NAVICULAR DISEASE. 28 1 



wygram pattern. The treatment for speedy-cut is 

 the same as for splint. 



Navicular may be termed an incurable disease, 

 for there is no cure for it. I say so sadly, for I 

 have known some of the very best of good horses 

 fall victims to it. When speaking of the bones of 

 the foot, at the commencement of the chapter on 

 shoeing, I remarked on a small, curiously-shaped 

 bone which is situated at the back of the coffin 

 and smaller pastern bones. This is the navicular 

 bone. Over this bone the ligament which connects 

 the bones of the fore-leg and foot passes. It is 

 between this ligament and the navicular bone that 

 the seat of this disease lies. The latter may be 

 caused by either a strain of the ligament, which, 

 becoming inflamed, sets up ulceration of the bone ; 

 or it may be that a sudden jerk or wrench may 

 cause the ulceration. I believe that it is very much 

 a matter of doubt which of the two is the cause — 

 that is to say, whether the bone is ulcerated by 

 contact with the affected ligament or not. Be that 

 as it may, the bone becomes diseased, and there is 

 no known treatment which will arrest it. The 

 pain may be got rid of by a painful operation — viz., 

 'nerving' or 'unnerving,' as it is sometimes called — 

 but it does not stop the disease, and sooner or later 

 there is nothing for it but to destroy the animal. It 



