Help! What shall I do with my horse?

[lynsey1808]

Hi all, haven't been on here for a while but really need some advice, I'll try not to take too long!
I have a 10 year old gelding who has been retired with navicular for the last year. He lives out with my other horse who is ridden and is he currently sound as he is unshod and has been for the last six months.
He is a very difficult horse, always has been really, to ride and on the ground and I feel he is getting worse being out of a work and not having the routine of yard life.
He can be nasty and is bored easily, join up etc does work but not really practical all the time when he lives out and doesn't do anything!!
My dilemma is what to do with him? I am currently too heavy to ride him especially as he has little muscle tone now and is unshod, put boots on him and get someone else to ride him? Or would some people consider euthanasing him?
Really interested in peoples thoughts and ideas!!! Thanks for reading

 

[cptrayes]

get him working! Forget the shoes, if you have his diet right and you bring him back into work gradually he should not need shoes or boots.

Dozens of us on here have fully working horses with no shoes on. I hunt one. I have evented five and plenty of people are eventing barefoot at least intermediate level, and the odd one or two at advanced.

He's also far from alone in being a "navicular" write-off who has come sound without shoes. There are lots of those on this forum too, most in full work including hunting and jumping.

 

[riding_high]

bring him back into work, i know of a couple of horses with navicular and they still go out competing and stuff but i guess every horse is different and there are different levels of navicular.
another thing you can do is possibly some horse agility type things in your own arena (if you have one), helps to get him thinking and might stop him being so bored.

 

[Pat10]

You could try a maintenance dose of bute to help with any soundness issues - or something like Boswellia ('search' this forum for it, or google it). I agree that a horse with navicular is not necessarily on the scrap heap, if it is managed well.