Balancing and Shoeing Trotting and Pacing Horses

by William J. Moore

XXVI. GAITING COLTS.

Sometimes you will find a colt that has not much knee, hock or stifle action and not much speed, and in such cases, to remedy the defect, after the feet have been leveled the hind feet a shade shorter than the front, I would recommend a heavy rolling toe shoe in front, eight, nine or ten ounces and a little lighter one behind, two or three ounces lighter. If the foot is large and the colt is strong, eleven ounces in front to begin with. Now as the action increases, decrease the weight. When the colt begins to make speed he or she will not need a rolling toe shoe in front, a plain shoe is better, one that will not slip back on leaving the ground. As the colt begins to make speed the action of the legs needs watching because sometimes they will begin to show a faulty line of action.

If they begin to get faulty they are liable to begin winging in or paddling out, and when shod again the feet can be fixed to prevent this way of going at speed. The most important thing is fixing their feet to prevent a faulty line of action for if the feet are not kept level they will begin getting rough gaited and unsteady. One important thing in fixing feet on yearlings to be shod and worked for speed is to keep the quarters and heels of front feet as low as possible, it affords comfort in landing and increases extension without carrying so much weight. Colts that have a lot of action at both ends, hind and front, need very light shoes all round, you can find out the proper balance with a toe weight.

To increase extension, lower the quarters and heels and apply toe weights instead of using so much in the shoe. The colt should carry a natural head, not too high and not too low, the lower the better if he is inclined to mix. If your colt is short and choppy gaited in his hind action lower the quarters and heels of hind feet and shoe with a heavy toeweight plain shoe and extend the shoe out one-quarter of an inch or more in front of toe of hind foot. When the colt begins to make speed decrease the weight of shoe of hind feet. Some youngsters require more weight behind than in front to equalize action so as to work harmoniously front and rear.

If you have a mixed-gaited colt and you want to make a trotter out of him or her, keep plenty of foot on both hind and front feet, especially at the toes. When fixing the feet to be shod cut or rasp the quarters and heels of both front and hind feet as low as possible, keep plenty of toe on front and hind feet. Usually you will find that the front feet have the longest angle to leave the ground from, but by lowering the quarters and heels of hind feet to get them as near as you can to the same angle of the front feet, the more you will be confining the gait to a pure trot, and there will be less danger of singlefooting or pacing.

I want my readers to distinctly understand that there is a set of pacing feet for a pacer and a set of trotting feet for a trotter, especially at the time when you are going to convert a trotter to the pace or a pacer to the trot. That, however, will be explained later in this book. If your trotting colt becomes mixed gaited or goes into a singlefoot or pace, the first thing to do is to lower the quarters and heels of hind feet as much as possible, keep all the toe on him you can and shoe with a light shoe with toe and heel calks. The front feet should be lowered in the same manner and add a few ounces more weight to front shoes and allow your colt to be driven as low headed as is comfortable.

When you try this remedy for a mixed-gaited colt or horse you will be surprised why you have not been able to find it out years ago.

The pacing youngster with not much of any kind of action at either end, needs to go in short toes and heavy shoes all around and if the toes of shoes are beveled or rolled it will be very good the first time shod. After your pacing colt begins to make speed, shoe to prevent slipping at both ends, with heel and toe calks on hind shoes. As a rule they go high headed, it seems to suit the majority of pacers.

HORSE-SHOE STACK—ALLEN FARM, 1916.
W. J. Moore