The word navicular is used in reference to a progressive degenerative condition in horses. The condition affects the navicular bone. The bone is found behind the coffin bone of the hoof. The ciondition furthermore upsets the bursa and flexor tendons. Researchers have it that the condition is not fit to be called a disease. It is somewhat a disorder of a number of aberrations. These happen in either one or both fore-feet of horses. This is worth knowing about Navicular disease in horses.
Some time back, it was hard to locate exactly where the navicular bone was located in the feet of horses. That made it hard to learn more about the condition. However, as technology continued to develop, it became easier to locate with a high precision the exact location of the bone. Changes that lead to the development of the condition are also easily identifiable with the use of better technology.
The use of MRI scans enables improved study of the structure of horse feet. Currently, it is largely understood that a number of medical problems have impact on different parts of the anatomy of a horse. Even though a number of medical problems can be completely treated, a number of them are still hard to treat. Additionally, specific horse breeds are known to be more vulnerable to the condition.
Age is one of the major reasons that lead to the development of this condition in animals. The condition is also known to get worse as the animal continues to age over time. Since horses live much longer today, the condition can become really worse. That is why it is important to diagnose the condition early enough and know what treatment options one has.
Like stated earlier, several problems can lead to this condition. These problems include injury to ligaments that support lower feet, inflammation, and problems with the flexor tendon or surface. These problems occur more commonly in animals that are used for performance sports. Thus, they are the major causes of lameness in animals.
Some of the breeds of horses that have been known to develop this condition more frequently are warmbloods, thoroughbreds, and quarter horses. The age range within which animals are most likely to develop the problem is between 7 and 14 years. Other factors that predispose horses to this conditions include sheared heels, underrun heels, contracted heels, disproportionally small feet, mismatched hoof angles, and broken forward/backward hoof axis.
The extent to which the problem happens in the two feet often varies. In many instances, one foot gets distressed more than the other. This leads to lameness in one foot, and this is noticed faster. The simplest way of noticing lameness in one foot is when the animal is negotiation tough corners. When going round tight corners, the animal has a tendency to swap their feet.
The pain usually occurs in the heel area. That usually causes animals to land in a toe-to-heel fashion as opposed to the normal heel-to-toe fashion. The animal does this in order to avoid pain that is associated with normal landing. This subtle signs may be hard to notice, especially for beginners. As such, to help make the process easier, one should record the horse on video and play it in slow-motion so as to catch the signs.
Some time back, it was hard to locate exactly where the navicular bone was located in the feet of horses. That made it hard to learn more about the condition. However, as technology continued to develop, it became easier to locate with a high precision the exact location of the bone. Changes that lead to the development of the condition are also easily identifiable with the use of better technology.
The use of MRI scans enables improved study of the structure of horse feet. Currently, it is largely understood that a number of medical problems have impact on different parts of the anatomy of a horse. Even though a number of medical problems can be completely treated, a number of them are still hard to treat. Additionally, specific horse breeds are known to be more vulnerable to the condition.
Age is one of the major reasons that lead to the development of this condition in animals. The condition is also known to get worse as the animal continues to age over time. Since horses live much longer today, the condition can become really worse. That is why it is important to diagnose the condition early enough and know what treatment options one has.
Like stated earlier, several problems can lead to this condition. These problems include injury to ligaments that support lower feet, inflammation, and problems with the flexor tendon or surface. These problems occur more commonly in animals that are used for performance sports. Thus, they are the major causes of lameness in animals.
Some of the breeds of horses that have been known to develop this condition more frequently are warmbloods, thoroughbreds, and quarter horses. The age range within which animals are most likely to develop the problem is between 7 and 14 years. Other factors that predispose horses to this conditions include sheared heels, underrun heels, contracted heels, disproportionally small feet, mismatched hoof angles, and broken forward/backward hoof axis.
The extent to which the problem happens in the two feet often varies. In many instances, one foot gets distressed more than the other. This leads to lameness in one foot, and this is noticed faster. The simplest way of noticing lameness in one foot is when the animal is negotiation tough corners. When going round tight corners, the animal has a tendency to swap their feet.
The pain usually occurs in the heel area. That usually causes animals to land in a toe-to-heel fashion as opposed to the normal heel-to-toe fashion. The animal does this in order to avoid pain that is associated with normal landing. This subtle signs may be hard to notice, especially for beginners. As such, to help make the process easier, one should record the horse on video and play it in slow-motion so as to catch the signs.
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