I 84 Common Diseases of the Horse 



toes, high contracted narrow heels, and too concave soles and frogs. 

 Those in which the frog has apparently been thrown entirely out 

 of action, and become wasted through loss of use, are especially 

 liable. 



The reader must not imagine that all feet similar to those 

 described are bad, as some of the best light horses in the writer's 

 experience have had feet answering to this description, with the 

 exception of the too concave sole and frog. The fact remains, 

 however, that what are known as open feet, or those with weak 

 heels or prominent soles, do not become affected. 



Symptoms. — Diagnosis is not easy, and requires a good deal 

 of observation. It may be, and often is, put down to shoulder 

 lameness or rheumatism, as in the later stages the muscles of the 

 shoulder become atrophied or wasted through confined action, and 

 the symptoms during progress are similar. Pressure on the frog, 

 with one of the jaws of the pincers on this organ and the other 

 on the wall of the frog, will often cause pain, but as horses which 

 are perfectly sound will flinch with even a good strong thumb 

 pressure, and also with a tap of the hammer, this method is any- 

 thing but certain. The animal should be seen on several occasions, 

 as the symptoms vary under different conditions. The first notice- 

 able signs are usually that he goes a bit short on first being brought 

 out of the stable, but after a few steps this disappears. He begins 

 to lose his action and go badly downhill. When at rest, and if 

 the trouble is confined to one limb, the animal will point the foot, 

 either by extending it with the fetlock only bent, or with the 

 toe upon the ground and the heel raised. If both limbs are 

 affected he will point or rest them alternately. 



A resting or tired horse often behaves in this manner, but in 

 such a case he will also rest his hind limbs as well, whereas in 

 navicular disease the weight is constantly borne by them, and 

 they are not rested at all. 



As the disease advances the symptoms become aggravated. 

 When put to exercise the animal takes longer to get sound, goes 

 on its toes, as may be readily proved by examining the shoe, which 

 soon becomes worn out in this part, while the heels are barely 

 touched. The patient becomes very confined and pottering in 

 its action, and gives the impression that it is suffering from rheu- 

 matism or shoulder trouble. After doing a journey and resting 

 for an hour or so it will come out of the stable very lame. The 

 foot in the meantime shows marked evidence of the disease, the 

 sole becomes more concave, and the frog, through not being used, 

 retracts still further, while the heels become higher and more 



