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Dish in hoof
Dish in hoof
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE RIGHT FRONT FOOT?
The sensory tracts leading from the cecum and the motor tracts leading to it are born on, or close to, the sensory tracts and motor tracts for the front limb buds. Limb buds appear in the equine embryo on or before day 45 of gestation. By the time they appear, the cecum has been talking with the brain for 9 days. The sensory tracts for the shoulder and limbs are located very close to the sensory tracts for the cecum and they all send a branch to the track that codes sensory information from the cecum. When these receptors fire, they fire to each other as well. So, throughout the horse’s life, when a message of irritation from the cecum is sent to the brain, the right front limb and shoulder sensory nerves also send irritation information to the brain even if the muscles in that limb aren’t irritated. The brain then stimulates stretch receptors in the muscles of the right front limb, which asks the muscle to respond by contracting. Contraction of the muscles in the right shoulder tightens the tendons that orchestrate the movement of the foot. This causes the foot to change shape, shortens stride, and changes foot landing.
When a foal begins to eat foods other than its mother’s milk and grass, the tendency to develop club foot or “grass foot” increases. When an adult horse changes from long-time grazing to dry lot or stall confinement, a club-like right front foot may appear, initially indicated by a shortened right front stride. This leads to a short stride on the left hind and a longer stride on the right hind, resulting in uneven and uncomfortable gaits. Allopathic veterinarians often administer routine hock injections, which may offer temporary relief, depending on the type of drugs. The horse may feel less pain, but the protective mechanism of the nervous system that helps the horse avoid traumatic injury when active is also turned off.
WARDING OFF THE RISK
Successful treatment is relatively short and the effects are lifelong, as long as the cecum is always considered when making changes:
- treat the pH of the GI tract. I do this by changing diet to remove all grain, using only grass, hay, and seed meals like canola, rice bran, and linseed.
- use vitamin and mineral supplements that aid in normal muscle function and buffer the nervous system. I use a product by Vita Royal called Nutrient Buffer. A product called Environmental Protection System (E.P.S.) will help remove the causes of these issues along with buffering the nerve endings so the muscles can resume normal function.
- offer lots of turnout time
Some horses -- depending on their history, dam, and environment while in utero -- may be more sensitive to developing a clubbed foot than others. Sufficient turnout and access to buffering agents like grass can help reduce these effects on the nervous system, and the cecum, which in turn reduces the effects on the muscles, tendons and carriage of the right front foot.
Dr. Amy Hayek graduated from Colorado State University in 1998. Her current veterinary practice, East Coast Equine, LLC, focuses on using up-to-date scientific information on evolution, embryology, the nervous system, and biochemistry to allow the animals in her practice to heal and maintain wellness. She practices in Celina, Texas, with her husband, Dr. Bill Ormston, DVM, CVC, DVet.Hom. Phone: (843) 832-8348.