Horse just been diagnosed with Navicular.

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lucemoose

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My pony has been at the vets since yesterday- doing nerve blocks and xrays to investigate a minor niggle. They had just done the navicular blocks and he has come sound
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but are doing the coffin joint nerve block tomo to be throrough. There is also talk of an MRI scan. I dont know what a horse with navicular can or cant do, he is only 9 and I wrap him up in cotton wool so am gutted. (Theres a post in the SB too to see that Ive not been having a good day really) Any advice?
Thank you from a very sad faced sniffly Prittstick.
 
I think im right in saying Ben_and_Jerrys horse has navicular, im sure she would give you any information you want.

I know not alot about the subject, but i do think that with good shoeing and restricted work on hard ground he might still be rideable.

Big ((hugs)) from me xx
 
oh im so sorry to hear of your troubles - keep your chin up it may not be as bad as you fear - everyone on here will help with advise and give you support when you need it - i dont really know what the outcome of navicular are but im sure there are people who will give you stories of their experiences that will give you hope - good luck x
 
Thank you P_G, Ill wait and see if she responds to this before PM-ing her! My farriers are little legends, and he is used to being molly coddled...
Thanks again .
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Please don't panic. Navicular is diagnosed in many forms and it isn't always the death sentence we all think it is.

My pregnant mare, always been sound previously, went unsound earlier in the year. Vet diagnosed as "acute navicular" after nerve blocks etc. but he told me not to panic and that it could just be because of her being pregnant and carrying excess weight and also that it might right itself after she foaled. Well she is still heavily in foal.......but since the farrier came and trimmed her in a different fashion, she has been totally sound again! She has even been taken out for a couple of very quiet and gentle bareback rides which she loved.

I don't believe we are totally out of the woods yet, but at least there is hope now. My advice is to just wait and see what all the tests reveal before you get too worked up about it.
 
Thank you all again. I love to panic though, have just asked my parents to ring the vets as they will not get emotional about it like me. AM trying to tone down the worrying too. Just feel abit adrift as he is at the vet practice and am used to fussing them when they arent feeling themselves. Maybe I should ring my farrier and have a chat, that will calm me down.
 
Have a search through the vets section as there have been loads of posts in the last couple of months about this.

But don't panic yet, wait and see what the vets say. If you are willing to pay for MRI or your insured then it would be worth doing.

Navicular is such a grey area, the classic disease of the navicular bone is in my experience the worst outcome for the horse, but more often than not the term navicular is used in lieu of 'pain in that general area!' and can cover a multitude of sins.

I have gone the shoeing and drug route with my horse although there is quite a strong barefoot contingent on the forum too.

I have a horse to event and unfortunately I'm not prepared to risk mine doing that any more, so he has just been hacking and dressage/sj on an artifical surface. He seems quite happy and healthy and in not too much bother by his feet.
 
Navicular is not the end of the world. My Trooper had it and we had 5 very happy years together with it before he died as a result of an accident in the field. It was worse for him in the spring and summer when the griund was changing. we still hackedout, schooled moderatley and even did some jumping - the only thing stopping us there was my dose of extreme cowardice lol. He had bute and Navilox for the times he was hurty but certainly wasn't on them all the time, just for odd periods.

Cheef up, it REALLY isn't the end of the world for either of you, he just needs a bit more TLC

ETS - Natural Balance shoes where an absolute Godsend
 
Thank you B_a_J, my parents have said they will pay for the MRI scan as the insurance will pay half of it. He is having the coffin area nerve blocked tomorrow and then I will start to think rationally. Am just a bit put out that he had gone lame after his last two jumping outings being on a surface and on very soft ground! Just hope I havent contributed in some way. Glad to know that your horse is still out and about.
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Hi there - Jack's Mum is right - it is not the end of the world at all - my mare was diagnosed with it at 17 yrs old - she is 20 now and very happy with herself, galloping all over the place and doing well at dressage. She was fitted with egg bar shoes and it has worked like a charm for her - a good farrier is the key (along with a good vet of course!)
 
Thank you Jacks mum, sorry to hear that you lost your boy. Am sure I will be given options by the vet, but is always reassuring to have advice and knowlege passed on. My friend mentioned heart and egg bar shoes, so `I guess there is a lot of remedial farriery that can help. My farrier has done such a good job on Scooby's feet as well since Ive had him , am sure he will be happy to sound out any ideas.
 
Hi there, sorry to hear that your horse has been diagnosed with navicular but there is navicular syndrome and navicular disease. Disease is the worst prognosis whereas syndrome is as already mentioned is more of pain in the navicular region.

I have a horse that was diagnosed with navicular syndrome in 2002 when she was 6. We had nerve blocks, x rays and MRI done. She was placed on Navilox, egg bar shoes, steriods in fact you named it we tried it. But she remained lame so we claimed LOU. We then removed her shoes and turned away. After about 4 months she came sound again and we gradually increased her workload. In 2005 we took her to her first competition since 2002 and since then we have been out SJ and dressaging on a surface including BD Area Festivals and Trailblazer Finals.

Navicular is not the end of the road, but Egg bar shoes are evil.
Good Luck
 
Hi, I'm sorry about your neddy. Mine was nerve blocked and then MRId last week to see what they could find, and I had 100% convinced myself it was navicular. Actually turned out to be arthritis in coffin joints (she's 8) and like you I wrap mine in cotton wool so still bit depressing.
Like someone else said, navicular is a bit of a grey area - before we had MRI I reckon mine would have been diagnosed with navicular by default really. I would have the MRI as it will show everything, and then at least you will have the very best chance of treating and managing whatever it shows. Fingers crossed you will still be able to work/compete on surfaces or soft ground.
 
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