Any advice or experiences with Bone spavin and slight changes in navic bone , changes

H

hayleymitch

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 April 2008
Messages
377
Visit site
OMG i am so gutted its un- believeable my poor baby boy who is only just 6 has just been diagnosed with the above and that might not be all .
Firstly in Jan had a jumping acc when he got his stride wronng and went through a jump , all begins from then .
He bumped his knee had slight swelling was treated by vet and after 4 weeks box rest and bute come sound till 7 weeks ago and went lame again.
On his front near leg too cut this shorter , xrays and nerve blocks showed changes in knee , and also changes in navic bone also which obv isnt too do with the acc he had apart from knee .
He has had corrective shoeing (heart bars ) bute and on a joint supp
Was box rested for 6 weeks , they went out in paddock again .
After 2 weeks being out now not on any bute , he is still not sound in front , but suddenly gone hopping lame behind on his near hind .
Esp when leg on outside on lunge .
Had nerve blocks which blocked 60% too hock. Now after hock xrays just this min got results and showing active bone spavin on both hocks worse on left hind :((((
So got so many issues going on , i cant believe it and sooooo gutted .
 
Don't panic! Case in point: 17.2hh, 11 yrs, IDxTB, show jumped all her life - feet issues with heels collapsing a few months ago, went lame when shoes were nailed on, slight rotation of pedal bone. Amazing remedial farrier shod her with Sigafoos (glue-on shoes with cushioning). Took her to vet for full work-up, he detected lameness in hock. Xrays also showed old changes in navicular bone - several years ago. Not sure whether previous owners never noticed, whether they treated it, buted her up and rode anyway... (she has constant BS comp records, indicating she has not been off work for any long period of time). Not enough synovial fluid in hocks, so they have been medicated and she is now infinitely better and competed at BD regionals this weekend! Our vet says that there is no such thing as "Navicular" anymore - just a matter of correct management. There is so much than can be done to help horses these days, but possible that your average yard vet doesn't know enough or has access to everything, so I'd really recommend taking horse to a specialist.

Where are you based? I can't recommend this vet and our farrier enough, absolute miracle workers. I'd really recommend taking your horse to someone like that - well worth the trip and the money. PM me if you want more details.
 
Many things can be contributing.

First - look up Nic Barker's site at Rockley Farm and read it all. Look for Project Dexter - it will tell you a lot about causes, and cures for rnavicular syndrome.

Spavin - this will take time to run it's course, but you can have a sound horse at the end of it. I do - and this is how I did it

Shoes off.
Use a trimmer who has experience of these horses with spavin and Navicular.
Remove the concussion and let the foot grow in a way that it needs to to support the particular action of the hock above it.


Diet -
-Linseed meal is great. It provides Omega 3/6 and natural anti inflamatories - as well as mucilage and protein.
-No bagged mixed and grains. Grains can aggravate arthritic tendencies - so it's best to avoid them. Oats are often OK, I can use them. Barley, soya, maize, wheat often are not.
-A great mineral supplement - there are quite a few out there - I use a Norvite Equine Specialist Supplement but that is created fo the North East fo Scotland soil types
-Abolish sugars, molasses and other hidden sweet things.

Exercise
- No circles!
- No tight corners!
- No schooling
- Plenty of long straight hacks, you will b surprised how hard you can work a horse in a go-forward walk.

And in my experiece these horses need care in the colder weather - don't let them get soaked and shivering - they always seem worse when they do.
 
Do NOT rush into barefoot before you know more about your horses condition. Get the horse to a really, seriously good vet and don't just device a programme based on advice via a message board. I don't doubt brucea's good intentions at all, but you need a good vet (probably in conjunction with a good farrier) to assess the wholoe situation. Get a vet you really trust (this is very hard if you haven't had your horse for long, I've been there...) and if there isn't one that you honestly think is an absolute expert in the relevant field, demand referrals.
 
soloequestrian said:
Have you read this post
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=387846 - the posts on the last page about growing a hoof that suits the horse may be relevant to your situation.
Click to expand...

Digressing slightly, but I have to say I think Tommy30 & almorton make very valid points. I am not saying I disagree with everything brucea says. Barefoot may be beneficial to your horse, I don't know, but there is a large barefoot-brigade (some with a tendency towards Parelli, which really makes me suspicious) on this board who seem keen to promote it as a solution for pretty much everything - and I personally would want the verdict of an equine orthopaedic specialist and a very good remedial farrier before embarking on anything like that.
 
little_flea said:
and I personally would want the verdict of an equine orthopaedic specialist and a very good remedial farrier before embarking on anything like that.
Click to expand...

I suppose I think of barefoot as DISembarking - you remove something in the hope that allowing a bit more freedom to growing structures will improve them. If you were going to carry on shoeing, I would agree with the above, but why would removal of shoes warrant such attention when putting them on in the first place didn't.
 
My sisters horse has sidebone in both front feet, and spavin in his hocks. he is currently sound and still competing at 95cm age 16. His all started age 6 or 7, and took about a year to resolve. He was turned out, and if he was ridden it was only at walk. the gentle exercise helps to keep things mobile without stressing the system.

1) find the best vet in your area,
2) find the best farrier you can afford
3) get them to work together for your horse
4) follow thier advice to the letter
5) let things take thier own time to settle down
 
Thank you very much for your advice guys, i am abit ???? about barefoot , i will keep with the heart bars i think for another few months as i have got a good farrier and vet who are working together and hopefully he will come sound .
I will give it another few months too see if his corrective shoeing is doing anything and then look into other options if not .
Thanks though guys it does help when peoples horses have been through the same and come through it :) fingers crossed
 
Oi! I'm offended too - and I am one!! :)

Good luck with the corrective shoeing - but don't dismiss barefoot - there's a lot of us out there and we are not all hairy, lentil eating, rope-twirling maniacs...

We're doing it beucase the horse is telling us a different story than "traditional approach" is telling.
 
I wasn't aware that was in the advice Brucea gave? I see that Brucea gave advice in accordance with his own experience. I happen to think it was very thorough. But he's poo poo'd because of a general predujice towards barefoot. He has no agenda but was trying to offer advice! If the OP chooses another path then that is her right and good luck to her.

I don't see why it's necessary to be rude and suspicious?
 
Thanks Oberon.

The simple thing is that the approach has to be right for both the owner and the horse.

This approach worked for me, and I manage my herd in a way that promotes barefoot health. Not everyone can do that, or wants to do it.

It's very true as someone said, that we give a lot more thought to taking the shoes off than we ever gave to putting them on in the first place.

Believe it or not, I used to be a real committed shoe-er of my horses, saw it as essential and I was actually very hostile to barefoot trimmers and the barefoot movement in general. A friend took the shoes of her horse, to snorts of derision from me, but then I saw how much improved the horse was, happer, moved better, and niggling problems went.

So I made it my business ot learn everything I could about hoof function, biomechanics, anatomy, feeding, management and attended any courses I could.

Barefooters do not do this barefoot thing on a whim - it is not easy, it requires committment, and it requires an understanding of the subject matter.

The anti-barefoot folks often don't appreciate that.
 
Tommy30; I am sure you know that many full time barefoot trimmers are ex farriers, including Jamie Jackson who has been working under horses for 35+ years so has a fair amount of experience of both sides of the forge.

While not a Parelli fan myself I know many people who are and like any other group of people some of them are great and some of them I find a little challenging. It is unfair to tar all with the same brush and even more unfair to then lump one group in with another not related discipline.

Likewise farriers; not all are saints and not all are sinners. I wouldn't have gone barefoot at all if a) I had been able to find a farrier who really knew what they were doing and put my horse first and b) a(nother) farrier hadn't held my hand to start with

However now I have been barefoot for 15+ years I doubt I would ever go back. Not least because I can't find a farrier that ticks all the boxes.

Sorry that hyjacked the thread, but I felt it important to add.

OP - Regarding the slight changes in navicular bone. There is some good research available regarding the chicken and egg of navicular changes. This article http://www.healthyhoof.com/articles/BarefootList/BowkerPhysiologicalTrim.html if you haven't read it might be interesting for you
 
Last edited:
For the record, I am sure barefoot is a good solution for some people and some horses. I just wouldn't personally go down any route without consulting the best possible vets and experts in that area. Not directing this at Brucea but there are some people who are evangelical about barefoot being the solution to every equine problem under the sun and that is not something I personally agree with.

With regards to Parelli - I think they are nuts and though I am sure it is possible some of their followers are sane, I would much rather take advice from vets and farriers who are specialised in performance horses than from the Parelli/preachy barefoot brigade (again not directed at anyone specific). And I am sure the latter feel the same about me! :-D
 
Hi Little Flea - I don't think that taking a horse barefoot means that the horse owner abandons vets. I do know some horse owners that avoid them like the plague, but it has little to do with what the horse is wearing on its feet.

I do agree about conducting informed research; taking on board the best thinking/data currently available. Most of all I believe in caring for the whole horse and not just a specific part of it.

Unfortunately (maybe, not sure about that) - I have yet to find either vet or farrier who knows more about how to keep a horse sound than the horse itself.
 
My personal riding horse out of my herd of 4 is barefoot like the rest - and he sees the vet on a regular basis - and has xrays every year for a couple of problems that made me consider barefoot in the first place. I trim him myself, and the xrays show perfect balance.

The vet is aware of, and fully supportive of my choices. My previous farrier takes a great interest in his feet and the changes that have happened since becoming barefoot.

It's a real pity that barefooters seem to be attracting the kind of attitudes that little flea expresses- it is easy for a group to become cultish I suppose and maybve barefooters have got that way, but it is probably a response to the overwhelming negativity you get from people when you go barefoot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top