OF FARKIERY. 



243 



ther dose of physic, which is better in these 

 cases than all the bhsters in the world. By 

 these cooling means of proceeding, you \.'ill 

 soon perceive an amendment in your Horse's 

 feet, and constitution too. This, like all other 

 diseases of the feet, will require care and atten- 

 tion, after the Horse is got apparently sound ; 

 and you cannot effect this better than by giv- 

 ing him a month's run at grass with his shoes 

 on, and frequently examining them, in order 

 to see that all things are going on right. If, 

 while at grass, the Horse should lose his foot- 

 stopping, immediately on discovery, let it be 

 replaced. 



CONTRACTED FEET, OR THE 

 NAVICULAR DISEASE. 



Contracted feet, or the navicular disease, 

 may require some little explanation, as pro- 

 bably the whole of my readers may not under- 

 stand the modern term " navicular disease.'' 

 Contracted feet is of older date, and vei^y 

 proper that it should be ; for the " navicular 

 disease" arises, nine times out of ten, or is 

 occasioned by the former. 



As it is not our province in this work to 

 enter into a long physiological account of the 

 foot, we shall explain those parts, and their 

 effects only to our readers, that will be of im- 

 mediate use to them, without hampering up 

 their minds with a dozen pages of techni- 

 calities. 



By contracted feet is meant when the horn 

 of the crust lessens the natural size of the foot, 

 so that it presses upon the highly sensible 

 parts within, consequently occasioning pain 

 and lameness. This occurs principally on the 

 inner quarter of the crust, and that because it 

 is the weakest, or thinnest of the two ; and 

 tins punishing arising invariably from igno- 



rance in man, though occasioning the most 

 excruciating pain to the most useful animal in 

 the creation ; and all in consequence of bad 

 shoeing. Other causes, however, there are, 

 which will contribute to inflammation of the 

 feet ; such as too hot stables, and standing oc 

 hot dry straw, with little exercise to put their 

 feet into action. 



The navicular disease proceeds in a great 

 measure from contracted feet ; for as 1 ob- 

 served before, as the horn of the crust pressed 

 on the soft and sensible parts within, so the 

 elastic parts became fixed, and the multi- 

 plicity of elastic parts contained within the 

 hoof become diseased, in consequence of being 

 squeezed up, as it were, in a vice ; the coffin- 

 bone becomes injured, the navicular bone 

 more so ; and not unfrequently the small pas- 

 tern-bone. 



Now the reason why the navicular-bone is 

 more subject to disease than either the coffin 

 or the pastern-bones, is in consequence of its 

 attachments, and tlie work it lias to do ; for 

 every time the Horse raises his foot from tiie 

 ground, this bone ascends also, and descends 

 when the Horse puts his foot to the ground ; 

 the flexor-tendon also being fixed into the 

 coffin-bone, and the navicular bone immedi- 

 ately above it, the small pastern-bone working 

 immediately above tha^t, the whole of the 

 weight of the Horse is. thrown on to this bone. 

 I ask, then, how can this bone perform its proper 

 functions, when prevented by contraction of 

 the horny box, or hoof, in which it is con- 

 tained ? Of course, any person of common 

 capacity, will answer, " Never !" Hence 

 arises the complaint, called navicular disease. 

 I will further explain how the disease pro- 

 ceeds on its course, and then proceed furtlier 

 with the other divisions of this disease. 



