Health Issues

Since Horses of Legend is trying to be as realistic as possible while also making the game have fantasy aspect and fun we will be having real health issues in the game. Some of these can be treated by the vet while others can not. We will even have health ratings on the horses to show which horses are more than likely to get sick than others. Some issues can even result in your horse dying in game just as it would in real life so please pay attention, use the vet, and properly care for your horses.

### Health Issues In Game

* Equine Influenza - **highly contagious respiratory disease of horses and other** equidae. It is caused by two subtypes of the influenza A virus, which are related to, but distinct from, influenza viruses in other species. The game has a vaccine for this that you can paid the vet to administer. It is most common during the colder seasons in game and horses who are not vaccinated and have low health ratings have a higher chance of getting this.
* Colic - **indicates a painful problem in your horse's abdomen**. Because colic is often unpredictable and frequently unpreventable, it's a common concern for horse owners. Horses are naturally prone to colic. Fortunately, over 80 percent of colic types respond well to treatment on the farm.
* Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis - DSLD is thought to run in families.  It’s somewhat somewhat similar to some hereditary diseases that affect connective and musculoskeletal tissues in people such as Marfan syndrome (on a *completely* unrelated note, some people think that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan syndrome), or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.  Like these diseases, DSLD ultimately leads to breakdown of connective tissue. This results in incurable lameness.
* Lameness - an **abnormal stance or gait caused by** either a structural or a functional disorder of the locomotor system. The horse is either unwilling or unable to stand or move normally. Lameness is the most common cause of loss of use in horses.
* Laminitis - a **common, extremely painful and frequently recurrent condition** in horses, ponies and donkeys. It has significant welfare implications for owners. This condition affects the tissues (laminae) bonding the hoof wall to pedal bone in the hoof.
* Equine Encephalomyelitis - Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), also known as sleeping sickness, is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Wild birds are a natural reservoir for EEE virus, and mosquitoes that feed on these birds can transmit the virus to mammals, including horses. Infected horses do not have enough virus in their blood to be contagious to other animals. As such, infected individuals do not need to be quarantined. The disease has a high mortality rate in horses. There is a vaccine for this in game that the vet can administer.
* Rabies - Once a horse shows signs of rabies **it invariably dies within a few days**. Early signs range from colic to lameness to depression to agitation. Late signs are dramatic; horses either become recumbent and unresponsive, or dangerously aggressive. There is no treatment however there is a rabies vaccine in game the vet can administer.
* Gastric Ulcers - sores that form on the stomach lining. They are common in horses, with the prevalence estimated between 50 and 90%. They can affect any horse at any age but occur most frequently in horses that perform athletic activities such as racing, endurance, and showing. Researchers have found that exercise increases gastric acid production and decreases blood flow to the GI tract.
* Arthritis - progressive and permanent deterioration of articular cartilage, the specific type of cartilage that lines the ends of bones where they come together to form a joint, such as your horse’s fetlock. Healthy articular cartilage provides a smooth, slippery surface that allows free movement and contributes to the shock-absorbing properties of the joint. As arthritis sets in, articular cartilage becomes compromised, which disrupts the normally smooth surface, causing stiffness and discomfort.
* Thrush - an infection of the central and lateral sulcus of the frog of the horse's foot, most often involving bacterial infection, occasionally fungal infection. One species of bacterium (*Fusobacterium necrophorum*) is particularly aggressive, invading and destroying the frog, sometimes exposing the deeper sensitive tissues. Long heel conformation encourages the development of deep narrow frog sulci that are more prone to the development of thrush, if environmental conditions are right.
* Mud Fever - also known as pastern dermatitis or 'cracked heels' is characterized **by scabs and sore on a horse's legs**. It often affects pink skinned areas and may be noticed as red, sore areas of skin that may be weeping, or lumpy patches often on the lower limbs, although any leg can be affected.
* Back Issues ( see below )
	+ Swayback - Swayback, also known clinically as lordosis, refers to **abnormal bent-back postures** in humans and in quadrupeds, especially horses. Extreme lordosis can cause physical damage to the spinal cord and associated ligaments and tendons which can lead to severe pain.
	+ Kissing Spine Syndrome - The spinous processes are the bony structures that protrude upwards from the body of vertebrae. You can feel their upper points in the midline of the back between the large back muscles. They do not normally touch each other; however, with kissing spines syndrome, 2 or more do. This may be partially due to the effects of bearing a rider. When this occurs beneath the saddle area, some horses develop back pain. The condition may also cause a local bone reaction, small bone cysts, and false joint formation. Diagnosis can be aided by injection of local anesthetic into the affected spaces between the spinous processes. Many cases respond to rest and physiotherapy, but persistent cases may require surgically removing one or more of the tops of the spinous processes to relieve the crowding of the spines.
* Rainrot - also called rain scald or dermatophilosis, is a skin infection caused by a bacterium known as *Dermatophilus congolensis.* Living on the horse's skin, *D. congolensis* is mostly dormant, but under wet conditions, this bacterium can cause an inflammatory infection resulting in lesions along your horse's skin. These lesions cause small patches of raised bumps which are scabs containing clusters of your horse's hair. Removal of these scabs results in bald patches along the affected area. In severe cases, lesions and scabs may become large and affect multiple layers of skin. When this occurs, the horse's use may be impacted until the infection clears.
* Dental Issues ( see below )
	+ Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis - a syndrome in horses that results in resorptive lesions of the incisors and sometimes canine teeth. It is usually gradual in onset, though often isn't diagnosed until quite extensive lesions are present.
	+ Abnormal eruption - Shedding baby teeth can irritate the mouths of horses that are 2 to 5 years old. Loose, displaced, or broken baby teeth can lead to problems with chewing and biting. Abnormal eruption of permanent teeth is usually caused by trauma to the face or jaw, in which the bud of the permanent tooth is damaged by a fracture or by the repair process. In horses, delayed eruption or impaction of cheek teeth (such as from overcrowding) is a common cause of bone inflammation and subsequent tooth decay. Permanent teeth can also erupt in an abnormal location due to overcrowding.
	+ Gum (periodontal) disease - infection and inflammation of the tissue surrounding the teeth. It is caused by the accumulation of many different bacteria at and below the gum line. This infection causes inflammation of the gums, the ligaments that anchor the teeth, and the surrounding bone. If periodontal disease goes untreated, teeth can be lost due to loss of their supporting tissues. In all animals, some inflammation of the gums (periodontitis) typically occurs when teeth come in. However, if bite problems occur in large animals, severe gum disease is inevitable. In horses, this is a common result of gaps between teeth (which trap food), trauma to the mouth, fractured teeth, impacted teeth, and most importantly, irregular wear.
	+ Tooth Decay - Infection may enter the soft center (pulp) of the teeth in various ways, including trauma, severe gum disease, and the spread of bacteria through the blood. Some horses may be prone to tooth cavities and infection because of incomplete development of tooth enamel. Depending on the site of the decayed tooth, there may be other signs of disease, such as inflammation in the mouth or sinuses. If a horse is not examined until a dental infection is advanced, it may be difficult to determine the initial cause of the problem. Abnormal eruption of teeth appears to be a significant cause of many dental infections in horses.
* Hyperlipemia - Horses with insulin resistance, ponies, miniature horses and donkeys are at risk of hyperlipidemia (elevation of lipids **in blood**). Any event that causes a negative energy balance elicits excessive mobilization of peripheral fat to cause its levels to elevate in the blood.
* Cushing's syndrome - is more correctly known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). It involves the pituitary gland, which is a gland located at the base of the brain that produces hormones in response brain signals. In PPID, the normal mechanisms which control hormone production by the pituitary gland are damaged so that the inhibitory part is lost. Thus there is excessive production of the normal hormones from the pituitary. These hormones then enter the circulation and affect the whole body. Clinical signs include increased coat length and delayed shedding of the winter coat, laminitis, lethargy, increased sweating, weight loss and excessive drinking and urinating. The disease primarily affects those over the age of 10, with 19 being the average age at diagnosis. It can be quite prevalent in aged equine populations. It is also more common in ponies versus horses.
* Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (EPSM) - a form of rhabdomyolysis classified as a metabolic disease that results in the accumulation of high muscle glycogen and abnormal polysaccharide in skeletal muscles. The occurrence has presently been documented in Quarter horses, American Paint Horses, Quarter horse crosses, warmbloods, draft horses and draft crosses.  Presently, EPSM is believed to be transmitted as an autosomal recessive disorder with mares being more frequently diagnosed than geldings.  Geldings may be more commonly affected with non-diagnosed clinical cases.
* Limb Issues ( broken bones, fractures, etc. )
	+ Broken Legs - Often the only humane option after a horse breaks its leg is to euthanize it. This is because horses have heavy bodies and delicate legs, and broken leg bones are usually shattered making surgery and recovery impossible.
	+ Fractured Legs - produce localized heat, pain, and swelling—either alone or in combination with lameness. These are typically the first clinical signs you’ll notice, especially if you did not see the injury occur. The presence of a wound can throw some owners off as to the underlying cause of a horse’s pain or lameness. Most fractures can be handled at the vet without requiring euthanizing the horse as these are not full breaks.
* Cardiovascular Issues ( heart failure, heart attack, and heat stroke )
	+ Heart Failure - is not a specific disease or diagnosis. It is a syndrome in which severe dysfunction results in failure of the cardiovascular system to maintain adequate blood circulation. There are limited and specific mechanisms by which heart disease can result in failure of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, there are limited and specific signs that can develop as a result of heart failure. Signs usually result from significant accumulation of fluid in various tissues (such as the lungs, abdomen, or under the skin) or poor circulation. Heart disease can be present without ever leading to heart failure. Heart failure, however, can occur only if severe heart disease is present. The vet in game can treat most cases of heart failure with medicine.
	+ Heart Attack - a **rare but extremely traumatic event** that can occur without warning during ridden exercise or when the horse is exercising at liberty in the field. The problem is not exclusive to top sport horses, such as three-day eventers and racehorses; any horse in any discipline can be affected. This almost always results in the horse dying suddenly.
	+ Heat Stroke - Hot temperatures and high humidity can lead to heat stroke in horses. Heat stroke is a condition that occurs **when a horse is unable to lose body heat and its body temperature increases rapidly**, which can lead to the respiratory, vascular, nervous and muscular systems to stop working as normal.