Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-12-14
FARM and HOSHHOLD.
CoRNs IN HORSES FEET.

III horse is supposed 10 nave
corn, says Whip and Rein, let the
shoe be removed ; the inside
quarters of one, OF both, fore feet
upon being pared will show a
streaked, :nfamed appearance
The horn will be soft and more
spongy than other portions OF the
hoof. In bad or long neglected
cases if you follow the corn with
the knife you Will come to sup
puratlon. In all such cases one In
variable condition is fOund-the
horse stands upon thick heeled
shoe, and the frog of the hOOf can
not reach the ground. The whole
weight OF the horse rests, not upon
its natural, elastic support, but
upon long, horny heels and iron.
This condition is a violation OF
natural laws, and a corn is a viola
ton of natural laws, and a corn IS
the first and most easily managed
consequence. The smith, whose
ignorance OF the anatomy of the
organ he has disabled is the sole
cause OF the trouble "cuts out the
corn" and attributes the difficulty
to weak feet, hard pavements, or
gives any excuse he thinks may
answer for the moment, and puts
on, perhaps, a "bar shoe" He
cannot tell why he puts on bar
shoe. but he knows it will give
temporary relief, and the relief Is
in this wise the bar must rest
upon the frog, and the heels cnt
away to allow it to do so. This, by
aclumsy continuance OF heavy iron,
is getting a part Of the relief that
nature demands. The true relief Is
in such a system Of shOeing as Will
preserve the natural acCion OF the
foot. The natural action is with a
low heel, to have the frog of the
foot strike full upon the ground
and press upward, against the
downward action of the coffin
bone, Just as a spring acts when a
weight is thrown upon it.
The horses hOof, continues the
authority quoted, is simply a boot;
inside of it Is a true foot Inc
frog Is only a part Of the hoot that
has a nervous connection with the
living tissue inside the horn. Just
above the frog is the sensible frog,
and on this rests the coffin bone
The vascular bone is connected
with the hoof by elastic lamin@,
and moves in the hOof by the ac-
ton of the horse, having its natural
rest upon the frog. If the horse
stands upon a rim of iron, the cen
ter of the foot is unsupported the
points of the pressure are under
each ewing" of the coffin bone
From lack of action the frog dries
up and loses its junction; the
sensible frog sympathizes IN this
condition. Circulation and secre'
ton are lessened. There Is more
or less fever, probably not per
ceived by the groom, or. If per
ceived, he "stuffs" the feet, in
fammation begins at the points OF
pressure under the wings OF the
: coffin bone, and the horse has a
corn. The cure of this defect is
obvious when the cause is stated ;
it's TO shoe so that the horse will
invariably stand upon his frog;
this must be secured by the use OF
a shoe that Will adpiitt~15 other
-UreefStag.--Snd the method known
among hOrsemen as the Good
enough system. No horse can travel
safely without the use of the frog.
Aside from It's all essential
necessity as the natural rest from
the bOny structure upon the
ground, its expansive power IN
keeping the boot from contracting
upon the inelOsed joints, and its
promotion by its action of clrcula-
ton of blood to the extremity OF
the hoof and consequent growth,
the frog has a function always
overlooked by the ignorant and
disregarded by the unreaecting' in
that it is the organ of touch. 1t is
the only part of the hoof that COM
municates with the nervous syS'
TEN, and through that to the brain,
and it Is therefore the only means
that the horse has OF accurately
determining his foothold upon the
ground. In the common method
of shoeing, the frog is taken ont
of action by the thickness of the
shoe, and the horse is deprived OF
its use. Upon no muscle IN the
body is he more dependent for
healthiul, natural action, and from
tue moment the frog is displacei
by the blacksmith's iron the decay
of the horses power begins. Con
traction, quarter cracks, toe cracks,
nayicular disease, inflammation,
and. more troublesome than all
else, corns usurp the free elasticity
of nature, aud the animal com
mences his downward course.
Watering Flowers.
II will help experienced window.
gardeners, who seek to relieve the
universal gray and white of the
out door view by some fresh green