222 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



them getting corns by any system of shoeing ; for in their case, 

 tlie concussion produced by the iron on the wall of the hoof at 

 the heels, appears, when the animal is worked on hard ground, 

 sufficient to set up an irritable state in the seat of corn, which 

 condition will be manifested by more or less lameness, even when 

 tlie characteristic red mark in the horn is not present. 



Narrow-heeled shoes which rest only on the wall at th© heels, 

 although recommended by some for the prevention of corns, are 

 not, as far as I have seen, efficient for that purpose ; for, by taking 

 off the pressure on the bars, they throw too much weight on the 

 wall, and hence are liable tO' set up irritation in the sensitive sole 

 at the angle between the wall and the bars.' If an ordinary shoe 

 is used, the web of the shoe at the heels should be broad, so that 

 the concussion received from the ground may be distributed over 

 a large surface. In all cases, the bars should be preserved intact. 

 If the animal is peculiarly liable to corns, the seat of corn may 

 be slightly eased off. Horses which go bare-foot, or which are 

 shod with tips, hardly ever get corns. 



As a preventive measure, the feet should be kept dry, and no 

 " stoppings '' should be used ; for moisture softens the sole and 

 renders it liable to injury and putrefaction. 



LAMENESS RESULTING FROM CORNS.— Corns do not 

 always produce lameness. When a horse goes lame from this 

 cause, he " works " worse and worse.- If, hoiwever, he gets a rest 

 for a day or two, the lameness may disappear for the time being. 



When a horse suifers from a corn, he may " point." If both 

 fore feet are affected, he may show uneasiness by frequently 

 changing the position of his feet. 



THE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF CORNS.--(l) The simplest 

 form of corn is when the sensitive sole, immediately above the 

 seat of corn, is in such an irritable state from pressure or con- 

 cussion, that the horse goes lame ; although, on paring out the 

 part, no alteration in the colour of the horn can be perceived ; 

 increased sensibility being the only symptom. (2) In the next 

 degree of corn, some of the small blood-vessels of the sensitive 

 sole become ruptured, and, consequently, blood escapes from them 

 into the rudimentary ho'rn, newly secreted, and which, on becom- 

 ing pushed downwards by the continued formation of new horn, 

 dries and hardens, while still retaining the characteristic stain 

 from the blood. If on paring out the corn, the discolouration 

 appears only on the surface, provided the animal goes sound, it may 

 be concluded that the injury is of a passing character ; if only close 

 to the quick, that it was recently inflicted ; if the stained horn is 



