XXIX. HORSES THAT GET AWAY SLOW, BUT FINISH FAST.
In these cases I feel sorry for the horse also for the driver. The horse knows he is handicapped, and the driver does not want to take any desperate chances of getting shut out by trying to get away with the field of starters, anyhow I will say, the horse is unbalanced to get away, got a lot of speed but can not find it when it is needed. This horse needs assistance in foot balancing and weighting. The front action on this kind of a horse needs to be increased more for extension than anything else, increase his extension and everything else will take care of itself.
To help this horse to get away, I would change the angle of his front feet, make the angle longer to leave the ground from. If the angle of his front feet is at 54 or 55 degrees change it to 50 or 51, if it is at 52 or 53 degrees change it to 48 or 49 degrees, add three or four ounces more weight to his front shoes and carry the same toe weight that he has been carrying. In fixing his front feet do not touch or take anything off his toes, shoe to prevent slipping, especially the hind feet. If this horse has been carrying a light shoe in front—seven, eight or nine ounces—it will require not less than four or five ounces more weight to get away with his field. If this four or five ounces balances him to get away with his field, he will not pull you hard to hold him together. If this horse is not inclined to mix, I would have the toes of hind feet an eighth or quarter inch shorter than those of the front feet and at an angle of about 54 or 55 degrees, but if he is inclined to shift or mix into a single foot, have the hind feet as near the same length and angle as the front feet as possible, the nearer the better. If it takes two or three ounces more weight to balance faulty action, use it, put it on his feet, if you don’t you will wear him out pulling on him, you will make him muscle-sore propelling against your strong arms, pulling 100 or 150 pounds on the bit. It creates a terrible strain going the last quarter of a fast mile, especially on youngsters, and some trainers wonder why some of their pupils don’t go on and develop speed, and wonder why some of them become so tired after passing the three-quarter pole. No matter how royally bred they are, they need to be properly balanced to go the distance on as light a pull on the bit as possible. If you depend on balancing them by holding them together by pulling against their jaws you are a back number for a youngster or aged horse is not doing his work in comfort and with ease going against a heavy pull on the bit. There is nothing that will wear out a yearling, two-year-old or three-year-old quicker than hard pulling against the bit, for it over-taxes the muscles of the propelling power caused by being unbalanced. Their propelling muscles will stand it for a while, but not for long. If you can get your colt or horse properly balanced he will not pull you, he would rather go at speed in comfort and ease to himself than to get unhinged in the back propelling against a heavy pull on the lines. The trainers that can detect or locate faulty action and know what to do to remedy the same are the ones that make a success of developing, conditioning and driving in races. It takes judgment, a good eye and ear to detect faulty action. It takes an expert to detect a badly fixed foot that was intended to help the line of action.