188 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



position, there will still be maintained a tread that is normal. 

 To our minds harm is far more likely to arise from a shoe 

 of this class through the thinned iron heels of the shoe be- 

 coming attenuated under wear to the point of bending, and 

 so inflicting an injury upon the adjoining sole. 



Similarly, this last remark with regard to the thinning 

 of the heels of the shoe will apply to a shoe with too broad 

 a web. As the thinning of the shoe proceeds with wear, the 

 inner portion of the thinned branch is bent up on to the 

 sole, and again inflicts the injury. 



The matter of bearing is also of importance when con- 

 sidering the causation of corn. In a previous chapter we 

 have already described the correct bearing as that which 

 includes the whole of the lower margin of the wall and the 

 white line, and just impinges on the sole. Any marked 

 deviation from that will, if long continued, be followed by 

 injury to the foot. 



With the bearing surface of the shoe too narrow — in 

 ;ontact with the wall solely, or perhaps only a portion of 

 it — it is evident that a large proportion of the foot that 

 should properly bear weight is thrown out of action. A 

 leavy strain is imposed on the white line, and undue descent 

 of the sole and contraction of the heels brought about. 

 Again the result of this is compression and bruising of the 

 tissues around the seat of corn. 



With its bearing surface too wide, the shoe immediately 

 eserts direct pressure upon the sole with every movement 

 cf the animal. The sole normally is not made to receive 

 uhis, and harm is bound to result. 



Among other ill-fitting shoes we may mention the one 

 with branches too short, and the one with the extremities 

 of the branches too pointed. In the first case, as wear of 

 the shoe proceeds, the thinned end is far more likely to 

 turn in under the seat of corn than is a shoe with branches 

 of ordinary correct length. It is evident in the second 

 case that the pointed branch, when thinned, is a more 

 dangerous agent than the branch which is nearer the square 

 at its end. 



