CORNS AND CONTRACTION. 53 



Corns are far more frequent than owners are aware of, and very 

 few road-horses are fi-ee from them. Contraction of the foot, and 

 the shi-inkage of the frog, are nearly universal in horses which have 

 worn shoes for any length of time. The narrowing of the heek may 

 be so slight that it escapes observation ; the frog may have a 

 fair width, and its functions be nearly destroyed. There is one 

 thing sure : if it is not brought into use, it will not retain its 

 natural vigor, and circumscribing its duties>«Avill result in injury to the 

 tendon which lies between the sensitive frog and the navicular bone . 

 In time the internal portion of the foot is aifected, and the hard 

 roads are credited with the damage. The injury extends to the 

 ankles, and they become puffed ; the whole limb is aifected below the 

 knee, and this is regarded as the most complete evidence to establish 

 the fact. The bug-a-boo of a hard road is a convenient scape-goat to 

 carry the bundle which contains the lack of knowledge of the smith 

 and the groom, and the owner has to forego his customary afternoon 

 drive or make fresh purchases for the road to destroy. 



In previous articles I have called attention to the shoe increasing 

 the concussion on the heel, and I think that any person who will 

 give aome thought to the subject will agree with me on that point. 

 With the ordinary shoe the blow comes entirely on the wall, or the 

 j unction of the wall and the sole ; in the latter case corns result, and 

 in either there is "soreness" ending in established disease of the 

 foot. The bar shoe owes its efficacy to distributing the concussion 

 over a wider surface, and by giving the frog a chance to take a por- 

 tion of the blow. The seat of the corn is trimmed away until that 

 part of the foot does not bear on the iion, and the relief to the poor 

 animal is immediate. From crippling along with short steps, he 

 strides out with less fear, and the owner thinks that the "round" 

 shoe has some magical properties which enamors him with its use. 

 Suppose that in lieu of the narrow, transverse bar of iron, which 

 only bears on the posterior portion of the frog, the whole surface is 

 made available, and in addition the spring gained by the expansion 

 of the foot is brought into play. It will not require long arguments 

 to prove the greater benefit to be derived from this in breaking the 

 jar, but the objection will be offered that such a course will end in 



