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cowdung and wet clay, and place squabs on his feet ; this will 

 greatly assist in preventing contraction. For treatment, pare the 

 sole and rasp the foot well round ; remove the shoes, and, if neces- 

 sary, put tips on ; blister the pastern, and turn out into a moist 

 pasture, or a loose-box, for a couple of months. In a case of con- 

 traction attended with local inflammation, bleed at the toe and give 

 aperient medicine ; place the foot in cold poultices. 



Where contraction has been caused by bad shoeing, so arrange 

 the shoe that the frogs shall have their fair share in the action of 

 the foot. To this end a gradual lowering of the crust at the heels 

 and a decrease in the thickness of the ii'on at the same part is to be 

 recommended, care being taken that no nails shall be placed farther 

 back than is absolutely necessary, A good cover should always be 

 allowed, and the edge of the shoe should project a little beyond the 

 crust, particularly on the outside, A mixture of tar, with an eighth 

 part of common turpentine, should be daily rubbed on the hoof, espe- 

 cially round the upper part, close under the haii' ; wet swabs should 

 also be used frequently while the horse is standing in the stable. 



COEXS. 



Corns are caused by pressure, and generally by allowing the shoes 

 to remain on too long without removing them. Sometimes bad 

 shoeing occasions them from the pressure being made on the seat of 

 the corn instead of on the crust and bars. 



It is hardly possible to eradicate a corn from a horse's foot ; but 

 by careful shoeing the animal may be kept sound. If the corn is 

 very painful, a bar shoe is best, otherwise the ordinary shoe, set off 

 at the heel, will answer. The important thing is to avoid pressure 

 on the injured part, Eest for a time cures a corn, without the 

 necessity for using caustic ; but in order to avoid their return the 

 feet must be gradually accustomed to pressure. Great care is re- 

 quired in shoeing them so as to avoid on the one hand allowing the 

 inner heel to be too full, and on the other the cutting away the bars 

 which by their presence tend to give strength. In some very inve- 

 terate cases, the bar-shoe must be constantly worn, but in the great 

 majority it may be discontinued after a few months. 



Contraction, again, is a predisposing cause of corn, from the 

 falling in of the heel-walls. "When the heels are allowed to grow 

 too long, the hoof is subjected to a great amount of undue pressure, 

 which is often to be noticed in the unshod foot ; and for this reason 

 many cases of corn are contracted during a summer's run at grass, 

 where the feet have been allowed to grow, and where no attention 



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