Useful Information Regarding Navicular Disease In Horses

By Jason Wood


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.

Ten years ago, any disorder that occurred in the heels of equines was called navicular syndrome. Many misconceptions and myths exist concerning this condition such that it was right back then to be afraid of it. In the modern day, some of the disorders that were known as navicular can be appropriately grouped as not navicula. People now understand well that the conditions that affect the heels of horses are many besides navicula.

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.

The navicula bone is located at a specific spot within the heel of a horse. There are several soft tissue structures that are associated with it. These structures are located in all directions, that is, lower, upper, and the sides. Some of them include collateral sesamoidean ligament, impar ligaments, coffic bone, digital flexor tendon, and navicular bursa. The navicular bone has a central marrow cavity with small channels for nerves and blood vessels 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.

Although many different horses have been diagnosed with this disease, it has also been proved that certain breeds are more susceptible. These breeds include Quarter Horses, warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. These breeds are the most diagnosed. The diagnosis usually takes place between the age 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.

Treatment options for navicular syndrome have continued to increase over the years. Horse owners are no longer tied to traditional treatment options. Also, diagnoses can be made more accurately, with the invention of better MRI technology. MRI scanning is the standards imaging procedure for this condition today.




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