Navicular Success Stories and/or Not

[DJohn]

Hi all,
We bought a horse six months ago who, after about a month began to point a front foot. We chalked it up to his poor hoofcare prior to coming to us. He had terribly low heels, long toe and flat feet. My awesome farrier has stood him up since, we did a previcox stint where he was on and off sound but still pointed his foot at rest. We had a vet come out and do a workup and they found him to be unsound (shocking) in that foot. We then had x-rays done but nothing significant was discovered.

Just a few days ago, we called in another vet for a second opinion and after a thorough work-up and xrays he was diagnosed with “true” Navicular. He has some bony changes to the navicular bone and a little in the coffin joint.

We are going to start bar shoes ASAP, and then OsPhos shot and an anti-inflammatory in the joint as well. We can’t afford to do the MRI to look further into it.

Did anyone else have a horse with these changes that was able to be made comfortable? The horse belongs to my mother and was her first horse after waiting her entire life to finally own one. We are terribly disappointed and shocked that we have to make such tough decisions and my mom hasn’t even been able to ride him. He would only be a w/t pleasure horse for my mom to putt around on.

Any input, insight or advice is truly appreciated. We are heartbroken and truly disappointed.

[lenapesadie]

@DJohn

(First hand advice- get a bill of sale that states that the horse is SOUND,

… Pretty sure that wouldn’t do you much good anyways

[MsM]

My horse has “navicular changes”. His presentation was a little different as he was quite suddenly lame in a front foot. He was not lame for very long. Radiographs showed “increased invaginations” in the navicular. I did spring for the MRI which revealed that the main issue was some disruption in the DDFT down in the hoof.

We did corrective shoeing and rest and rehab. He has now been sound for two and a half years and is doing second level dressage. Repeat xrays showed little or no more bony changes.

My big takeaway after discussion with my vet and vet at the Big Clinic is that many navicular issues have a big soft tissue component. If you dont do the rest and careful rehab the damage will likely get worse.

[ASB_Stars]

When Bill Moyer was still at new Bolton Center I took a horse down there to have him look at that had navicular changes. He recommended some shoes that made a substantial difference for this horse. They were bar shoes but an egg bar in the back and straight across the front so the blacksmith could rasp the active length of toe back and the horse had maximum support. I recommend them

[DJohn]

I took that part out as it isn’t relevant, really. Thanks for you input(?) either way…

[DJohn]

Thank you for this! I know the DDFT is likely to have damage simply from the strain of walking the way he has been. We will certainly consider this in the rehab process. Thank you for your time and input

[DJohn]

That is excellent advice, thank you! I will let my farrier know, as he will be custom-making a set of shoes for this lucky guy.

[Elouise]

Get the BEST farrier you can find and follow your vet and farrier’s advise on how to shoe the horse. Many horses have ‘caudal heel pain’ (they don’t call it navicular anymore) and with good shoeing with an outstanding farrier on a regular schedule, anti inflammatories, maybe some Osphos or Tildren thrown into the mix, there have been lots of good results. Ask about your vet about if Pentoxyfilline may help too.

Your horse’s foot type is ‘the type’ to develop heel pain. It won’t happen over night, but you should be able to help him out. Vets typically recommend movement for some types of heel pain since you want to keep blood flow going to the hoof so some light riding may be just what the doctor orders.

Talk to your vet about the type of shoeing and what would be the best course of action and follow through.

Good luck.

[DJohn]

Thank you very much for your wise advice! We will be doing everything you stated. He does indeed have terrible QH feet. We have sent the x-rays to my farrier to look over. OsPhos and pain injection are first on the docket after shoes. And for this, our vet has prescribed a hand walking routine to keep him moving (I would bet for blood flow, as you suggested). We will also be working to keep him as slim as possible.

Thanks again for your time and input, we really appreciate it!

[gallop_jump]

THIS - my teenager-years horse had 8 years of a competitive eventing and dressage after being diagnosed with navicular. It took a great team of vets (s/o to the now retired Dr. Genovese) and farrier - regular, corrective shoeing, osphos, anti-inflammatories, backing off and resting when needed, etc. He’s now a very valuable schoolie, still sound, doing 3 w/t/c and little x-rail lessons a week

[mmeqcenter]

My old guy was diagnosed with navicular (I definitely still hear it called navicular syndrome all the time) after a few months of intermittent lameness (he was on care lease, they didn’t tell me until after it had been going on for two months and they never had a vet out, needless to say I was PISSED). I found that wedge pads were much better for him than bar shoes, but you can do both as well.