Navicular. Advice please

M

Morrigan_Lady

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 December 2006
Messages
5,423
www.teamterrellshowjumping.co.uk

Ive put this in Vets aswell....

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……..
 
My now 20yo Arab was diagnosed with bi-lateral navicular when he was 14. We kept him rideable with a combination of remedial shoeing and first No Bute then bute for 4 years, but then he was obviously becoming too uncomfortable (not exactly lame, just very pottery) so I took the decision to retire him completely. He's out 24/7, on no medication, and now in ordinary wide web shoes in front, unshod behind, and seems happy enough to charge around with his field mates. If we were on a yard where night-time bringing-in was compulsory, he would probably have to be on bute permanently.

I think arthritis is beginning to set in, but for so long as he can move around freely, I'll keep the current set-up going. He still lies down and gets up without difficulty.

I must admit that if he was 14 now and just diagnosed, I would seriously consider the barefoot option as it does seem to get results, but 6 years ago one didn't hear much about it.

Not sure if that's helpful to you or not!
 
My chap is thriving turned out 24/7 with a buddy or buddies depending on the time of year. He is also doing better unshod, we tried the wide bar shoes and gel inserts but they made him much worse.
I'd say have a chat with you vet re what's best to do now with an eye on retiring.
My lad also has some hind end issues so I would never want to put him in a stable as although he does lie down and get up it's not a normal way of getting back up and I think he'd get stuck in a stable.
But navicular affects them all so very differently you need to figure out whats best for your chap at the moment.
Mine like the other ladies is not on any medication as yet, if he needs it to stay comfy he'll get it.
 
Take his shoes off, without doubt the best thing for navicular horses - get in touch with a barefoot trimmer who will have been trained to rehab navic horses and they'll advise you the best way forwards. I know there are still plenty of doubters about the whole barefoot thing but it really does work. And if he's more comfortable on his fronts then he's likely to be less stiff behind too.
 
I wouldn't ride him if he's lame and I wouldn;t want him being out 24/7 seeing as he's getting old
frown.gif
personally I'd retire him, turn him out in the day and in at night.
 
with navicular and arthirits better off being out 247 - mine has both - lives out and its alot better - they need to move to keep blood flowing up leg - you could try barefoot - mine is sound in eggbars and wedges - no medication.
As and when she becomes unlevel i will bute her, and then if she becomes lame i will try barefoot (again - did barefoot once already not much success - before navicular diagonosed) as a last resort. if then that doesnt help then yes time to retire - but leave him out
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top