Horses are among the first animals domesticated by humans. Even in modern times, they remain very much useful as working animals, sporting carriers, and even pets. Notwithstanding the use put to them, its very much imperative, either for profit or affection, to ensure that theyre getting the best care possible. As it is, theyre very much vulnerable to a host of ailments, just like the infamous navicular disease in horses.
The ailment most stereotypically associated with these animals is undoubtedly lameness. Really though, when one has been taking care of steeds for a long time, this is a kind of condition that one learns to accept and anticipate to some degree. Its as if its only a matter of time before one encounters this pervasive disabler.
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.
Even when one is a horse lover and fancier, and is very much willing to take care of a horse that he or she can no longer cater to leisure but still takes up food and lodging, there are still caveats. That is because equine lameness is more serious than is warranted in other species. If, in other cases, bones snap or break apart, in horses, they shatter, that which you cant just put together, even with a nifty surgery.
Also, when other animals become lame, like a dog or cat for example, theyre usually perfectly able to transfer their weight on their other limbs. For humans as well, its not a problem to append a remaining leg with prosthetics or some such. These solutions, however, are not at all applicable to our equine friends in general.
To know whether or not your horse has this syndrome, its important to pay attention to the way its walking. For example, their gait is typically toe to heel, rather than heel to toe. The painful heel will also be often pointed and forwarded slightly than the other foot, so that it might bear lighter weight. Horses with this condition have difficulties in turning bends, going downhill, or walking on hard surfaces.
Navicular disease is on the same mold. As you can probably guess from the appellation, the navicular is a bone located in the hoof of horses. It is more accurately a syndrome rather than a disease, since it more often than not involves the intricate connection in the hoof system of the horse.
Anyway, down to the nitty gritty details. Equine experts are still not able to account for the cause of the onset of this disease. It seemingly springs from nowhere and develops slowly but surely. However, it is much more prevalent in warm blooded horses, the equestrian jargon that subsumes racehorses as opposed to workhorses. Also, it is much more observed in heavy animals and those with irregular configurations in their hooves, such that if theyre irregularly shaped, have little hoof to weight ration, or so and so.
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 ailment most stereotypically associated with these animals is undoubtedly lameness. Really though, when one has been taking care of steeds for a long time, this is a kind of condition that one learns to accept and anticipate to some degree. Its as if its only a matter of time before one encounters this pervasive disabler.
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.
Even when one is a horse lover and fancier, and is very much willing to take care of a horse that he or she can no longer cater to leisure but still takes up food and lodging, there are still caveats. That is because equine lameness is more serious than is warranted in other species. If, in other cases, bones snap or break apart, in horses, they shatter, that which you cant just put together, even with a nifty surgery.
Also, when other animals become lame, like a dog or cat for example, theyre usually perfectly able to transfer their weight on their other limbs. For humans as well, its not a problem to append a remaining leg with prosthetics or some such. These solutions, however, are not at all applicable to our equine friends in general.
To know whether or not your horse has this syndrome, its important to pay attention to the way its walking. For example, their gait is typically toe to heel, rather than heel to toe. The painful heel will also be often pointed and forwarded slightly than the other foot, so that it might bear lighter weight. Horses with this condition have difficulties in turning bends, going downhill, or walking on hard surfaces.
Navicular disease is on the same mold. As you can probably guess from the appellation, the navicular is a bone located in the hoof of horses. It is more accurately a syndrome rather than a disease, since it more often than not involves the intricate connection in the hoof system of the horse.
Anyway, down to the nitty gritty details. Equine experts are still not able to account for the cause of the onset of this disease. It seemingly springs from nowhere and develops slowly but surely. However, it is much more prevalent in warm blooded horses, the equestrian jargon that subsumes racehorses as opposed to workhorses. Also, it is much more observed in heavy animals and those with irregular configurations in their hooves, such that if theyre irregularly shaped, have little hoof to weight ration, or so and so.
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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