Perhaps the animal is now rested for a week or two, or even for a month or two, hoping that this will put him sound.  Immediately on commencing work, however, the same symptoms as before assert themselves, and the veterinary surgeon is called in.

With a history such as we have given the veterinarian’s suspicions are aroused.  He has the animal trotted, and may notice at this stage that there is an inclination to go on the toes, that the lame limb or limbs are not put forward freely, and that progression is stilty and uncertain; it is such, in fact, as to at once suggest the possibility of corns being present.

In some cases there is just the suspicion of a limp with one limb, and this only at intervals during the trot.  At one moment the veterinarian is positive that he sees the animal going lame; at another he is just as confident he sees him coming towards him sound.

Nothing is found in the limb—­neither heat, tenderness, nor swelling.  There is nothing in the gait (either a limited movement of the radius, or a circular sweep with the leg) to indicate shoulder or other lameness, and the veterinary surgeon, by eliminative evidence, is bound to conclude that the trouble is in the foot.

The foot is then examined—­pared, percussed, pinched, and in other ways manipulated—­but nothing further is forthcoming.  In such a case the veterinary surgeon is wise to declare the abortive result of his examination, to hint darkly of his suspicions, and to suggest a second examination at some future date.  It may be that two, three, four, or even more, such examinations are necessary before he can justly pronounce a positive verdict.

Later he is enabled to do this by an increase in the severity of the symptoms, and by the changes that take place in the form of the foot.  The lameness is now more marked, and the ‘pointing’ in the stable more frequent.  With regard to the latter symptom, it has been seriously discussed whether the horse with navicular disease points with the heel elevated or with it pressed to the ground.  In either case, of course, the limb is advanced; but while some hold that the phalangeal articulations are flexed and the heel slightly raised, in order to relieve the pressure of the perforans tendon on the affected area, and so obtain ease, there are others who hold that the heel is pressed firmly to the ground in order to deaden the pain.  It may be, and most probably is, that both are right; but, in our opinion, there is no doubt whatever that pointing with the heel elevated is by far the most common.

The lameness is now excessive, and is especially noticeable when the animal is put to work on a rough or on a hard ground.  Even now, however, heat of the foot or tenderness is so slight as to be out of all proportion to the alteration in gait.

With the case thus far advanced, evidence of pain may be obtained by pressing with the thumb in the hollow of the heel.  Evidence of pain may also be obtained by using the farrier’s pincers on the frog.  These methods, however, are never wholly satisfactory, as a horse with the soundest of feet will sometimes flinch under these manipulations.