NAVICULAB-JOINT LAMENESS. 



783 



I would call particular attention to these symptoms, from the 

 fact that after an examination by persons who do not under- 

 stand the nature of the difficulty, and finding no apparent trouble 

 in the foot, the conclusion is arrived at that it must be in the 

 shoulder, which is treated with liniments, blistering, etc., as ex- 

 plained, without doing any good, not only punishing the horse un- 

 necessarily, but occasioning a loss of valuable time. 



I would also remind, in this connection, that when the lame- 

 ness continues in one foot for some time, on account of throwing 

 the weight so much upon the opposite foot to relieve the lame one 

 in standing or walking, there is liability to bring on the same 



FIG. 691. Position of bones of the foot too oblique. 



a. Pastern bone ; b. Coronary bone ; c. Os pedis, or coffin-bone ; d. Usual 

 seat of the lameness; e. Perforans tendon. 



trouble in the welt one, a not uncommon occurrence, when the 

 lameness will be equally marked in both fore-feet. The horse will 

 go worse when the heel is lowered by putting on a thin shoe, or 

 by losing the shoe, and will go better when the heel is raised, and 

 especially so if the toe is rounded so as to aid mobility. 



Causes. The coffin-joint is composed of three bones; viz., the 

 lower or pedal bone, and the navicular and pastern bones. By 

 referring to Figs. 365 and 392, in chapter on Shoeing, and Figs. 

 679-688, which were copied and engraved from photographs of 

 a manikin, and also from a natural foot, showing different views 

 of the bones, ligaments, and tendons of the parts, a good idea 



