William J. Moore

“ In preparing the bottom of a horse’s foot you must bear in mind that the foot can be fixed to straighten out different kinds of faulty action, and if you have not learned it by a close study of experimenting or by being taught by some one that knew all the different ways of balancing a foot on the leg to correct faulty action, then to learn this you will have to have it explained to you and you should see the job executed, see it done, and then go and see the results obtained, while the horse is in action. ”

“ At the Allen Farm, where I have been located for a great many years, I have seen results obtained by foot fixing and shoeing that satisfied me that there were secrets hidden from most of the public in the art or science of foot fixing and balancing faulty action, and from my experience and the results obtained, I felt that the public was entitled to my knowledge so gained. I have seen yearlings step eighths of a mile from 153⁄4 to 17 and 18 seconds, and many of them. ”

“ There are many horses that will forge or scalp going slow in the same shoes that suit them for speed. It is hard to shoe all horses with a set of shoes that will suit the horse, the driver and a faulty gait at varying rates of speed, all at the same time. Horses that are low gaited in front that forge jogging, need as a rule, a lot more weight in their front shoes. Horses that go high gaited with lots of knee action in front that forge require a light shoe. Forgers usually have excessive action either in front or behind. ”

“ Now if your knee hitter wears a toe weight attach it towards the inside toe as far as possible but not far enough to the inside so as he will strike the opposite leg with it. When the feet of a knee hitter have been gotten in the shape as described herein and shod accordingly; why, the horse will think that he has been baptized and born over again. A perfect foot is rare, but with good judgment, a good eye and a little patience and perseverance a lot can be accomplished that will surprise some of those that think they know it all. ”

“ Any horse racing or in training that carries a light, or very light front shoe should by all means wear a bar shoe, it is a great support to the foot when hitting the ground hard and fast, as the natural expansion and contraction is at its limit while going at a fast rate of speed.
For a heel weight shoe you can get more weight in the heels of a bar shoe than in an open shoe, which heel weight the action of some horses requires more so than they do toe weight. A trotter or pacer that spreads his hind shoes or front shoes, should by all means wear bar shoes. ”

“ Do not use any toe weight, but if the heel weight bar shoes are not heavy enough, a heavier shoe or quarter boot can be used.
One thing that should not be overlooked in a horse hitting his elbows is his hind action, it should be examined closely. The hind action may be too dwelling gaited, the stride may be too short or too long. Now if the hind action is of a sluggish nature, it will be a benefit to increase his propelling power, it will drive his elbow an inch, more or less, away from the flexing of the foot against it. ”

“ Some horses that go into a singlefoot or strike a pace occasionally can be easily converted to the pace by shoeing light in front and heavier behind, from three to five ounces more weight in each hind shoe than he is carrying in his front shoes. If he does not take to the pace readily add more weight to hind shoes, and bevel or roll the toes of shoes, and check head higher. You need a short natural foot all around to convert to the pace. The angle of the feet will vary according to their pasterns. ”

“ I have been always, and am now, intensely and vitally interested in this subject, and my reason for putting my ideas into print is because of my extreme interest in the trotting and pacing race horse, and also because of a hope that by widening, and extending to others, the horizon of my experiences, by the means of a printed book, I may help many a sore horse, as well as many a discouraged trainer and driver and owner. ”

“ The first thing to do is to examine the hind feet, you are likely to find the hind feet a lot higher on the inside than on the outside nine times out of ten. Some horses will begin scalping after their feet get too long. In horses with excessive action, carrying too much weight in front will cause scalping at speed. Horses with very little action in front and not carrying weight enough will be liable to scalp at speed. When shoeing for scalping use a square toe shoe, light or heavy, as may be required by the front action. ”

“ Take a side view of your horse as he is driven by and locate the faulty action, you will be able to tell if it is too short, too long, too high or too low, too rapid or too dwelly, front or hind action. If the lost action is in front as to height, extension or rapidity, fix the feet to help the shoes to perfect the action. ”

“ An expert trainer and race driver knows when his pupil can step a mile, half or three-quarters at a 2:10 or 2:05 or a 2:00 gait on a light line, that his horse is all right, if there is any friction he can see it or feel it on the lines. ”

“ The light thin heel calks that are used on shoes do not break much of the concussion when horses are going fast. Why? because when the legs are extended at speed the shoes land on the ground back on the heel, with the toe of the foot elevated away from the ground, and with some horses more than with others. They do not strike the ground flat-footed like the most of them do when going slow. Thin hard pads are very good under light shoes, but thick pads that will allow the walls of a horse’s foot at heels to sink or cut through them at the heels are no good. ”

“ There will be found in this work directions as to how to lengthen or shorten the stride, to increase or decrease knee or hock action, to widen hind action, also the best way to prevent winging in and paddling out, at speed. Also how to quicken the action of dwelling gaited ones. As to the proper amount of weight that the horse goes the fastest with in his shoes, the trainer should know better than any one else, but all trainers are not the best judges of gait, an expert on the ground taking a view from in front, from behind, and a side view, has a big advantage over the driver. ”