What is a balanced gait, particularly as it may apply to the gallop and run? Few Thoroughbred men and their platers seem to concentrate much on their horse's gait from a hoof and shoe standpoint. Every horseman should have a well honed knowledge of what constitutes a balanced racing thoroughbred.and how a specific trim and a specific shoe affects that balance.  Look at the below animation of a nicely balanced runner and think why?

     Here you have a 1940s era photo of a racehorse farrier actually using an angle gauge. This is the grand old master of the anvil, Charles Snow, using a tool that few thoroughbred platers would ever consider, and he is using it for good reason, balance.

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