XXVIII. KNEE ACTION WITHOUT EXTENSION.
Many horses have plenty of knee action and no extension. This horse is carrying weight enough, and foot is prepared to make him knee up, but is unbalanced both by the weight application and foot fixing to develop the proper extension. The feet of a horse gaited in this manner need the quarters and heels of front feet lowered as low as safety will permit, do not touch the toes of front feet, place the front feet at as long an angle to leave the ground from as possible, reduce the weight of the front shoes and add it to the feet in a toe weight, and pull his head down some if you have to use a standing martingale and let him come along gradually.
Too much knee action is lost motion and tiresome. I found that out for myself walking through the deep snows that we have up here in the Berkshire Hills. Too much folding of the knees causes elbow hitting, and at times when they do not reach their elbow some of them will hit on the back of their arm. One of the worst speedy cutters I ever saw was gaited in front in this manner. I decreased the knee and folding action, changed the hind feet, which were very high on inside, lowered them and shod with heavy outside weight shoe and she trotted clean and pure, quarters in 31 seconds in May. She had one sore on her as large as a silver dollar from hitting, and when she began hitting she would try and run away.