Advice for managing navicular

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fairhill

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My 15 yr old mare is in the process of being diagnosed with navicular. Having X-rays on Thursday, but nerve blocks on Monday showed improvement in her trot, and given her intermittent lameness, worse after trotting on roads, pottery gait and trouble going downhill for the last few months, I am fairly confident in the outcome!
So, doing a bit of research as vet mentioned steroid injections but that she would need to lose weight before having them, I am wondering whether to attempt shoes off first. But as I am not sure where to start, and t'internet (and rockery blog) is a bit overwhelming, I thought it best to ask you lovely lot for advice.

I'd like to get her sound enough to potter out on hacks few times a week, anything else will be a bonus.

Feed is currently a tiny handful of grass nuts with a little bit of simple systems chaff and feed mark equiidermis supplement (basically linseed and Brewers yeast). And an apple if I remember to pick up a windfall! She is turned out 24/7 and grazing is ok at the moment, but is rich in general. She'll be in at night from Nov, with hay and probably the same feed until she loses her excess weight. She's not rugged.
Is this a suitable feed for going barefoot? She is sensitive to soya and alfalfa, so am slightly limited in choices.

I have access to gravel track (medium - large stones), grass, arena and roads to help condition the feet, but I'm not sure the best way to start off the transition...

Foot condition is ok, but last time shoes came off (2 years ago, due to fetlock injury) her feet broke badly and she was very footsore so they went back on after 8 weeks. She also had 8 months unshod when I got her as a 3 year old, due to being shod with shoes that were too small. Blacksmith recommended leaving her unshod until her feet corrected themselves, which they did. We shod her when they were getting too short from hacking on roads and she was getting sore. Unfortunately I have moved away so can't ask him for advice, and current blacksmith isn't quite as experienced.

Happy to use hoof boots (idiots guide needed though!), and take my time in her recovery (or not) as she owes me nothing after 12 fab years together.

Thanks :)
 
Poor you and poor horse, it's a rotten thing.. But my first advice would be to look at the Rockley recommendations for diet & change that as quickly as possible. Then email Nic who has been through the routine many times and will have your horse back in work within the shortest period of time possible, best of luck you will need to be brave but it is possible. I'd advise to send her to Rockley rather than faff about at home just because your horse will benefit from her experience and stop her feet hurting quickly. Diet is the most important thing to address though IMO.
 
Shoes off!
Diet, movement, trim in that order :p

Diet low sugar and starch, high fibre. grass nuts usually fine in moderation, I would add a good low iron vit min supplement - so equimins adv complete, equivita, forageplus, pro hoof (ebay)
not many apples :p

5 mins in hand walking on tarmac once a day to start and build up slowly from there

Do not panic if she gets a bit footy a few weeks in, they do often as the hoof wakes up, you may want boots for a bit if that is the case. (it sounds like you may have to this point last time)

Re hoof boots we have some lovely providers now who will all advise based on your needs, good fit is imperative. The closer fitting the boot the more 'sporty' and better break over etc but sometimes when transitioning it is necessary to make do with something more forgiving in fit. - boot shops - hoof bootique, urban horse, cannock chase, equine podiatiry supplies, saddlery shop. Photos of hooves with a tape measure in for width and length will be the most helpful for them. Only slight issue is it is better not to trim when taking shoes off, but better to have freshly trimmed hooves for boot fitting hence you might need to get something cheap and cheerful like the cavallos (plenty available 2nd hand too) for the time being and then be a bit more choosey down the line.

Keep on top of any possible thrush, even if seem ok a squirt with some red horse sole cleanse once a week is a good idea.

Have to go to a meeting now but any questions fire away! My lad had his shoes off 4 years ago for a lameness aged 19, he was hunting last winter. Won't do this season but that is for a completely unrelated reason.
 
Mine has advanced navicular in both front feet. He is 12. We couldn't go the barefoot route and as it really didn't work for him but we shoe him with lightweights that purely just give him a bit of distance from the ground rather than for any remedial reason. He is a nightmare to keep shoes in if they have a bar or indeed any overhang at the back.

He is fed Mollichaff calmer and a balancer- but he is a good doer. He enjoys plenty of turnout, hoof boots act as a spare tyre if he loses a shoe. He is completely sound and in light work, albeit I have taken 2 years bringing him back from his diagnosis and injury (he did a DDFT). He does a mixture of work on different surfaces, but we do not jump anymore.

He is treated like a normal horse in every other way.
 
We found ours had moderate nav when having an Mri for something else. MRI's showed 18 bilateral probs in one area (hate to think whats happening in rest of his body)

Since coming back into work - he's smashed his dressage scores by a good 5-6%

He has aluminium shoes, joint sup, wears magnetic wraps in stable, goes out for approx 10 hours a day. Is ridden 4-5 times a week (but only jumps on good surface once a month) No tight circles. Had osphos a year ago.

Looking fab, and vet said he's defying medical science and would pass a 5 stage vetting!
 
Thank you for the encouraging success stories and advice. She only had one apple yesterday! I had a quick look on hoof boutique website and was bamboozled by choice. Hoof boots have certainly improved in the last ten years :) X Ray's today and then I should know what we dealing with... Fingers crossed!
 
they certainly have, which is great as it means much more likely to find something that fits your horse's hoof shape and what you want to do in it.
 
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