Читать книгу Balancing and Shoeing Trotting and Pacing Horses онлайн

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Now to fix the feet of a horse whether front or hind, begin with the foot first that looks to be the highest at the heels, because if you should start to fix two feet and one foot is a good deal lower at the heels than the other you cannot cut the heels of the foot that are the highest low enough to place the foot at the same angle with its mate, if you had fixed the foot that had the lowest heels first.

A good rule in fixing feet, and you will find it true nine times out of ten, is, when fixing front feet, always cut the outside from toe to heel down first, unless you are shoeing a paddler, then cut the inside of the foot down to a level to correspond with the outside that was fixed first. The reason for fixing feet in this manner, is, if you should cut the inside down first chances are you would not be able to cut the outside to a level with the inside, for you will cut to the sensitive part, on the outside of a front foot, quicker than the inside, and it is just to the reverse with hind feet. The front feet should not be left high on the outside, unless the horse is a paddling gaited one, for it creates friction, or a strain on landing and leaving the ground, it also helps to create faulty action. Nearly all the hard shin, knee and arm hitters I have come in contact with, their front feet were highest on the outside, low on inside, or a contracted inside quarter, and sometimes a very badly contracted inside quarter at that. To fix front feet of trotters and pacers for different purposes or ways of going you can refer to the index on the different subjects in this book.