100 The Management and Treatment of the Morse, 



Gamgee, Mr Varnell, and the late Professor Dick that the 

 author has been able to obtain knowledge, and by the 

 advice given him by those gentleman he is enabled to 

 pen these papers for the benefit of his less fortunate 

 fellow- grooms, and for younger men having horses under 

 their care. 



NAVICULAR DISEASE 



Is chiefly met with in the fine breeds of speedy horses, 

 with which and in their special kind of work a more 

 constant energetic pressure is kept up in the region of 

 this bone. The causes of this disease, like most others, 

 are essentially of two kinds, viz., predisposing and actual 

 or direct causes. The first consists of the management 

 of horses from the time they are foals to adult age. Weil- 

 formed strong feet, all other things being the same, with- 

 stand the effects of after-causes longest. Bad shoeing and 

 fast work under weight or draught are the common excit- 

 ing causes of this disease and most other diseased 

 conditions of the foot of the horse. Bad shoeing is a 

 vague expression, but I call all bad in degree that is not 

 done by system, subordinate to the necessary knowledge 

 of the foot. There are some bad habits which have found 

 their way into the shoeing shop, and which it is almost 

 impossible to obliterate from the mind of the smith ; 

 amongst which none are worse than paring the frog 

 and sole ; weakening the wall of the foot with the 

 rasp, and softening the foot with any mixture should 

 also be avoided. As no skill is needed in attending to 

 this step, alike conservative and remedial m tendency, 

 I submit it with recommendation that it be taken as a 



