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.
The root of the condition is unknown though many misconceptions point out to mixture of factors. The most likely to be affected mounts are those with upright pasterns, bodies that are heavy and with small hooves. Majority of victims include those which have an account of increased concussions and involve impact on frontal legs. A more common incline suggests a mixture of high stress and limitation in oxygenation in heels. However, the exact root of soreness and tissue damage are still unknown.
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.
Procedures on diagnosis are in most instances based on a combination of radiographic and clinical symptoms. It is incorrect to rule out presence of navicular syndrome in the case x rays indicate changes. More accurate conclusion ought to be grounded on consistent matching signs of both the radiograph and clinic signs. The extent of the condition can be identified by lollipop looking structures.
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 does not in any way cause the syndrome. The legs being the affected parts by the condition, a mount that is very heavy will exert a lot of pressure on its musculoskeletal frame structure. Given the relationship between this syndrome and heavy bodied, small footed mounts, it translates to a wise decision of avoiding your pony to become too fat.
The condition is not terminal and proper care will restore the health back. One should seek medical attention as soon as possible whenever the symptoms start showing. Necessary precautions such as avoiding overloading your pony in rough terrains, ensuring you fit it with horse shoes and keeping it physically fit in relation to its hooves will be a productive step.
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.
The root of the condition is unknown though many misconceptions point out to mixture of factors. The most likely to be affected mounts are those with upright pasterns, bodies that are heavy and with small hooves. Majority of victims include those which have an account of increased concussions and involve impact on frontal legs. A more common incline suggests a mixture of high stress and limitation in oxygenation in heels. However, the exact root of soreness and tissue damage are still unknown.
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.
Procedures on diagnosis are in most instances based on a combination of radiographic and clinical symptoms. It is incorrect to rule out presence of navicular syndrome in the case x rays indicate changes. More accurate conclusion ought to be grounded on consistent matching signs of both the radiograph and clinic signs. The extent of the condition can be identified by lollipop looking structures.
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 does not in any way cause the syndrome. The legs being the affected parts by the condition, a mount that is very heavy will exert a lot of pressure on its musculoskeletal frame structure. Given the relationship between this syndrome and heavy bodied, small footed mounts, it translates to a wise decision of avoiding your pony to become too fat.
The condition is not terminal and proper care will restore the health back. One should seek medical attention as soon as possible whenever the symptoms start showing. Necessary precautions such as avoiding overloading your pony in rough terrains, ensuring you fit it with horse shoes and keeping it physically fit in relation to its hooves will be a productive step.
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