DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



161 



the shoe. This shoe should not be fitted exactly tight 

 to the heels, as they drop slightly each time the ani- 

 mal places the weight of the body on the foot. It is 

 also necessary to remove the shoe about every two weeks 

 to have it refitted, as the heels will be expanding while 

 the quarters of the foot are held in one position by the 

 nails. 



CORNS. 



Corns in horses feet are of an entirely different na- 

 ture from those of the human feet. In horses there is 

 an escape of some portions of the blood from the blood- 

 vessels located in the sensitive sole of the foot. There 

 is, in fact, a local congestion or inflammation of the 

 part affected. 



Fig. 61. Contracted 

 foot showing seat 

 of corn. 



Fig. 52. Flat foot 

 showing seat 

 of corn. 



Fig. 53. Testing foot 

 for tender sole. 



Causes. Contracted heels, wearing shoes for too long 

 a time without removal and concussion on hard roads 

 are all prolific causes of the bruising which produces 

 the escape of blood from the vessels. To test for ten- 

 derness in any part of the sensitive sole use a smith's 

 11 



