A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
That old horseman’s saying “no foot, no horse” never rings more true than when your favorite equine starts turning up lame too often—and for no apparent reason. When your veterinarian starts mentioning “changes” to certain bones or joints, a sinking feeling is almost sure to follow.
Once upon a time, the diagnosis of “navicular syndrome” was an automatic career-ender for many working horses. The prognosis for ringbone cases was often dire, as well
The good news is that thanks to advances in veterinary technology and farrier science, your favorite hunter, jumper or dressage horse needn’t necessarily be retired due to these two common conditions. While not considered curable, both conditions can be managed successfully in some cases with a consistent focus on the horse’s comfort.
What Are They?
is an umbrella term for a painful condition associated with the navicular bone and/or related structures in the equine foot (such as the navicular bursa, navicular ligaments or even the deep flexor tendon—called the podotrochlea). Though the cause is generally unknown, damage to the navicular bone itself is often hypothesized to be from trauma or an interruption in the blood
