Rational Horse Shoeing and Wagon Making
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with rules, tables, recipes, etc., useful to
manufactures, blacksmiths, machinists,
well-drillers, engineers, liverymen,
horse-shoers, farmers, wagon-makers,
mechanics, amateurs and all others who have
occasion to perform the work for which this
book is primarily intended.
Corns are very common to horses' feet, a majority of all cases
of lameness is due to this trouble. Corns are the result of shoes
being allowed to stay on too long. The shoe, in such a case
grows under the foot and presses on the sole and corns are
formed. Even pressure of the shoe and sometimes too heavy
bearing on the heel causes corns. Gravel wedging in under the
shoe or between the bar and the wall is sometimes the cause
of corns. Leaving the heel and quarters too high, whereby they
will bend under and press against the sole, is another cause of
corns.
The seat of corns is generally in the sole of the foot at the
quarter or heels between the bar and the wall, at the angle
made by the wall and bar. Anything that will bruise the
underlying and sensitive membrane of the sole will produce
corn. This bruise gives rise to soreness; the sole becomes blood
colored and reddish; if bad it might break out, either at the
bottom or the junction of the hoof and hair or coronet, forming
a quitter.
Cut out the corn or red sole clear down. If the corn is the result
of contraction pare down the hoof and sole, put the foot into
linseed poultice that is warm, for twenty-four hours, then renew
it. If the corn is deep, be sure to cut down enough to let the
matter out. It is a good thing to pour into the hole hot pine tar.
In shoeing the bearing should be taken off the quarter or from
the wall over the corn by rasping it down so that it will not
touch the shoe. A bar shoe is a good thing as it will not spring
as much as to come in contact with the hoof over the corn. Give
very little frog pressure. An open shoe can be used and in such
a case there should be no calk at the heel. A calk should be
welded on directly over the corn and the shoe will not spring up
against the wall.
QUARTER AND SAND CRACKS
Quarter and sand cracks are cracks in the hoof, usually running
lengthwise of the fibers, but sometimes they will be running
across the fiber for an inch or more. Quarter cracks are cracks
mostly on the inside of the hoof, because that side is thinner
and weaker than the outside. The cause of it is a hard and
brittle hoof with no elasticity, brought on by poor assimilation
the horse is shod remove the shoes, and cut off the wall of the quarter to take off the bearing on both sides of the
crack. If the crack goes up to the coronet and is deep, cut off both sides of the crack the whole length. About one inch
below the coronet, cut a deep cut clear through either with a knife or hot sharp iron across the crack. This will help to
start a new hoof. If the flesh sticks up between the cracks, let a veterinarian burn it off. In shoeing for this trouble, it
is best to use a bar shoe (endless) and shoe the horse often.
and Spring Halt >>>>