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ded, and foundation is laid for corn or contraction, 

 and navicular disease, inflammation. That portion 

 of the horn should be left on the foot which will de- 

 fend the internal parts from being bruised, and yet 

 suffer the external sole to descend. How is this to 

 be ascertained ? The strong pressure of the thumb 

 of the smith will be the best guide — the buttress, 

 that most destructive of all instruments, being, ex- 

 cept on very particular occasions, banished from 

 every respectable forge. The smith sets to work with 

 his drawing knife, and removes the growth of the 

 horn until the sole will yield, although in the slight- 

 est possible degree, to the strong pressure of his 

 thumb. The proper thickness of horn will then re- 

 main. The quantity of horn to be removed in order 

 to have the proper degree of thickness, will vary with 

 different feet From the strong foot a good deal 

 must be taken. From the concave foot the horn 

 may be removed until the sole will yield to a mod- 

 erate pressure. From the flat foot little need be 

 pared, while the pummaced foot should be deprived 

 of nothing but the ragged parts. The crust should 

 be reduced to a perfect level all round, but left a 

 little higher than the sole, or the sole will be bruised 

 by its pressure on the edge of the seating. The heels 

 will require considerable attention. From the stress 

 which is thrown on the inner heel, and from the 

 weakness of the quarter there, the horn usually 

 wears away considerably faster than it would on the 

 outer one, and if an equal portion of horns were 

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