XXVI. GAITING COLTS. 



Sometimes you will find a colt that has not much knee, 

 hock or stifle action and not much speed, and in such cases, 

 to remedy the defect, after the feet have been leveled the 

 hind feet a shade shorter than the front, I would recom- 

 mend a heavy rolling toe shoe in front, eight, nine or ten 

 ounces and a little lighter one behind, two or three ounces 

 lighter. If the foot is large and the colt is strong, eleven 

 ounces in front to begin with. Now as the action increases, 

 decrease the weight. When the colt begins to make speed 

 he or she will not need a rolling toe shoe in front, a plain 

 shoe is better, one that will not slip back on leaving the 

 ground. As the colt begins to make speed the action of the 

 legs needs watching because sometimes they will begin to 

 show a faulty line of action. 



If they begin to get faulty they are liable to begin 

 winging in or paddling out, and when shod again the feet 

 can be fixed to prevent this way of going at speed. The 

 most important thing is fixing their feet to prevent a faulty 

 line of action for if the feet are not kept level they will 

 begin getting rough gaited and unsteady. One important 

 thing in fixing feet on yearlings to be shod and worked 

 for speed is to keep the quarters and heels of front feet 

 as low as possible, it affords comfort in landing and in- 

 creases extension without carrying so much weight. Colts 

 that have a lot of action at both ends, hind and front, need 

 very light shoes all round, you can find out the proper bal- 

 ance with a toe weight. 



To increase extension, lower the quarters and heels and 

 apply toe weights instead of useing so much in the shoe. 

 The colt should carry a natural head, not too high and not 

 too low, the lower the better if he is inclined to mix. If 

 your colt is short and choppy gaited in his hind action lower 

 the quarters and heels of hind feet and shoe with a heavy 

 toeweight plain shoe and extend the shoe out one-quarter 



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