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over the sole, and affect one or more feet, but it seldom causes much 

 lameness. Being of a very formidable nature, it is very difficult to 

 treat, and should never be tampered with by amateurs. The animal 

 must at once be put into a dry box, as moisture encourages the 

 spongy growths, which develop rapidly. I have been most successful 

 with daily dressings of powdered alum and dry tow, kept in place by 

 a thin plate of iron screwed on to a special shoe, at the same time 

 placing the animal on dry engine ashes instead of straw, and promptly 

 removing all wet matters, such as foeces, urine, &c., as soon as 

 evacuated or observed. 



199. Treads and Over-reaches. — These are caused by the hind 

 foot over-reaching on to the heel or quarter of the fore foot, or by one 

 foot treading on its fellow. Washing the parts well with clean cold 

 water, removing all jagged edges of the wound, with a pair of sharp 

 scissors, and dressing with carbolised oil, will be found to answer in 

 ordinary cases. Should the underlying parts be damaged, and the 

 animal go tenderly, and show pain, cold water cloths or poultices must 

 be applied until the inflammation is reduced. 



200. Navicular Disease, commonly called Groggy Lameness, 



may be defined as inflammation and ulceration of the tendinous or inferior 

 articular surface of the navicular, or shuttle, bone, situated at the back 

 of the coffin or pedal joint ; or it may be produced by laceration of the 

 fibres of the tendons passing over the bone, to its insertion in the floor 

 of the coffin bone, setting up inflammation and adhesion of the parts. 

 It invariably occurs in the fore feet, affecting chiefly horses of the light- 

 legged class, and is in many cases due to hereditary causes. Injury 

 from fast work, on hard roads, is another frequent cause ; but by far the 

 most common cause is keeping horses in the stable, day after day, 

 without exercise, then, on taking them out, giving them too much quick 

 travelling, thus lacerating the tendon, and setting up inflammation. 

 Generally, the first symptom noticed is the horse pointing first one 

 foot and then the other, — that is if both are affected — so as to ease 

 the tendon as it passes over the acute angle of the bone ; but this 

 pointing must be confirmed by other symptoms. When brought out 



