264 
THEODORE A. KELLER. 
the shoe to again come in contact with the heel, and the inflam¬ 
mation and lameness of course return. 
The only effectual mode of taking off pressure from the heel 
is by means of the bar-shoe, and this can only be applied where 
the frog is sufficiently prominent and firm to receive its pressure. 
For should the frog be considerably lower than the heels (viz., 
less prominent), it must be obvious that the bar-shoe cannot 
bear upon it, and will therefore be useless. The only thing to 
be done in this case is to pare away the crust of the tender heel, 
so that the heel of the common shoe may not rest upon it. I 
am aware that the original cause of corns is often a natural 
weakness of the inner heel, or want of sufficient strength in the 
horn to protect the sensitive parts from pressure of the shoe. 
We have frequently seen the plan of cutting away the horn (in 
corns) followed with success, on account of the temporary relief 
it affords; such a plan, however, is deceitful, and dictated by 
too shallow an idea of the complaint, for though it gives for the 
time some relief from the pain when existing, still it leaves 
what may be termed an increased disposition to it, because it 
deprives the sensitive parts of the protection of which they 
already stood so much in need ; and it is from this mode of 
treatment solely that some horses are so frequently, and indeed 
almost always, affected. The best plan, therefore, is to apply 
a bar-shoe, as this affords more ample means of throwing the 
pressure off the affected parts; no excision of the horn ought to 
be resorted to, unless there is reason to believe that suppuration 
has taken place. If no horn is to be pared away in corns, what, 
I would ask, is to be done in circumstances where the bar-shoe 
cannot be employed—that is, where the frog is much “ lower” 
* 
than the heels, or too rotten and tender to bear pressure? 
I am inclined to believe that corns are often rendered invet¬ 
erate by trusting to such ineffectual means ; for the owner, find¬ 
ing his horse relieved, sets off, perhaps, on a journey ; the shoe 
soon bears down upon the heel again, and the bruise or corn is 
much aggravated ; by dint of spur and whip, however, the horse 
is compelled to go on ; and when he arrives at the end of the 
