232 THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 



It migiit be safely said that there is no particiihir cause for 

 corns at all, notwithstanding' the learned opinions and diag- 

 noses of many writers. 



It is generally said that the shoes, or shoeing, cause them, 

 when, in fact, it is well known that corns grow in feet that 

 have had, perhaps, only one shoeing — hut the blacksmith 

 has often to bear the blame where there ought to be none, 

 and to quietly listen to the inuendo and remote insinuations 

 that are often leveled at him. The writer has often seen 

 feet diseased by corns, when there was no possibility of the 

 shoes having caused them^yet shoeing causes them some- 

 times, and also proper shoeing can perfect a cure in some 

 cases. 



Coras and bruises of the sole are commonly seen in 

 horses' feet, and they are caused in some cases by a general 

 weakness of the foot, in others by an undue pressure of the 

 shoe at a particular point ; or by the shoe being loose and 

 gravel and other substances gathering under it, and there- 

 by being hammered into the sole ; or by a tendency of the 

 foot to contraction, which obviously causes an unnatural 

 pressure on the weaker portions of the foot, thereby causing 

 a squeeze which results in corns or other bruises. 



Again, corns will appear in feet when Ave can hardly 

 account for them, but when they are there we must do what 

 we can to eradicate them. Therefore allow me to advance 

 a general method of treatment that can be pursued in every 

 ordinary case that is usuall}^ treated b}^ a horseshoer. 



On examining the foot, if it needs paring, pare it down to 

 the customary limit. Then if the corn is of recent origin, 

 pare it out so that the affected parts Avill be below the level 

 of the other parts of the foot ; fit the shoe so that it will bear 

 evenl^^ and level all around on the outer crust of the foot — 

 keeping it slightly off the sole all around, and particularly 

 at the point w^here the corn is seated. It is, perhaps, a good 

 idea to lightly cauterize the parts with a small heated rod^ 



