he sole open to the effects of concussion and direct
injury.

Brittle feet--feet with horn of undue dryness, by reason of the contraction
thus brought about--are, again, particularly subject to corn.

So also with long feet. Whether occurring as a natural deformity, or as the
result of insufficient paring, bruises of the sole in feet thus shaped are
common. The reason for this will be better understood when we come to deal
with the shoeing.

Other and minor predisposing causes are those mainly referring to an
unnatural dryness of the hoof when animals reared in the country are put
to work in large towns. We here really get several predisposing causes
combining. A sudden change is made from a more or less moist condition
underfoot to one excessively dry. The character of the travelling is wholly
altered from occasional work upon soft lands to continual labour upon
hard-paved roads. The horn is often exposed to the vicious influences
of unsuitable litter, the application of unsuitable dressings, and the
deleterious effects of the street mud of our cities. All these play their
part in determining a condition of the horn, rendering it open to receive
the effects of the more exciting causes which we shall next consider.

_Exciting Causes_.--Than the shoeing, no more frequent and exciting cause
of corn exists. Whatever the predisposing influences may be, it is the
shoeing that in nearly every case completes the list, and finally inflicts
the injury.

The evils in this connection we shall consider under two headings--viz.,
(1) the manner in which the foot is pared; (2) the make and fitting of the
shoe.

First among the faulty preparations of the foot comes that of excessive
thinning of the sole, especially in the regions subject to corn. The
farrier addicted to this is not as a rule content to confine his operations
to the sole alone. In addition, the frog and the bars also suffer from the
too lavish use of his knife. His main object is doubtless that of giving
a broad and open appearance to the foot. It follows from this that his
operations are confined more to the posterior than the anterior parts of
the foot, and that the toe is therefore left too long. This gives us a
combination of causes leading to pressure and bruises upon the sensitive
structures at the seat of corn.

By this unequal paring of the toe and the heels greater weight is thrown
upon the posterior half of the foot. What then happens to the structures