it would be at the 

 heel, but the majority of times it would be high from toe 

 to heel, which would be the main cause of the hitching. 

 Fix the front feet to hang level, the angle and length of 

 toes the same. The two hind feet should be at the same 

 angle and have the same length of toe. The foot of the 

 faulty going leg should be made the lowest on the inside 

 and the shoe to be used on this foot must weigh double the 

 weight or from one to three ounces more than double the 

 weight of the one on the opposite hind foot. This shoe 

 can be made with the weight in the outside, with the inside 

 edge from the centre of toe back to the inside quarter 

 rounded or beveled off considerably, fit the shoe full to the 

 outside toe. If the hitching horse is shod according to these 

 directions and does not begin to go better gaited, it is be- 

 cause he is lame. If he carries five ounce shoes behind put 

 twelve or thirteen ounce on the faulty gaited leg and the 

 light shoe on perfect gaited leg. 



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