Navicular. Advice please

[Morrigan_Lady]

Id really appreciate your thoughts on this, it might get long so get comfy!
My Mums horse is 20 years old, has navicular in his near fore foot and arthritis in his hind quarters. He is a 16.3hh TB.
He has had navicular for a very long time and it has always been managed with remedial shoeing and bute. He last had x-rays in September last year, where the vet said the navicular had deteriorated quite abit. He now has aluminum egg bar shoes on his fronts with a gel insertion. He has been on and off lame for about 9 months now and we really are at abit of a lose as to what to do next. Box rest is abit tricky as he is getting very stiff behind, so we try to turn him out as mush as possible, which brings me to another concern we have! He was literally born to roll!! And the last few times he’s been out in the field he hasn’t rolled and he’s not laid down in his stable at night either. Do you think he may be too uncomfortable? Ive heard of horses going down and not being able to get back up again, but never a horse that ‘cant’ get down.
I road him in the school the night before last and although not sound on the left rein (that’s his bad side) he was moving quite nicely and felt fairly free behind.
We trotted him up last night and he obviously lame in front.
Im going to ring my vet later and have a chat, but I just wanted to get your thoughts aswell.
Would you retire him completely from ridden work? Or would you keep him ticking over, so stop him seizing up?? Or, would you turn him away and let him live out the rest of his days in a field within a heard? I no Mum is very reluctant to turn him away as she likes him to come in at night.
ANY thoughts would be greatly received……..

 

[vicky_sut]

You may have already had a look at the barefoot option, if you havent check out the Rockley Farm website and the blog. There is some really interesting stuff on there. Nic Barker is really helpful.

 

[cptrayes]

If he is already on bute and has given up rolling and lying down I would put him down. Happy horses don't give up lying down - that's fear of not being able to get back up. He's in pain, let him go.

 

[Orangehorse]

He is 20, lame in front, and has painful joints and can't get up and down. Ask yourself how much quality of life he has. I'm afraid I agree with cptrayes.

 

[Finlib]

You say he is on bute how much per day ? what is his body weight .
I too have a 20 year old T/b mare she had arthritis in near fore around coffin area and slightly rotated pedal bone and a small keratome in the same foot .She has remedial shoeing on that foot (a heart bar shoe) she is on danilon as well as a arthritis supplement .
Earlier this month she got an abcess in that foot due to racing about in the field when it was frozen solid The vet and farrier are treating her and suggested I upped her danilon to 1 morning and 1 evening as she has been quite uncomfortable due to this and the icey cold and all the rain .
On that regime she looks loads better and is quite active in the field and lying down at night in her box .I will drop it back once the farrier is happy with that foot re abcess.
Could you up the bute or better still move to danilon which is less damaging for them to be on long term .If he is stiff behind could you put him on an arthritis supplement.
I would be inclined to up his bute /danilon use a arthritis supplement and try to get him comfotable .Spring is around the corner and I would re assess him through the spring and summer with a view to giving him a good pain free summer and then think whether it would be best to pts before next winter if he is really miserable in the bad weather.
I know I will not allow my mare to suffer she looks good on danilon and I am prepared to keep her pain free as long as I can when I can't I will make the decision to pts it will break my heart but we must be strong for their sake

 

[emlybob]

I agree with the others. If he is in no pain then let him either retire or work lightly. But sadly if he is constantly lame then putting him to sleep may be the kindest thing to do.

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

talk to your vet .. a course of cartrofen (spelling?) might just help the back end which in turn will help the front end?

 

[Ditchjumper2]

[ QUOTE ]
If he is already on bute and has given up rolling and lying down I would put him down. Happy horses don't give up lying down - that's fear of not being able to get back up. He's in pain, let him go.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry but have to agree. Although it's a hard decision you have to think of what is best for him.