I20 EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 



or slow either on the road or track, and his muscles are hard- 

 ened and accustomed to carrying that amount of weight. In 

 using weights a horse has all his slow work without them, and 

 they are only put on when you are going to give your horse 

 fast work. I believe that is the cause of their doing so much 

 injury. 



In case of interfering forward — ankles, shins or a bad 

 knee hitter — they can be benefitted greatly by shoeing. If it 

 is in winter, on slippery roads, and you are obliged to use 

 caulks, instead of using one toe caulk, and that in the centre 

 of the shoe, use two, one each side of the centre of the toe of 

 the shoe, about one and a half inches apart. That will make 

 them break over on the toe square without any flop, conse- 

 quently they will not hit either ankles, shins or knees. In the 

 summer season, when you are using a plain shoe without 

 caulks, instead of making the shoe round square it across the 

 toe. That will make them pick up the foot square and go 

 clear, as most horses that hit themselves pick their feet up 

 with a flop, either in or out. They are what we call loaferish 

 gaited. 



Many times it is well to have your shoe turned with 

 about a third more weight on the outside than the inside. 

 Have your blacksmith file away the inside edge of the shoe 

 all it will bear, but keep the foot round and of perfect form, 

 as a horse's leg must be in the centre of the foot and the foot 

 level. 'Do not straighten either side of your horse's foot to 

 prevent hitting or allow one side of the foot to be higher than 

 the other, as either way is liable to enlarge the ankle joint 

 and produce lameness. In this case have your nails counter- 

 sunk, instead of creasing the shoe, as then you can file the 

 edge of the shoe below the bearing. If the shoe is creased 

 the edge is flush and that is what does the cutting or bruising 

 of your horse. 



In shoeing a colt the first time it is well to follow nature's 

 laws as near as possible. Accordingly his first set of shoes 

 should be very light and all of one weight forward and behind 



