Taking care of your animals in terms of health is an ideal step in order to enhance its lifespan as well as serve its purpose fully. The navicular syndrome in horses is a condition that affects feet and can be very painful to the animal. Proper care and treatment can be of help and restore the previous performance. In this article we look briefly of what the condition entails.
Lameness is the most common sign which shows that the horse is affected. It may result immediately but it most situations it starts mildly before progressing to worse level with time. One can note the pain as the horse tries to keep off pressure from the affected heels. The pony experiences difficulty in making sharp turns, going downhill and navigating on rocky or hard terrain. In instances of farrier visits, the animal has a habit of showing uncooperativeness.
No one precisely knows the causes this condition. Most misconceptions point out to combinations of factors. Most cases occur in those ponies with upright pasterns, heavy bodies and tiny hooves. A number of the affected ones have a history involving front leg impact and increased concussion. A more common trend points to a combination of rise in stress and limitation in oxygen in the heels though the precise cause of inflammation and tissue damage still remains undetermined.
What type of horses gets affected or not is not a guarantee though the problem is more prone to the horses of the stock type. Fairly higher incidences can be found to be more common in thoroughbreds and warm blood breeds. Those of Arabian types rarely get affected. The lameness resulting from this syndrome is in most cases diagnosed as of between ages seven and fourteen.
The diagnosis procedure in most circumstances is based on both the clinical and radiographic signs. In the situation the x rays shows changes, it will be unwise to rule out that the mount is affected. The correct conclusion should only be done when the radiographic and clinical signs match. Lollipop like structures will help in determining the extent of ailment.
The first steps to combat this condition include consulting with a farrier and a vet. Though no cure is available, a hasty diagnosis will allow medical, treatment farrier or surgery to kick start early during the course of the disease. Therapeutic shoeing and proper trimming can offer relief from pain to most horses. Medications that are anti-inflammatory are injected on the heel area or administered orally to relieve pain.
Feeding practices are in no way a cause of the syndrome but due to the fact that the legs are the ones affected by this condition, an overweight mount will exert more strain on its musculoskeletal frame. Due to the relationship between small footed mounts, heavy bodied and this syndrome, it becomes wise to avoid letting your stallion grow too fat.
This condition is never terminal and in most cases it requires only proper care to restore back the health of the pony. Immediate medication whenever the signs start showing is highly advisable. One should also adopt necessary precautions like avoiding overburdening your mount in rough terrains, making sure you dress horse shoes on it and maintaining fitness on it to make it proportional to its hooves.
Lameness is the most common sign which shows that the horse is affected. It may result immediately but it most situations it starts mildly before progressing to worse level with time. One can note the pain as the horse tries to keep off pressure from the affected heels. The pony experiences difficulty in making sharp turns, going downhill and navigating on rocky or hard terrain. In instances of farrier visits, the animal has a habit of showing uncooperativeness.
No one precisely knows the causes this condition. Most misconceptions point out to combinations of factors. Most cases occur in those ponies with upright pasterns, heavy bodies and tiny hooves. A number of the affected ones have a history involving front leg impact and increased concussion. A more common trend points to a combination of rise in stress and limitation in oxygen in the heels though the precise cause of inflammation and tissue damage still remains undetermined.
What type of horses gets affected or not is not a guarantee though the problem is more prone to the horses of the stock type. Fairly higher incidences can be found to be more common in thoroughbreds and warm blood breeds. Those of Arabian types rarely get affected. The lameness resulting from this syndrome is in most cases diagnosed as of between ages seven and fourteen.
The diagnosis procedure in most circumstances is based on both the clinical and radiographic signs. In the situation the x rays shows changes, it will be unwise to rule out that the mount is affected. The correct conclusion should only be done when the radiographic and clinical signs match. Lollipop like structures will help in determining the extent of ailment.
The first steps to combat this condition include consulting with a farrier and a vet. Though no cure is available, a hasty diagnosis will allow medical, treatment farrier or surgery to kick start early during the course of the disease. Therapeutic shoeing and proper trimming can offer relief from pain to most horses. Medications that are anti-inflammatory are injected on the heel area or administered orally to relieve pain.
Feeding practices are in no way a cause of the syndrome but due to the fact that the legs are the ones affected by this condition, an overweight mount will exert more strain on its musculoskeletal frame. Due to the relationship between small footed mounts, heavy bodied and this syndrome, it becomes wise to avoid letting your stallion grow too fat.
This condition is never terminal and in most cases it requires only proper care to restore back the health of the pony. Immediate medication whenever the signs start showing is highly advisable. One should also adopt necessary precautions like avoiding overburdening your mount in rough terrains, making sure you dress horse shoes on it and maintaining fitness on it to make it proportional to its hooves.
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