NAVICULAE DISEASE. 211 



diseases. The peculiarity of the animal's gait, and the mamier in 

 which the horse " points," will tend to confirm his supposition. In 

 old cases, there is often contraction, at the heels, of the affected 

 foot or feet. A shrunken condition of coronet is regarded a,s 

 characteristic of navicular disease. In lam.initis, the opposite 

 condition, namely, fulness, is generally to be seen in the affected 

 toronet. 



As a rule, the horse, in this disease, " points " by placing his 

 toe on the ground, raising his heel, and rounding his fetlock joint. 

 Sometimes, even in advanced cases, he does not point. 



The horse, generally, unless the case be bad, walks sound, though 

 when trotted he goes " short," " daisy cuts," and '" digs his toes 

 into the ground ; " the result of this last mentioned habit being, 

 especially if only one foot is affected, that the toe of the shoe gets 

 worn in a marked manner. In trying to save the heel, the animal 

 turns the toe in. 



There are fewer cases of lameness from navicular disease now 

 than formerly, apparently from the following reasons: — (1) 

 veterinary surgeons perform nem-otomy more frequently; (2) 

 fewer mares which have become incapacitated from this disease, 

 leave town alive ; (3) knowledge among breeders has increased ; 

 and (4) wood pavement, asphalt and macadam have to a oonsid,er- 

 able extent replaced the use of paving stones in streets. 



Travelling over "hard ground greatly affects a horse which has 

 navicular disease, particularly, when he has a heavy weight on his 

 back ; although probably he will be able to go free and well 

 through plough or on other soft " going." He is usually a bad 

 stumbler on account of being afraid to raise his feet to a proper 

 height, and bo throw a due- amount of pressure on his heels. The 

 lameness wears off to a^ great extent during exercise, which of 

 course affords only temporary relief. In the very early stag'es, the 

 horse may work lamer. 



The disease is generally insidious in its approach, there being 

 often nothing to mark it, fiirther than that t;he horse commences 

 the habit of " pointing " in the stable; begins to go a little short;, 

 or becomes slightly lame now and then. The owner should not 

 be misled by tiie lameness working off, but should put the case 

 under treatment without delay ; for it will prove incurable if 

 allowed to get beyond an early stage. 



TREATMENT.— Treatment is of but little avail in this disease, 

 after it has become fairly established, in which case, neurotomy 

 (p. 680) is the best palliative. In the first stages, it is well to 

 remove the shoe, and if necessary rasp down the walls and heels 

 so as to obtain frog pressure. Give a dose of physic, and feed on 



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