Lameness during weight-bearing occurs in the majority of cases at some time.  Much depends on the conformation of the foot and whether the involvement affects one or both cartilages as to the degree and duration of lameness which marks this affection.  In narrow and contracted heels it is reasonable to expect more lameness than in well formed feet.  Where only one cartilage is ossified, the other being flexible, there is less inconvenience experienced by the subject during weight-bearing, because of the expansion of the heel which the one normal cartilage allows.

Treatment.—­There is little if anything to be done in case the cartilage has become ossified except to shoe without high calks but preferably with rubber pads.  The hoof should be kept moist; the wall at the quarter may be rasped thin and kept anointed.  Firing is of no practical benefit in these cases, and it is doubtful if vesication is helpful excepting where only a part of the cartilage is ossified.

Subjects which continue somewhat lame, because of complete ossification of both cartilages, are best put to slow work on soft ground and not driven on pavements.

Navicular Disease.

This more or less ambiguous term has been applied to various diseases affecting the structures which make up the coffin joint.  We consider this name to be applicable to inflammatory involvement of the third sesamoid (navicular bone), the deep flexor tendon (perforans) and the bursa podotrochlearis or navicular bursa.

Etiology and Occurrence.—­In 1864 Thomas Greaves[29] wrote on the subject of navicular disease as follows:  “The opinion I entertain upon the subject of navicular disease is, that in by far the greater majority (if not all) of these cases there exists in the animal affected a congenital tendency or predisposition, that, generally speaking, it is the high stepper, the good goer, that becomes the victim to this disease; and it is a fact well attested, that it as frequently develops itself in the feet with wide frogs, bulbous heels, shallow heels, spread flattish feet, as in the narrow upright feet....  I have known foals, born from defective parents, in which this condition was so strongly developed, that all men would at once pronounce them affected with navicular disease, and such lameness was permanent.”

Often both fore feet are affected and this would point toward its being a disease wherein either conformation or congenital tendencies exists.  It is rare that hind feet are involved.

There are many theories regarding the possible exciting causes of navicular disease and, when one has carefully considered the explanations as offered by Peters, Moeller, Branell, Schrader and others, he may conclude that navicular disease is a non-infectuous inflammatory affection of the third sesamoid (navicular) bone, deep flexor tendon (perforans) and adjoining structures.  Whether it originates in the flexor tendon or whether the bone is the original part affected, the disease is frequently met, and of all possible causes, jars and irritation incident to concussion of travel, are probably the principal causative agents.