122 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



up in the region of this Lone. 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. Well-formed strong feet, all other things 

 being the same, withstand 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 impos- 

 sible 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 conserva- 

 tive and remedial in tendency, I submit it with a 

 recommendation that it be taken as a rule appli- 

 cable to all classes of horses. Navicular disease 

 never occurs suddenly, is never caused by bruises 

 from stones as alleged, nor does it appear as a 

 primary affection. The coffin-bone having the 

 w^hole weight and exertion to sustain is always 

 the first to suffer, and it is when an alteration 

 from the normal state takes place in the coffin- 

 bone and the other component structures of the 

 foot, that derangement of functions and stress of 



