There is surely nothing more distressing for an equestrian to look forward to a ride on your favorite horse, only to get to the stable and find the horse to be lame. Although this is a fairly common condition, especially after a long and rough outride, it is nonetheless of great concern as it is a painful condition for the animal and in most cases complete rest is the best treatment while the bone and surrounding tissue is given time to heal after the navicular syndrome has passed.
The role of the farrier, or blacksmith, is a very important one in maintaining the well being of the horse as the appropriate treatment of its hooves and shoes will ensure the comfort and health of the animal. There are many different designs of shoes for horses, all depending on the weight and size of the horse and what kind of work the animal usually does. Decreased pressure on the tissue in the hooves as well as the tendons is of great importance, which a good farrier will know very well.
If the animal shows a tendency of lameness too frequently, regular check-ups by a trusted veterinarian is important. A chronic and disabling disease can be the result of neglecting the symptoms which can lead to other more serious abnormal conditions. Lameness is usually the result of injury of the heel area of the feet due to incorrect landing of the horse and the rider should guide the horse to make the correct normal landing which is heel to toe, instead of the other way around.
Injury to the heel area of the foot generally causes the lameness when the horse tends to land toe-to-heel. The normal landing should be heel-to-toe. The rider needs to be aware of this and needs to concentrate on guiding the horse to land correctly.
Thoroughbreds are likely to have relatively small feet whereas their frames are usually large. They are therefore more predisposed to lameness which it is believed to most commonly occur between the ages of 7 and 14 years. The weight of the rider is most certainly also a factor but thoroughbreds and American Quarter horses, opposed to ponies, have an increased chance of this syndrome as they have a higher weight to foot ratio.
To discover the symptoms of lameness in ones beloved horse is always distressing and it is therefore important to recognize the symptoms at the very early stages as this will give a definite advantage to an earlier recovery. It is generally believed that one front foot may be more painful than the other and this can be seen if the horse tends to switch from one leg to the other. The condition will be exacerbated if the animal is worked on a very rough or hard surface and should therefore be avoided.
While the recovery time is allowed, a much less intense work pattern will be needed and jumping is sometimes not advisable although, exercise such as slow long distance riding should be undertaken in order for fitness of the horse is to be maintained. Irregular hard surfaces and steep inclines are to be avoided at all cost if steady recovery is to be expected.
In this day and age the benefit of a great deal of research is at ones disposal in order to reach quicker results and this is also the case in the treatment of navicular disease or syndrome. Coupled with care and patience the animal can quickly be brought to its normal state of fitness through the correct help after which horse and rider will again be able to partake in the wonderful sport of riding and jumping.
The role of the farrier, or blacksmith, is a very important one in maintaining the well being of the horse as the appropriate treatment of its hooves and shoes will ensure the comfort and health of the animal. There are many different designs of shoes for horses, all depending on the weight and size of the horse and what kind of work the animal usually does. Decreased pressure on the tissue in the hooves as well as the tendons is of great importance, which a good farrier will know very well.
If the animal shows a tendency of lameness too frequently, regular check-ups by a trusted veterinarian is important. A chronic and disabling disease can be the result of neglecting the symptoms which can lead to other more serious abnormal conditions. Lameness is usually the result of injury of the heel area of the feet due to incorrect landing of the horse and the rider should guide the horse to make the correct normal landing which is heel to toe, instead of the other way around.
Injury to the heel area of the foot generally causes the lameness when the horse tends to land toe-to-heel. The normal landing should be heel-to-toe. The rider needs to be aware of this and needs to concentrate on guiding the horse to land correctly.
Thoroughbreds are likely to have relatively small feet whereas their frames are usually large. They are therefore more predisposed to lameness which it is believed to most commonly occur between the ages of 7 and 14 years. The weight of the rider is most certainly also a factor but thoroughbreds and American Quarter horses, opposed to ponies, have an increased chance of this syndrome as they have a higher weight to foot ratio.
To discover the symptoms of lameness in ones beloved horse is always distressing and it is therefore important to recognize the symptoms at the very early stages as this will give a definite advantage to an earlier recovery. It is generally believed that one front foot may be more painful than the other and this can be seen if the horse tends to switch from one leg to the other. The condition will be exacerbated if the animal is worked on a very rough or hard surface and should therefore be avoided.
While the recovery time is allowed, a much less intense work pattern will be needed and jumping is sometimes not advisable although, exercise such as slow long distance riding should be undertaken in order for fitness of the horse is to be maintained. Irregular hard surfaces and steep inclines are to be avoided at all cost if steady recovery is to be expected.
In this day and age the benefit of a great deal of research is at ones disposal in order to reach quicker results and this is also the case in the treatment of navicular disease or syndrome. Coupled with care and patience the animal can quickly be brought to its normal state of fitness through the correct help after which horse and rider will again be able to partake in the wonderful sport of riding and jumping.
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