68 



Taking off the shoe, and poulticing the foot, for 24 hours, is all that 

 is necessary in such cases, for cutting into the parts does more harm 

 than good. 



190. When a horse drops suddenly lame on the road, the foot must 

 at once be examined, to see whether it has been injured by a 

 nail or a piece of wire. If this is found to be the case, remove the 

 foreign body at once, and, at the first house on the road, wash the 

 wound out, by pouring hot water on to it, then heat the nail or piece 

 of wire in the fire, and with a pair of pincers, press it into the hole 

 already made, thus cauterising the wound ; a little hard soap may then 

 be pressed into the hole, after which, as a rule, no further trouble 

 arises, but, should the animal become lame afterwards, take off the 

 shoe, and poultice the foot, as already stated. Pricks from nails 

 are very dangerous, and should receive prompt attention, as Tetanus 

 (lock-jaw) often arises from a simple prick in the foot; yet, strange to 

 say, at the bottom of a coal-pit — where wounds in the feet, from 

 gathered nails, are of frequent occurence — lock-jaw is rarely or never 

 seen. 



191. Corns are recognised by a blood-red stain in the horn, and 

 are caused by a bruise or injury, with subsequent infiltration of blood 

 through the pores of the horn. They occur chiefly in flat-footed, weak- 

 heeled horses, and are generally found in the fore feet, principally in 

 the inner corner of the heels, between the wall and bars {Plate XL, 

 No. 5 L). Hunters are great suff'erers from this class of injury, 

 owing to their being shod with short-heeled shoes. Corns are very 

 common, and as they are looked upon as unsoundness, in all cases of 

 examination the shoes should be removed, and the feet carefully 

 searched. When they cause lameness, the shoe should be removed, 

 and the parts dressed out ; particularly if the bar is too strong, and 

 doubled over, and pressing on the sole, for it must then be pared away, 

 so as to remove all pressure from the part. At times, matter is also 

 formed, when it must be liberated. Tn bad cases, poultices have to 

 be applied, to reduce the inflammation, and a three-quarter or bar 

 shoe (Plate XV., Nos. 5 and 7) is found to be necessary ; while the 



