People usually run away from a horse when they hear that it is suffering from navicular syndrome. This mostly used to happen a few years back. However, this idea is gradually changing as years go since people continuously get a better understanding of the condition. Previously, this was not the case as people feared the condition without understanding what it really was. People can now have a clear understanding of the condition due to the availability of better imaging technology. This is worth knowing about Navicular disease in horses.
About 10 years ago, navicular syndrome was considered as any illness which affected the heel of a horse. The fear of this illness was much influenced by the myths and misconceptions that surrounded it. However, it is now possible to distinguish and differentiate certain conditions that were previously considered as navicular syndrome.
Some of these conditions can be treated successfully while others cannot be fixed. Navicular disease is today understood to have a higher level of prevalence in certain breeds of horses than in others. The condition also seems to get worse in certain breeds than in others. Horses of today live longer than before, and it is upon the owner to be able to detect navicula condition earlier and adopt a management plan.
There is a specific place within the heel of a horse where the navicular bone is situated. The bone is associated with a number of soft tissue structures which are located in all sides. Navicular bursa, coffic bone, collateral sesamoidean ligament, digital flexor tendon and impar ligaments are some of these structures. There is a central marrow cavity in the bone which has small channels. The channel holds the nerves and blood vessels of the bone.
A number of various causes have been related with navicula syndrome. Some main cauces are problems in the flexor surface or flexor tendon, issues with the navicula bone and inflammation in supporting ligaments. These issues mostly happen in performance horses, that is, horses that people use for performance. The condition mainly leads to chronic lameness of the forelimbs in equines.
This condition has been diagnosed in a wide range of horses, but research is showing some form of breed predisposition. Horse breeds that are predisposed to this condition include warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, and Quarter Horses. Diagnoses in these breeds are higher than in any other breed of horses. Diagnosis tends to be done within the age bracket of 7 and 14 years.
Horses also get predisposed to the disorder due to conformation abnormalities in hooves, disproportionally small feet, sheared heels, underrun heels, contracted heels, and mismatched hoof angles. Even though both front limbs get infected, the condition usually has different levels of severity in the two limbs. The affects are usually more severe in one limb than the other.
As years pass, different options for treating the condition have emerged. Owners of horses can now look for other treatment options besides the traditional ones. The invention of MRI technology has also made it possible to do accurate diagnoses these days. Nowadays, the standard way of imaging this condition medically is through MRI scanning.
About 10 years ago, navicular syndrome was considered as any illness which affected the heel of a horse. The fear of this illness was much influenced by the myths and misconceptions that surrounded it. However, it is now possible to distinguish and differentiate certain conditions that were previously considered as navicular syndrome.
Some of these conditions can be treated successfully while others cannot be fixed. Navicular disease is today understood to have a higher level of prevalence in certain breeds of horses than in others. The condition also seems to get worse in certain breeds than in others. Horses of today live longer than before, and it is upon the owner to be able to detect navicula condition earlier and adopt a management plan.
There is a specific place within the heel of a horse where the navicular bone is situated. The bone is associated with a number of soft tissue structures which are located in all sides. Navicular bursa, coffic bone, collateral sesamoidean ligament, digital flexor tendon and impar ligaments are some of these structures. There is a central marrow cavity in the bone which has small channels. The channel holds the nerves and blood vessels of the bone.
A number of various causes have been related with navicula syndrome. Some main cauces are problems in the flexor surface or flexor tendon, issues with the navicula bone and inflammation in supporting ligaments. These issues mostly happen in performance horses, that is, horses that people use for performance. The condition mainly leads to chronic lameness of the forelimbs in equines.
This condition has been diagnosed in a wide range of horses, but research is showing some form of breed predisposition. Horse breeds that are predisposed to this condition include warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, and Quarter Horses. Diagnoses in these breeds are higher than in any other breed of horses. Diagnosis tends to be done within the age bracket of 7 and 14 years.
Horses also get predisposed to the disorder due to conformation abnormalities in hooves, disproportionally small feet, sheared heels, underrun heels, contracted heels, and mismatched hoof angles. Even though both front limbs get infected, the condition usually has different levels of severity in the two limbs. The affects are usually more severe in one limb than the other.
As years pass, different options for treating the condition have emerged. Owners of horses can now look for other treatment options besides the traditional ones. The invention of MRI technology has also made it possible to do accurate diagnoses these days. Nowadays, the standard way of imaging this condition medically is through MRI scanning.
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Navicular disease in horses can be dangerous if left untreated. To know more about this disease, visit the blog posts that appear at http://www.naviculardisease.com.
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