INrLAMMATION.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[CONTBACTION. 



being finished, bleed each foot largely at tlie 1 



toe- then lightly nail on the shoes (after suffi- CONTRACTED FEET; OR. THE NAVICULAR 



' O J n \ J T^TCC A CT7' 



cient blood has been taken from the feet), and 



place a pledget of tow on each orifice. Over all 

 place a poultice of cold bran, made wet with 

 water ; and frequently have cold water squeezed 

 over it from a sponge. In addition to this, 

 apply to the fetlock-joint, what is now termed 

 n "swab" (to be bought of any of the saddlers); 

 but, in case this cannot be done, take a piece of 

 coarse woollen cloth, of sufficient width to go 

 round the leg, and of sufficient length to hang 

 down over the hoof. This must be constantly 

 kept wet with cold water. Sponge-boots we do 

 not approve, as they are apt to induce " thrush," 

 or at least make the frog so rotten, that in 

 mending one bole another is made. The horse 

 should not be encumbered with much litter, 

 unless behind, for his fore legs to stand on ; and 

 what is given should be made wet with water. 

 By this means he will have an opportunity of 

 cooling his fore legs as much as possible ; and 

 should he be inclined to lie down, which in the 

 early stages of the disease he may, the litter 

 behind will prevent him from iujuriag his hips 

 or his hocks. 



Should the febrile symptoms not seem so 

 speedily to abate as may be desirable, bleed 

 ^"ain from the jugular, to the amount of four 

 quarts. An opportunity will now be obtained 

 of gently moving the horse about, which will 

 enable a judgment to be formed as to whether 

 there is any amendment in bis feet. If so, the 

 dressing must be continued as before ; bearing 

 in mind, that the orifice made in the foot will 

 occasion some degree of lameness. 



If the lameness, however, should still appear 

 to be greater, or not at all relieved, bleed in 

 both plate-veins, abstracting about two quarts 

 from each vein ; but do not even think of blis- 

 tering the coronet, though we kuow that some 

 practitioners are favourable to this. Give an- 

 other dose of physic, which is better, in these 

 cases, than all the blisters in the world. By 

 adopting these cooling remedial measures, an 

 amendment both in the feet and the constitu- 

 tion of the horse will be perceived. This, like 

 all other diseases of the feet, will require care 

 and attention, even after the animal has got 

 apparently sound ; and will be productive of 

 good. If, while at grass, he should lose his 

 foot-stopping, let it be immediately replaced. 

 308 



DISEASE. 



Contracted feet is a disease that has been 

 long known ; and " navicular disease" arises, 

 nine times out of ten, out of the former, or is 

 occasioned by it. 



Contracted feet are those which have the 

 horn of the crust lessening the natural size of 

 the foot, and pressing upon the sensitive parts 

 within, and thereby causing pain and lame- 

 ness. This occurs principally on the inner 

 quarter of the crust, because it is the weakest, or 

 thinnest of the two, and is generally the conse- 

 quence of had slioeing. There are other causes, 

 however, which contribute to inflammation of 

 the feet ; such as too hot stables, and standing 

 on hot dry straw, with little exercise to put 

 the feet into action. 



The navicular disease proceeds in a great 

 measure from contracted feet ; for, as before 

 observed, as the horn of the crust presses on 

 the soft and sensitive parts within, so the 

 elastic parts become fixed, and the multiplicity 

 of these parts contained within the hoof get 

 diseased, in consequence of being squeezed up, 

 as it were, in a vice: the coffin-bone, the 

 navicular bone, and not unfrequently the 

 small pastern-bone, all become more or less 

 injured. 



The reason why the navicular bone is more 

 subject to disease than either the coffin or the 

 pastern-bones, is in consequence of its attach- 

 ments, and the work it has to do. Every time 

 the horse raises his foot, this bone ascends also, 

 and descends when he puts his foot to the 

 ground; the flexor-tendon, also, being fixed 

 into the coffin-bone, and the navicular bone 

 immediately above it, the small pastern-bone 

 working immediately above that, the whole of 

 the weight of tlie animal is thrown upon tliis 

 bone. We ask, then, how can this bone per- 

 form its proper functions, when prevented by 

 contraction of the horny box, or hoof, in which 

 it is contained? Of course, any person of 

 common sense will answer, "it cannot!" 

 Hence arises the complaint called navicular 

 disease. "We have mentioned that the small 

 pastern rests on the navicular bone. In con- 

 sequence of the confinement of these bones, 

 their action is not free ; and the lower end of 

 the small pastern-bone chafing against the 



