The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

100 The Management and Treatment of the Morse,
Gamgee, Mr Varnell, and the late Professor Dick that the
author has been able to obtain knowledge, and by the
advice given him by those gentleman he is enabled to
pen these papers for the benefit of his less fortunate
fellow- grooms, and for younger men having horses under
their care.
NAVICULAR DISEASE
Is chiefly met with in the fine breeds of speedy horses,
with which and in their special kind of work a more
constant energetic pressure is kept up in the region of
this bone. 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. Weil-
formed strong feet, all other things being the same, with-
stand 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
impossible 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 conservative and remedial m tendency,
I submit it with recommendation that it be taken as a