Coping with Navicular

[Hollylee1989]

Hi all

Just wanted some advice and experiences with owners that are experiencing navicular. I'm due to have the vet come and do an xray. This started in November with what I thought was a sore shoulder and very short in his front left. Negative to hoof testers and no lameness, vet gave me bute and put it down to muscular. December he still wasn't right, thermal images picked up heat in his heels and foot. Found his heel bulbs had big cracks, so packed them with hoof clay. Found some improvement but still felt short under saddle. I'm leaning towards navicular any advice would be really appreciated x

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It could just be a soreness in the heal from the cracks especially if the frogs are contracted, what are his feet like in front are they shod?

 

[Hollylee1989]

He's shod on all four feet, think I'm just worried because the images shows both front feet were very red on the heels. Xray is booked for tomorrow morning to check the bones

 

[Identityincrisis]

If he has big cracks this can be VERY painful, you need to treat aggressively for thrush. A vet may easily dismiss thrush as a non issue but worth trying before expensive diagnostics

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

If he has big cracks this can be VERY painful, you need to treat aggressively for thrush. A vet may easily dismiss thrush as a non issue but worth trying before expensive diagnostics

I agree I think thrush can cause lameness if it's not sorted properly I hope the x rays don't show anything major, I have one with navicular I took his shoes off and his been sound ever since.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[Goldenstar]

Spilt heels and PSD a often go together .

 

[Hollylee1989]

I agree I think thrush can cause lameness if it's not sorted properly I hope the x rays don't show anything major, I have one with navicular I took his shoes off and his been sound ever since.

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks all, xray showed changes in his navicular bone. Got a plan now on how to manage it

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My horse only has slight changes he had osphos and the bursa was injected with steroid about 2 years ago, they wanted to put remedial shoes on but when I researched treatment for navicular a lot remedial shoes only work for a short while, yet taking the shoes off seemed to have a better success rate, so the shoes came off and he was turned out for about 3 months and was completely sound, and has been fine ever since, I don't jump him I am careful on hard ground and he mainly lives out unless weather is awful, so it can be managed if it's not too severe.

 

[sbloom]

Thanks all, xray showed changes in his navicular bone. Got a plan now on how to manage it

Just read up as much as you can too, many farriers and vets are very slow to get up to speed on the more progressive approaches, and bear in mind that heel pain is usually related very strongly to poor farriery. Have a look at this post and the page it came from, I'm a big fan of barefoot but for the first time I've found a brilliant resource I can recommend to my customers to learn about correct shoeing, and again, a progressive approach

https://www.facebook.com/hoofscanandhoofcarecentre/posts/4170291193044322

. I would look into both this and the barefoot approach such as that offered by Rockley Farm, no matter if your professionals poo poo either.

 

[ITPersonnage]

Ditto, there are many other similar cases like these. IME remedial shoeing only ever hides underlying issues, barefoot rehab will address the causes.

 

[sbloom]

Ditto, there are many other similar cases like these. IME remedial shoeing only ever hides underlying issues, barefoot rehab will address the causes.

Do have a look at the FB page I linked to, I used to think the same. I do think it's very rare that we see the right kind of remedial shoeing applied with the right understanding.

 

[Hollylee1989]

Quite interesting looking at xrays, here are mine from January. Pedal bone has slightly rotated, scan is booked to check the all important tendons, ligaments etc. Walk has fully improved, trot is improving but still not quite there, certainly taking it day by day.