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The Signs Of Navicular Syndrome In Horses

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By Janine Hughes


It is a condition that affects the navicular bone which is situated in the feet of horses. Navicular syndrome in horses is caused by pressure and tension on the bone leading to its abrasion. The wear and tear causes much pain to horses resulting to reduced performance and maybe retiring. The following factors are causes for this condition.

Feebleness is one of the signs of this condition in affected horses. With time, the sign becomes more visible and the animal starts becoming weak while walking. Thus, if there is a suspicion that an animal is affected by this deadly syndrome, it is quite worth it checking on this specific sign in the animal.

Due to the much abrasion on this area, horses experiencing this condition have the issue of pain. They always try to ease or relieve the excruciating pain by attempting to make movements that reflect on trying to reduce or keep pressure from the area. Any symptoms of restless movements by the animal and pain should not be overlooked when diagnosing the condition.

When the animal is at rest and has succumbed to the syndrome, it experiences no joy at this position due to the pressure on the area where the navicular bone is located which causes pain. To counter this, the animal tries to keep the foot on a pointed position which helps to reduce pressure and concentrate it on the other. Such pointed resting position by the animal should be considered a symptom of the ailment.

Normal walking styles of a horse is a flat-footed style which ensures pressure is evenly distributed in the limb as the animal walks. In this condition, the animal experiences much pain due to even distribution of pressure which increases abrasion. The horse adopts a toe-first walking style to minimize the pressure. Such a sign is an indicator of the condition.

Difficulty in navigation is also experienced. The horse finds it extremely difficult to make sharp turns or move downhill. The terrain of these places is uneven and it causes increased pressure, strain and tension on the limbs of the animal. Hence, the horse has to try to ease the pain. Navigation problems are therefore strong indicators of navicular syndrome.

Some activities carried out to the horse involve lifting of the limbs to either trim or shoe the hooves. It is very painful for the horse to lift any limb with this condition. It responds to this by being very uncooperative to the exercise. If any conditions of restlessness are observed, the animal should be checked to test the presence of this disease.

The above are signs of the effects of this disease. It is a condition that causes a lot of discomfort in horses and reduces their overall performance in work. Once they are pointed out, necessary actions should be taken to ensure proper care and maintenance is administered before the condition deteriorates and causes early retirement of horses.




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