52 



CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS. 



Chapter IV — Shoeing Colts. 



By Dr. Jack Seiter. 



HEN shoeing a colt I have 

 found that a study of the gait 

 of its parents, when possible, 

 is of great assistance, for, in 

 correcting a fault, it is well 

 to know whether it is individ- 

 ual or hereditary. And before 

 going into the subject of this chapter I wish to 

 register a note of warning as regards heredity of 

 gait. Flow often have I seen a breeder attempt to 

 produce a colt of good conformation, by crossing 

 a horse of excellent structure (one with which 

 the most exacting judge of horse flesh could find 

 no fault) with a spindle-legged', knee-knocking 

 mare, simply because she was well bred, or had 

 considerable speed. Naturally he figured that the 

 stallion would predominate in this union, and the 

 colt would be of the desired conformation. I 

 have seen this mistake made year after year. The 

 influence of heredity (for bad as well as good) 

 can not be better illustrated. The result is usually 

 a leaning toward the bad ; the colt is almost always 

 an animal of faylty conformation in one or more 

 points. Naturally this condition will also exist if 

 we reverse the order of things, and cross an ill 

 structured stallion with a perfectly developed 



