THE INDIVIDUAL 111 



even turning up the toe, in extreme cases, while weight 

 at the heel increases the height of the stride by requiring 

 more lift on the part of the flexors. Hopples may be 

 used to keep trotters or pacers in their stride or to con- 

 vert from one gait to the other. 



114. Going surface. — The surface over which the horse 

 steps has a marked influence on the character of his stride 

 which may be taken advantage of in the schooling process. 

 As a general rule, heavy, soft or deep going causes a high 

 stride, while a hard, smooth surface is conducive to speed. 

 Of the speed horses, trotters and pacers take more kindly 

 to the hard track than the runners, which do best on the 

 turf or a deeply scratched dirt track. The difference in 

 the going will frequently account for a horse's trotting 

 or pacing, the heavy or deep going causing double-gaited 

 horses to trot, while a change in footing will shift them to 

 the pace. 



The common defects and peculiarities in the horse's way 

 of going for which any of the preceding factors may be 

 responsible or tend to overcome are : 



115. Forging — striking the ends of the branches or the 

 under surface of the shoe of a forefoot with the toe of the 

 hind foot. 



116. Interfering — striking the supporting leg at the 

 fetlock with the foot of the striding leg. It is a common 

 result of the horse's standing in the base narrow, toe wide 

 or splay footed position. 



117. Paddling — an outward deviation in the direction 

 of the stride of the foreleg resulting from the toe narrow 

 or pigeon toed standing position. 



118. Winging — exaggerated paddling in horses that go 

 high, and consequently deviate more noticeably. 



119. Winding — a twisting of the striding leg, around 



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