Humans and horses have a long history of interaction. In the course of their domestications, horses have been employed in a spate of sport competitions and recreational pursuits. They are used in work, such as agriculture and entertainment, as can be seen in fair grounds and carnivals. Many products are also derived from them, as with milk, hide, hair, and some such. With their gentle temperament and provided recreation, they are also much contributive to therapy. Their usefulness cant indeed be underestimated. Contributing to their well being and longevity is a small payback to the benefits and services they grant us. It would also serve well to look out for certain common ailments that plague them, such as navicular disease in horses.
The navicular bone is a canoe shaped structure located inside the middle of a horses hoof, at the back of the coffin bone and pastern bone. The related disease, which is also called caudal heel pain syndrome, involves the inflammation and degeneration of this particular bone and its surrounding tissues. Its more commonly occurring on the forelegs rather than the rear.
And for obvious reasons. After all, it will serve to lower a horses usefulness, especially when its a racehorse or a draft animal. A horse that can no longer work or else do what its trained for is essentially an animal without pecuniary value, at least when business is the nub of the matter.
Much intuitively, the repeated compression of this bone is a leading contributing factor in cartilage degeneration. The flattening of the cartilage causes it to be less shock absorbing and springy. Its continued abuse would lead to navicular disease in the long term.
Even when surgery is viable, the convalescence period is greatly compromised. Take other species, such as cats or dogs, which even if amputated are able to transfer and support their weight with their remaining limbs. These steeds have no such option, since their body is naturally configured so that weight is equally distributed on all four limbs.
The conformation of a body of a horse is such that transferring weight to other limbs is not at all viable, which anyone can pretty much picture out. Prosthetics are also out of the picture, since the horses movement is so precise and intricate that it cannot be imitated by some technology at the moment. As mentioned, bone shattering is usually more severe on these steeds than they are on others. One cant therefore blame owners for thinking that putting their animal to sleep is the best recourse to end its suffering.
Since there is no pinpointed single cause, there is also no umbrella treatment for this disease. One would have to look for ways to manage the condition rather than cure it. Proper trimming and therapeutic shoeing can do the trick, as it provides visible relief to our equine friends. The former is pitched by those who believe that being barefoot is naturally designed as a blood pumping auxiliary so as to aid blood circulation in the lower extremities, that is, the legs. Corrective shoeing, on the other hand, uses a shoe that lifts and supports the heel.
There are also medications such as vasodilators and anticoagulants that improve the blood flow to the hoof, and there are anti-inflammatory drugs to treat pain. Neurectomy, or denerving, is the last resort by which the palmar digital nerves are severed, and the horse therefore perpetually loses sensation in its foot. It goes without saying that the farrier, veterinarian, and owner should orchestrate their efforts so as to better the condition of the horse.
In a chronic disease with no known causes and yet no proffered treatment, it would serve horse owners and lovers to act with utmost circumspection. It would do to be the responsible owner of a lame horse by employing recourses and techniques that would take no genius to contrive. For example, less work and more rest. Theres also the right apportioning of food, since obesity would not bode well for a sensitive hoof thats nevertheless supporting weight. All in all, common sense is the operative word here.
The navicular bone is a canoe shaped structure located inside the middle of a horses hoof, at the back of the coffin bone and pastern bone. The related disease, which is also called caudal heel pain syndrome, involves the inflammation and degeneration of this particular bone and its surrounding tissues. Its more commonly occurring on the forelegs rather than the rear.
And for obvious reasons. After all, it will serve to lower a horses usefulness, especially when its a racehorse or a draft animal. A horse that can no longer work or else do what its trained for is essentially an animal without pecuniary value, at least when business is the nub of the matter.
Much intuitively, the repeated compression of this bone is a leading contributing factor in cartilage degeneration. The flattening of the cartilage causes it to be less shock absorbing and springy. Its continued abuse would lead to navicular disease in the long term.
Even when surgery is viable, the convalescence period is greatly compromised. Take other species, such as cats or dogs, which even if amputated are able to transfer and support their weight with their remaining limbs. These steeds have no such option, since their body is naturally configured so that weight is equally distributed on all four limbs.
The conformation of a body of a horse is such that transferring weight to other limbs is not at all viable, which anyone can pretty much picture out. Prosthetics are also out of the picture, since the horses movement is so precise and intricate that it cannot be imitated by some technology at the moment. As mentioned, bone shattering is usually more severe on these steeds than they are on others. One cant therefore blame owners for thinking that putting their animal to sleep is the best recourse to end its suffering.
Since there is no pinpointed single cause, there is also no umbrella treatment for this disease. One would have to look for ways to manage the condition rather than cure it. Proper trimming and therapeutic shoeing can do the trick, as it provides visible relief to our equine friends. The former is pitched by those who believe that being barefoot is naturally designed as a blood pumping auxiliary so as to aid blood circulation in the lower extremities, that is, the legs. Corrective shoeing, on the other hand, uses a shoe that lifts and supports the heel.
There are also medications such as vasodilators and anticoagulants that improve the blood flow to the hoof, and there are anti-inflammatory drugs to treat pain. Neurectomy, or denerving, is the last resort by which the palmar digital nerves are severed, and the horse therefore perpetually loses sensation in its foot. It goes without saying that the farrier, veterinarian, and owner should orchestrate their efforts so as to better the condition of the horse.
In a chronic disease with no known causes and yet no proffered treatment, it would serve horse owners and lovers to act with utmost circumspection. It would do to be the responsible owner of a lame horse by employing recourses and techniques that would take no genius to contrive. For example, less work and more rest. Theres also the right apportioning of food, since obesity would not bode well for a sensitive hoof thats nevertheless supporting weight. All in all, common sense is the operative word here.
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