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Balancing and Shoeing Trotting and Pacing Horses

Chapter 37: XXXIV. CORNS.
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About This Book

A practical, experience-based manual for balancing and shoeing light-harness horses that emphasizes foot preparation, trimming and shoe selection to correct or prevent faulty gaits. It offers routine care for foals and young stock, step-by-step guidance for preparing the sole and frog, and diagnostic approaches to common problems such as winging, paddling, interfering, forging, scalping, contracted heels, corns and hoof cracks. The author explains adjustments in trimming, the use of various shoe types and weights, frog pressure and bar shoes, and methods to reduce concussion and uneven wear, aiming to provide clear, actionable remedies to maintain sound, efficient action.

XXXIV. CORNS.

A live, painful corn is caused by different things. High contracted heels will cause corns as well as short ones. Shoeing and leaving the shoes on too long, and undue concussion will cause corns. The majority of cases of corns will be found in contracted feet. I find the most successful way to treat corns is to get the foot or feet soft and keep them soft. Shoe with a bar shoe, lower the heels so as you can get all the frog pressure possible on the bar of the shoe, after the shoe has been fitted, and before nailing to the foot, cut the heel bearing away from the shoe where the corn is located, an inch of the bearing surface ahead of the corn and half an inch or more away from the shoe to break the jar and reduce the concussion. If foot is contracted use an expander inserted in foot before shoe is fitted, and keep foot soft. I do not recommend cutting the bars and sole away where the corn is located and leaving the wall standing up all alone, but cut the whole heel seat of corn and bar down flat, away from the bearing surface of shoe.