The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-07-17
COrnS i'm Horses.

THERE is a widespread tallacy that
corns usually depend upon some peculiar
form of foot, and that with such feet they
are, like coughs and colds, almost una
voidable, even with the best management.
The truth is, that corns are always caused
by an ill.fitting shoe. So long as level
shoe rests evenly upon the proper bearing
surface of the foot, no corn can occur, but
when the surface of either foot or shoe is
irregular, then the most prominent point
of contact is pressed upon unevenly and
bruised. A corn is bruise and nothing
more, save that usage has confined the
term to bruises of one part of the foot-the
angle of sole between the wall and bar.
This part of, the foot Is most liable to inju-
ry by uneven pressure, because it is in re-
lation to the termination of the shoe.
If the end of the shoe does not reach
the extremity of the heel, it forms
a point upon which the yield
ing horn is pressed at every step. Short
shoes then are most Objectionable, and we
find, a frequent cause of corns. They are
often purposely employed on hunters, and
on horses with capped elbows, seldom
really necessary, but if so, should be very
carefully fitted. By way of avoiding corns
it is the common practice of many farrlers
to lease the heel Of the SHOE" that is, to
so fit it that the last inch of the shoe takes
no bearing on the foot. A space is thus
left between the shoe and foot in which
one might place a penny piece:
This is one of the greatest
evils of shooting, for not only is an
inch of the best bearing surface of the
foot unused, but increased pressure is
thrown upon the spot where shoe and
foot are in contact. Instead of prevent
ing corns, it is a common cause, and why
it should be SO will be understood when
we say that the seat of the corn is about
an inch in front of the extremity Of the
foot, in fact just at the spot upon which
this ''eased heel" throws most weight.
Corns may be due to an uneven surface of
foot, not of shoe, as when the wall at the
heels is lower than the bar, in which case
level shoe is almost certain to act as an
exciting cause. 7f.s1I ss' n'1aa&
Lameness from corn usually sh0wsitself
about week after the horse is she'd, do
pending, of course. upon the degree of
pressure existing. In SOME cases, howev-
ef, a corn is the cause 0f iameness after .
shoe has been on for, q month orm1fe.
This may be due to the shoe having shift
ed on the foot or to the growth, of horn
carrying the ShOe IOrWaruS ana W1tnln the
wall.
The inside heels of the fore; feet are
most commonly affected, because the
shoes for them are always fitted closer on
the inside than the out, and hind feet are
hardly ever affected, because the shoes for
them are always fitted long and wide "a
| l@aB repeat, cpn isAApF b4lDe
similar in every way to bruise Of our
nails. There is injury to the sensitive
parts, followed by discoloration of horn.
When 9 horse is lames if son.removing the
shoe and gently trying the foot allP round
with the pincers, tenderness is shown at
the heel, u suspect 8 bruise Of Corn. The
farrier would at once cut away the horn
at the part until he saw it discolored, and
then would say he 'shad found a corn"
Imagining this discolored horn to be the
offending substance, he would proceed to
remove Il, layer afsar layer, until he ssach-
ed the sensitive and now bleeding tissues.
We need hardly point out the absurdity of
this practice. The stained horn is
simply ., sign : of injury to the
sentative foot and the removal OF
this horn, while it does no good
to the bfuise, leaves the foot nnisefably
weak for weeks or perhaps months. What
would be thought Of q surgeon, who, be
cause his patient had discolored nail
the result of a bruise, proposed to remove
the stained horn and lay bare the sensitive