Though Navicular Syndrome is normally called navicular illness, it’s got to be diagnosed and treated like you would any syndrome as opposed to an actual disease.

This syndrome can trouble diverse points of the horse’s feet.

This syndrome is an extremely common reason for horse lameness, especially in the front legs. It is rarely seen in the rear legs. It appears to target horses in the age range four to nine years.

Some horse breeds seem to be more subject to navicular syndrome, and different breeds react differently to its onset. For example, the warmblood breeds can completely pay no attention to the same syndrome that cripples quarter horses.

A few conjectures have been propounded about the root causes of navicular syndrome. At first it was said to be a condition similar to arthritis due to excessive and sustained impact on the horse’s front legs. Latest research would appear to indicate a hereditary factor where the syndrome is derived from inherited defects in conformation. Recent study has also identified some pony types that could be more susceptible.

There is proof also that clumsy trimming or shoeing also speeds up the incidence of navicular syndrome, as can work schedules that are too demanding or call for sustained travel on very hard surfaces. Getting the pony to do hard work for which it hasn’t been properly prepared and trained in advance can also induce the condition. Horses with very high body weight to foot size ratios are also more susceptible. It in addition has been seen that poor diets also accelerate the onset and progress of the condition.

Afflicted front feet start contracting at the heels and the frog. The appearance changes to a sort of boxiness, and affected feet seem to shrink in size compared to healthy feet.

Suitable farrier methods concerning a wide shoe that engulfs and protects the heel are the most effective cure for navicular syndrome. Particular attention must be given to the shoe’s toe, which should really be shaped such that it facilities easy operation. A sustained programme should be run for a minimum of four to six weeks to ensure recovery.

Often, it is a good idea to entrust the handling of horses with navicular syndrome to seasoned farriers, because raw farriers may not be up to the task. We are taking about farriers, as an example, who are specialised in remedial (orthopedic) work.

If you’re availing of the assistance of a expert farrier who you don’t call typically, try to get your regular farrier to be present when the specialist is at work. This way, the expert has a qualified assistant, and your normal farrier gets to learn new things and very useful. As your normal farrier begins to grasp the techniques of handling navicular syndrome, he may at some point soon reach a stage where he’s quite capable of resolving syndrome-related issues himself. That is going to benefit both him and you, as you don’t have to call an expert who may not be from your local area, nor do you have to pay him thru the nose.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers http://horsehorses.net/