Navicular cysts

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dizzyredblack

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Does anyone have experience of these? Last year my ISH was diagnosed with small cysts in both front feet. After remedial shoeing he showed immediate improvements and a few months ago I was given the all clear to continue jumping and competing him, but being sensible about the ground and jumping on a surface wherever possible (easier said than done as my preferred discipline is eventing). I have been taking things very easy with him and he seems fine, so am following the vet's advice but always wonder if I'm doing the right thing so any shared experiences would be helpful!
 
Did you have an MRI scan? I understand from a navicular case I had a long time ago that navicular cysts are not that uncommon and often of no consequence. That vet could have been wrong I guess, but I do wonder whether your vet is absolutely certain that your horse does not have soft tissue injuries which could also be temporarily helped by remedial shoeing?
 
Hi
They showed up on xray and vet waited to see if treatment helped before going for an MRI, but becuase there was such a great improvement and now sound he hasn't gone that route.
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If he does not stand up to eventing this season, and you cannot afford £1200 for an MRI, then I would recommend you research barefoot rehabs and see if it would help him to take off his shoes.

Basically, your vet is having to guess, but the facts are that most horses which are lame with xrays that show issues with the navicular bone actually have soft tissue injuries. Those can normally be fixed with a barefoot rehab, with results coming out at around the 80% success rate, massively better than for remedial shoeing.

Remedial shoes very often work at first and then stop working. I hope that's not the case for you, but if it is, all is not lost.

I have had one horse with one sizable cyst in the navicular in one front foot but his lameness was bilaterally identical and it definitely wasn't the cyst that caused his issues, it was imbalanced shoeing.


If you are insured then I would press for an MRI before you event him this year. If his problem is actually soft tissue damage then working at that level will probably cause him more damage.
 
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