THE HORSE’S FOOT. 
273 
frequent in horses which work on pavements and stony and hard 
roads. They are rare in country horses, but common in those of 
great cities ; a rapid gait contributes to their development on 
account of the great pressures on the ground. The seasons have 
also an influence, dry and warm weather depriving the hoof of 
its moisture, and by preventing its elasticity of motion, increasing 
the effect of pressure on the tissues. 
Emigration has been considered a cause of corns. Horses 
coming from the north of Germany are mentioned as having been 
rapidly affected by them after being in large cities. But if the 
change too suddenly made from soft to dry bedding is an effec¬ 
tive cause, the mode of shoeing can also be considered as a stimu¬ 
lating cause. The same is true with respect to the African horses, 
which are generally free from the disease in their native country, 
but frequently suffer with them when brought to France and 
submitted to a mode of shoeing so different from that of the 
Arabs. 
III. Symjitoms .—The ordinary symptoms of corns are 
noticed in the abnormal position of the leg at rest, in the lame¬ 
ness and the sensibility of the region. 
When lame with a corn the horse carries the leg forward of the 
plumb line, and keeps it semi-flexed at the fetlock ; he tries to 
relieve the painful region by resting ; sometimes he manifests his 
pain by pawing and moving his feet from forward backwards, 
pushing his bedding under him. The lameness is not character¬ 
istic ; it varies greatly in intensity, from a slight soreness to lame¬ 
ness on three legs. It is generally proportioned to the intensity 
of the disease. However, there are horses so accustomed to their 
corns that they do not go lame, while others are very much so 
for a trifling injury. Sometimes it is intermittent, and diminishes 
when the suppuration has made its way between hair and hoof. 
The sensibility of the heel—seat of a corn—is discovered by an 
exploration with the blacksmith’s nippers. Sometimes it is made 
known by pressure of the fingers, the cases varying, of course, 
according to the severity of the disease. There is often heat, 
especially at the coronet, which may be tumefied, particularly so 
when the corn is of a complicated suppurative character. To 
