Navicular (Coffin Joints) experiences.....never a one size fits all is it!

[CJoe]

Short version....

Last year, horse was slowing down a little jumping, put it down to his breathing issues if I am honest....wasn't lame, just not "right"..fast forward this spring, he had a couple of stops which was most out of character, we retired and went home.
Vet - x rays/mri's show arthritic changes in coffin joint, worse on right fore, no soft tissue damage at all, vet was confident that injecting the joints would sort it
5 weeks on from injections, I would say he is worse! - sound on concrete in walk and trot, canter on a surface or soft ground can manage 6 or so strides then clearly is sore despite wanting to crack on bless him
Also on vetrofen daily, boswella extra strength and all other supplements known to man....improved but not sound in canter at all, not expecting it yet but hoped to see him more comfortable minimum
Vet said x rays shows feet are fantastic in balance, farrier doing 110% amazing job, no pads etc required, but being me decided couple of week ago to add pads just in case it helped, nope it didn't!

This is not a horse that will retire to be a field ornament or be happy plodding the lanes...he has fire in his belly and wants to crack on...its quite sad and yes of course I am devastated, weight control also an issue while he cannot be worked properly, 2 hours of walking just doesn't help his weight...

He came to me years ago barefoot and despite having great quality hooves, he hates it, was a large reason he wouldn't leave yard and napped, tried just with fronts, the same....so going barefoot unless he is written off, is NOT an option. Believe me I have considered it, read up on the Rockley stuff, and with another horse I would not hesitate but this boy likes his shoes for some reason.....we also have very flinty stoney hacking. Boots not an option as this guy would trip over in over reach boots! I value being in one piece.

Other than barefoot, is there anything else anyone has tried, he is a unit anyway, so that doesn't help but he is bored senseless in his field and just hacking....I worry if he has to retire how we would manage him.

Don't have an endless pit of money either, BUT if I can afford something that will help, happy to sell a kidney just want him comfortable and happy, he owes me nothing and has nothing to prove.

He is 17 and ID x Fresian.

Thoughts welcome but please don't mention barefoot right now ha ha! I realise it is early days but he is so depressed...

 

[Equi]

Sometimes the first injection doesn’t work and a second works miracles. Ask vet how long it needs before he can have it again.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Hoof boots might be an option for you. With gel pads. If you can find the right fit, you have the protection of a shoe with the free movement of barefoot. To be honest, once you have arthritic changes, this is essentially an overgrowth of new bone, laid down to protect a failing joint. Managing pain may prove to be a better option, but be careful with the workload.

 

[CJoe]

sadly he wont cope with hoof boots, he is very lazy at home even walking, over reach boots confused him lol!!!

Hoof boots might be an option for you. With gel pads. If you can find the right fit, you have the protection of a shoe with the free movement of barefoot. To be honest, once you have arthritic changes, this is essentially an overgrowth of new bone, laid down to protect a failing joint. Managing pain may prove to be a better option, but be careful with the workl

 

[CJoe]

Sometimes the first injection doesn’t work and a second works miracles. Ask vet how long it needs before he can have it again.

she is out next Monday, will definitely ask the question. He didn't help by refusing to stay in calmly for 2 days.....had to turn him out after several hours.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of my Arab's has coffin joint arthritis in front and at the time he had front shoes on but after he was medicated I found he kept tripping and almost walking on his toes, so I took them off and immediately walked so much better he has been barefoot in the past so I've kept him like it.

Obviously every situation is different and what works for one doesn't work for another, what I will say is though its not always easy to manage the hard ground or too soft ground has an impact on mine, he doesn't always look 100% in the school so I mainly hack him now I use hoof armour when it's stony and I'm just careful with the ground and how much we do he is 20 now.

I think I would try medicating them again I'm sure you can use gel as well as steroids so maybe speak to your vet.

You may have to just accept that jumping at the level your used to just won't be doable anymore as depressing as it is.

Edited to add Arabi doesn't get on with boots either he constantly trips and almost shuffles in them.

 

[HelenBack]

Have you tried going back to normal shoes instead of the pads? Some horses really don't get on with pads and if he didn't like barefoot he might not like the pressure of the pad across all of his foot. Obviously that doesn't apply if he was just the same before the pads were added though.

Otherwise I would agree with suggestions to try medicating again and asking about gel.

 

[CJoe]

Have you tried going back to normal shoes instead of the pads? Some horses really don't get on with pads and if he didn't like barefoot he might not like the pressure of the pad across all of his foot. Obviously that doesn't apply if he was just the same before the pads were added though.

Otherwise I would agree with suggestions to try medicating again and asking about gel.

this was another thought, I may well take pads off, he doesn't need any change in shoeing according to vet and has good depth of sole....he is an odd one, cannot put any types of boots on him, goes very silly! tolerates magnetic (whole other story!) overreach boots in the field! that's it, so may well not be liking them.

 

[sbloom]

Broken record here but postural work will help take strain off the front feet and restore better function to the whole body, stopping it referring across to other areas. I think the best current understanding acknowledges the part that posture plays, with excess weight on the front feet, and compensation in other parts of the body too, with SI, hocks, KS and suspensories also often an issue (seldom all, but also seldom just one alone). This isn't to make you more down about it, it's to say that there may be more help available that you might think. Have a look a equitopiacenter.com, a place I often send people to first as they have a good smattering of postural info, stuff about topline, and groundwork etc. Too much groundwork is too difficult for horses that are compromised, hence understanding how a horse should look and move is critical to know where you're at in that journey, and judging whether the work is beneficial or not.

 

[Tacobell]

hi, my horse has coffin joint arthritis and navicular. He was managed with steroids every 6 months for last 18 months and this march i did arthrimaid as well into the coffin joint. so far so good.. he used to be a 1.10 winner but now he is more comfortable jumping round 1m and below. He has 3d impression pads on in front .

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Has the vet suggested arthrimed? Might be an option

 

[CJoe]

hi, my horse has coffin joint arthritis and navicular. He was managed with steroids every 6 months for last 18 months and this march i did arthrimaid as well into the coffin joint. so far so good.. he used to be a 1.10 winner but now he is more comfortable jumping round 1m and below. He has 3d impression pads on in front .

we are super low level, 70 max! - I am old and he is big, but his passion is jumping and he is so missing it, if he would just be happy plodding lanes, life would be easier!!!

 

[CJoe]

Has the vet suggested arthrimed? Might be an option

not as yet, early days but will ask!

 

[CJoe]

Broken record here but postural work will help take strain off the front feet and restore better function to the whole body, stopping it referring across to other areas. I think the best current understanding acknowledges the part that posture plays, with excess weight on the front feet, and compensation in other parts of the body too, with SI, hocks, KS and suspensories also often an issue (seldom all, but also seldom just one alone). This isn't to make you more down about it, it's to say that there may be more help available that you might think. Have a look a equitopiacenter.com, a place I often send people to first as they have a good smattering of postural info, stuff about topline, and groundwork etc. Too much groundwork is too difficult for horses that are compromised, hence understanding how a horse should look and move is critical to know where you're at in that journey, and judging whether the work is beneficial or not.

not at all, I am always open to new information/ideas, its silly to close yourself off to other peoples' experience. Whole body wellness makes sense to be fair

 

[ester]

Did they nerve block at work up ergo there isn’t also other stuff going on?

I’d worry that the trip risk you describe is also symptomatic.

there’s more options than just steroids so I’d have a chat with vet what their follow up would be.

 

[Orangina]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for in terms of suggestions but given your most recent post I am assuming you are not competing affiliated. I've had great success with Devil's Claw keeping one of my ponies more comfortable with arthritis where bute was actually not working. Weirdly I had also tried removing shoes as he js retired to the field but he was very obviously not happy, so despite his retirement he is shod all round!!

 

[Timelyattraction]

My horse has arthritis and navicular in his coffin joints and never came right. He had 3 sets of injections and they didnt seem to help. He was diagnosed at 7 years old and he’s now 16 and been retired ever since. He was remedially shod in front (barefoot behind) and i kept him this way until last summer where he was then turned out in the field 24/7 so i decided to remove them. He’s still barefoot in front now but really started struggling walking on the stones / concrete when he comes up to the yard so i am tempted to put some fronts back on him to see how he is.