FEET OF THE HORSE AND THEIR DISEASES. 288 



Tapping the foot gently with a hammer will make the horse flinch when 

 the sore spot is reached, and he will point the foot (thrust 

 it out forward) restingitonthe toe, raising the heels com- 

 pletely off the ground. If there are corns on ])oth feet, he 

 will change feet, mil point first one, then the other. If 

 the corns are small and not very sore, the lameness may 

 diminish with travel, so that when well warmed up he will sole ok 

 go quite sound, till he stands at rest again. Then he will *'^^'^' 



go off lamer than ever. When the corn is festered, he will poS/of a'coTn""' 

 be very lame, indeed, will only touch the toe to the ground, will move 

 with the greatest difficulty and reluctance. When the shoe is removed, 

 you will find the purple spot in the quarter, between the wall and the 

 bar, near the heel. 



What to do. — Remove the shoe, pare out the quarter well, so as tore- 

 move all pressure, and let out any matter that may be under the sole ; 

 then put the foot into a linseed poultice made up soft with hot water. 

 Leave it on twenty-four hours, then renew it. While the poultice is 

 off, examine the foot to see if it needs any more paring ; if the hole is 

 deep, you will need to cut the hoof well away to allow the matter to escape 

 freely ; for if you do not, it will work up through to the top of the hoof. 



Before putting the poultice on again, pour into the corn a little pure 

 carbolic acid, or turpentine, or dilute nitric acid — diluted one-half with 

 water. Dress it in this way once a day till all soreness is gone, and the 

 horse will stand on the foot as well as ever. Then leave off the poultice. 



If proud flesh comes up in the hole, burn it down with powdered blue 

 vitriol. The hoof you have pared away will soon grow again. When it has 

 stopped running, apply the vitriol once a day, which will dry and heal it. 

 When it is all dry, and the horse walks sound on the foot, put on a bar 

 shoe to protect the weak quarter, giving the frog gentle pressure ; pour 

 warm tar into the hole, and stuff oakum or tow soaked in tar under the 

 shoe. When shoeing afterwards, bear in mind to avoid too heavy bear- 

 ing on the heels. When that quarter has grown out again, and is strono^, 

 the bar shoe may be replaced, by an open one. 



If the foot is much contracted, take the bearing off the quarters by 

 reducing the walls a little, so as to have the appearance of the shoe hav- 

 mg been sprung off the heels, but let the shoe be perfectly level. Open 

 the heels well up towards the hair, so as to give the feet a chance to 

 spread while growing. 



When a foot is much inclined to have corns, the shoe should be reset 

 often — every two or three weeks — and the quarters well cleaned out each 

 time. 



Extra care will have t») be taken of the feet that have once been affec- 

 t-ed with corns, to keep them soft. Soak them in a tub of either cold or 



