XIX. REMEDY FOR SCALPING.
If the front action is low, long and of a sluggish nature, shorten the toes of feet considerable and add about five ounces more weight to the shoes, or more, if required to create a more lofty knee fold. The action of some horses requires a lot more weight than others to make the change. The shoes to be used, if working to make speed should be a square toe shoe, or a beveled toe shoe, also a wedged shaped shoe thick at the heels and thin at the toe is good, squared at the toe. For ordinary road driving a rolling toe shoe is good, but not for extreme speed, as it has a tendency with most horses to slip back too much on leaving the ground; and the horse should be made to carry his head higher than usual. If the front action is high, short, or too rapid, not working in harmony with the hind, lower the quarters and heels of front feet as much as they will stand and keep a fair length toe on the front feet and shoe with a very light shoe and use a toe weight to balance for extension, place a spur for toe weight well up on toe of foot out of way of the scalping; and the horse should be made to go as low headed as is comfortable to him.
If the hind action is low, long or of a dwelling nature, shorten the toes as much as they will stand, and shoe, to elevate the heels, with a thick heel shoe, or raise the heels with side calks. A few ounces more weight than he has been carrying will be all the better to make him use his hocks more. If the hind action is high and choppy with not much extension, lower quarters and heels as much as they will stand and keep a fair length toe on him, it will keep him closer to the ground; and shoe light to prevent slipping.
A side view of the animal as he is driven by you will give you the correct view of his front and hind action. If the action is too short, too long, too high or too low, in front or behind, the chances are you may not have to change but one end of him if you have a good eye for locating faulty action. If your horse is good and can beat his record, or go the race of his life, and scalps jogging, try a toe weight on him in front, if it does not stop him wear scalpers on him jogging and let well enough alone.
I have had to take a three and one-half ounce shoe off a colt that trotted eighths of a mile in seventeen and a quarter seconds, that was scalping jogging, and shoe him with a ten and a half ounce heel weight shoe nailed back near quarters of hind feet to prevent him from scalping at the jog, after two changes in the front shoeing.