| Navicular disease is somewhat of a mysterious | | | | conformationally correct. |
| condition among horseowners. They may walk to | | | | Quarter horses tend to be prone to the condition |
| their barn one day to find a horse that is sitting | | | | as well as Thoroughbreds, who tend to have small |
| on his haunches and appears to be in enormous | | | | feet in proportion to their bodies. Navicular has |
| amounts of pain. Or, they may notice that their | | | | been diagnosed in horses as early as one year, so |
| colt in race training tends to slow halfway through | | | | even a young yearly is susceptible if their hooves |
| the workout. Owners of pleasure horses may not | | | | are not properly cared for if they are allowed to |
| even realize it until one day the horse is unwilling | | | | consume to much grain in a short period of time. |
| to move forward and stumbles through gaits that | | | | This may happen on farms that try to rapidly |
| it once performed with ease. These horses are | | | | grow their young horses for sales, show, races, |
| often feeling a burning pain due to the increased | | | | etc. The condition is gradual and causes |
| bloodflow in their hooves and the shifting of the | | | | progressive lameness in the front legs. Navicular is |
| coffin bone. | | | | hard to detect early because the condition |
| If the hooves are not properly trimmed on a | | | | worsens over time. Often horses are found with |
| regular basis, the horse is more susceptible to | | | | severe lameness from navicular one day because |
| suffering from navicular due to abnormal growth | | | | they have not been showing symptoms until it |
| of the hoof. The hoof grows and wears in | | | | has progressed to the extent that the horse is |
| accordance with the footing that the horse is | | | | put in extreme pain. |
| kept on. The bone may become immobile and | | | | Signs of Navicular Syndrome |
| cause poor circulation in the hoof. In extreme | | | | · Horses place their weight on their toes |
| conditions, the coffin bone will slowly sink to the | | | | to avoid placing pressure on the heel while walking. |
| floor of the hoof and may pierce the bottom of | | | | The heel becomes inflamed in the bone and the |
| hoof. The condition usually occurs only in the front | | | | bursa. The bursa is the outer lining layer of the |
| feet and generally affects both feet. Horses that | | | | bone. |
| are at a high risk are those that are stall-kept and | | | | · Heels are contracted and smaller due to |
| have strong physical demands such as being | | | | poor confirmation. |
| overweight or those horses that are not | | | | |