118 THE HORSE. 



prevent a recuiTence of the complaint. TJie bedding, too, 

 should be kept diy. 



Corns. — The complaint known as conis consists in a bruise 

 of the sole at the heels. Corns appear chiefly in the fore feet, 

 and are due to bruises of the sole caused by bad shoeing and 

 ill-fitting shoes. Shoes which are too short at the heels are a 

 great cause of corns. Some horses are particularly liable to 

 suffer from this complaint. The symptoms are more or less 

 lameness, and a reddish or brownish spot in the horn of the 

 sole near the heels. Treatment consists in removino: the shoe 

 and paring away some of the horn of the sole where the ^"'corn " 

 is situated. A three-quarter shoe or a bar-shoe should be 

 applied, the idea being to prevent any pressure falling on the 

 region of the " corn," so as to relieve it. In bad cases of corn, 

 there may be suppuration ; in this case, suflScient horn must be 

 removed to allow the matter to escape, and poultices should be 

 applied for a couple of days or longer, the patient being rested 

 meanwhile. Subsequently, a three-quarter or bar should be 

 applied. Horses worked on hard ground at fast paces are 

 most liable to suffer from corns. 



Contracted Heels. — A foot suffering from contracted 

 heel is very narrow at the heel, and the frog is in a shrivelled 

 up condition and small. Heels becoine contracted tlii^ough the 

 frog and bars of the hoof being pared when the horse is sliod, 

 through the continued presence of thrush in the frog, and as 

 a result of navicular disease. In bad cases of contracted heels, 

 the action may be more or less stiff. The complaint, if it is 

 apiDreciable, detracts from the market value of a horse. 



Sand-Cra-Ck. — This complaint consists in a vertical or 

 downward fissure or crack (A) in the wall of the hoof. It occurs 

 both in the hind and the fore feet, and is caused either by con- 

 cussion or by strain to the wall of the hoof. Sand-crack may, or 

 may not, cause lameness. Treatment is as follows: If lame- 

 ness is present, the horse must be rested, and the foot should 

 also be poulticed for a day or two. If the lameness does not 

 subside, a veterinary surgeon should be called in. Tlie crack 



