just have a quick question for any horse people

[davet]

two questions,,Why is the left side called the near side and the right the far side....And second question do animals get the gout...never diagnosed it and really neveer had a reason to think about it....just happened to be hit with those two questions today.....davet

[Traci]

Because it's quicker to mount the horse on the horse's left side (the near side).

Here's some info/a traditional explanation: http://paintedvalley.com/nearside_farside.htm

As for your second question, I don't think so, although close to it would be laminitis in horses. In humans, gout is caused by uric acid in the blood, causing inflammation in joints - in horses, laminitis is caused by various things, but is poorly understood (diet, toxins, gastrointestinal disease, infectious disease etc)

Not sure about other animals, but infectious disease can certainly cause joint inflammation in cats and dogs, we don't call it gout, though - it's whatever is specific to the disease (like tick disease for example).

[davet]

Traci , that is a pretty logical and understandable discertation...I always thought, as a kid, there was something different about a horse vers. other animals...But now I find it is based on tradition and common usage...thanks gal you opened up my daY ...DAVET

[Traci]

Yes, there is A LOT of tradition with horses, and it pains me something fierce the way they are treated sometimes. (abused, abandoned due to economy or closing of slaughter plants, etc) - Don't even get me started on that!!