© C. Degueurce - Musée Fragonard de l’École nationale vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort

Skull of a horse with nutritional osteofibrosis

Characterised by the deformation of the head, bone degeneration and tooth loss, this disease was also called "milling horse sickness". It was caused by eating bran and wheat crust, which rich in phosphorus and low in calcium, thus leading to disorders regarding the metabolism of these minerals. With easy access to this substance, milling horses were particularly affected.