In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 85 



side movement after the manner of such implement ; 

 hence it is sometimes called the shuttle-bone. One of 

 the chief uses of this bone appears to be to take off a 

 portion of the weight from the coffin-bone, and from the 

 navicular bone it is thrown on the tendon which rests on 

 the frog beneath. It is on the inner surface of this bone 

 that the navicular disease first originates ; inflammation 

 is set up by severe concussion, and being deep-seated, 

 quite out of the reach of medical and surgical treatment, 

 the inflammation becomes chronic, the membrane 

 covering the joint is affected, small tumours form on the 

 navicular bone, much after the nature of splint; the 

 navicular bone becomes porous, resembling a piece 

 of pumice stone, and the animal is lame for life. 

 Much of this disease is caused by bad shoeing ; cutting 

 and carving the frog and sole have done more to 

 ruin the horse than all the grooms in Christendom. 

 Having given a brief outline of the structure 

 of the foot of the horse, I now propose to show 

 the principal diseases affecting that important part, 

 the foot being the foundation, as it is useless to have 

 a fine top without a foundation. No man would 

 think of building a mansion without foundations, yet 

 many gentlemen will buy a fine- top horse without a foot 

 to stand on, and expect it to carry him through hard 

 runs, and is dreadfully disappointed if he comes to grief. 

 No child dreads the fire worse than a groom with a large 

 stud dreads bad feet ; they are to him a perpetual source 

 of annoyance. It is bis bete noir by day and by night, 

 and his constant prayer is " May my employer always buy 

 feet, and never buy a horse from a friend." Such is the 



