PPE exam with navicular disease - Buy or not?

[findeight]

Yup. But not a reason to assume the vets observations are wrong without further investigation.

[beowulf]

@PNWjumper

Totally disagree. I would be way more worried about navicular changes in a QH than I would be in a warmblood. I agree that it’s far less of an issue in warmbloods than Quarter Horses. Also, I believe that a large percentage of “Navicular” diagnoses are actually related to poor shoeing and not actually navicular

For starters, the term “Navicular changes” in a set of x-rays MEANS NOTHING!!

Almost every horse I have had x-rayed in the last ten years age 6 and up has had a notation on the PPE (when I’ve bought them or sold them) noting “navicular changes.” None have had “Navicular Disease” or suffered any issues with navicular-related lameness in the many years after sales.

But a) when you’re not comparing the x-rays to old x-rays then it’s misleading to call them changes. And a navicular bone that looks less than ideal MEANS NOTHING. And b) I’ve had horses with scary looking navicular shots that never took a lame step in their lives (concluded lives…meaning horses from my younger years, including QHs). If the horse has been performing soundly for a period of time, it would not give me hesitation.

We might have to agree to disagree which is okay… but I see WBs with navicular, too. Once a horse has navicular it is “no less a deal” in one horse vs another just because of the breed… So I think saying that it is not a big deal in WBs is disingenuous. It’s a big deal if a horse has navicular, regardless of the breed.

[findeight]

Was in big barns and also saw plenty of WBs needing management for diagnosed Navicular problems. My two Navicular horses were TBs. None of my QHs ever had a problem although that was before today’s sophisticated diagnostics. Moot point because they were never lame.

[woodstock]

Why don’t you get a second (or third) opinion from a surgeon at your local vet school? (Or New Bolton, or EMC, etc.) Or the equine podiatrist at UK’s vet school. You can generally reach out directly to the surgeon through the main phone number, seriously.
They, being the specialists, see lots and lots of films and horses-- I’d be inclined to defer to their opinions over those of a local vet and folks online.

[findeight]

You can send the pictures to a speciaist for a consult, no need to haul there. Even then earlier pictures would be of great help for comparison.

[Bunker]

@Limerick2017

I remember someone telling me (perhaps around 2003) when digital xrays became available, vets were detecting navicular changes in imported Warmbloods BUT did not have reliable baselines to know if they should be concerned. In other words, xrays were giving a clearer picture of the foot of something that may have always been there. Anyone else hear this?

Yes, my vet told me something similar. Still no way to know if there were “changes” or if they were always like that. Without earlier xrays, no way to know if you should be worried.

[greysfordays]

I agree that without prior xrays, it would be really hard to know how problematic this is. I would however say that it matters where in the US you are. If you are in Southern California, like I am, I would be more wary. Thanks to the dry conditions, the ground here is incredibly hard and unforgiving and the air is super dry. I know my vet turns down lots of horses from Florida for example, for naviculars. These horses passed a tough US vetting before being imported, but the naviculars are just not something she will mess with. So I think it depends. She might be overly cautious, but most of the horses she vets are upper level jumpers. But I think it’s hard to say without past x-rays.