Navicular - is it just shod horses?

swellhillcottage

swellhillcottage

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As the Navicular topic does seem to get mentioned a lot these days have any of you lovely peeps had a Navicular diagnosis for your pone and if diagnosed did any of them happen to be barefoot when diagnosed? Is this a problem for just horses that have metal shoes on?

TIA

S X

Also in Veterinary and hoof and the tack room :)
 
I have definitely heard of navi in barefoot as navicular is a "catch all" diagnosis for anything that is occuring in the navicular area of the foot. Could be anything!

It's definitely more prevalent in shod horses and so it would be as it is a "constrictive" syndrome largely.
 
Poor trimming in a barefoot one could do it. I would love to know if a proper self trimming one was ever affected. I would think not. All of mine self trim.
 
Just like people who have never smoked get lung cancer , some horses with no risk factors for navicular syndrome will get navicular .
I am sure as time passes and bf becomes more common and we have more horses who have not worn shoes ageing we will begin to see which issues they pick up more than shod horses .
 
Any horse with insufficient simulation to the back half of the foot can get it, shod or not. It does not require shoes (though that makes it a lot easier!) or a bad trim, it just requires too little work/movement, or a good dose of long term thrush.
 
I have had a horse with a navicular cyst, sidebone ( which is quite common in barefoot horses and quite a normal reaction to work according to the old vet at the time) and upper ringbone which was too difficult ( well dangerous really) to shoe. Unshod from 6 to 26. However alsways absolutely sound and jumped proper Grade A tracks all his life plus evented, team chased etc. Would not have found the above but for a stone lodged inside his foot and x rays taken. So the answer is probably yes but no-one will know unless sound horses are x rayed.
 
old hand said:
I have had a horse with a navicular cyst, sidebone ( which is quite common in barefoot horses and quite a normal reaction to work according to the old vet at the time) and upper ringbone which was too difficult ( well dangerous really) to shoe. Unshod from 6 to 26. However alsways absolutely sound and jumped proper Grade A tracks all his life plus evented, team chased etc. Would not have found the above but for a stone lodged inside his foot and x rays taken. So the answer is probably yes but no-one will know unless sound horses are x rayed.
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Interesting OH!

Ok So far my findings on my very limited surveys ( one on a barefoot page as well ) about Navicular issues - says that it seems Navicular issues seem to be as prevalent in barefoot horses as they are in shod horses- with all of these people on the barefoot page advising me "To take the Shoes off" may not be the answer after all - it will be interesting to fast forward 10 years to see if then is any prevalence between barefoot and shod :)

SX
 
I think it depends what you are calling 'navicular'.

Assuming they have a weak palmar hoof/under run heels etc that is what needs improving. I don't believe they can improve in shoes/without stimulation. A treatment decision is not the same as whether the horse was in shoes or not before/causation. A barefoot horse can have a lack of stimulation like a shod one, the difference being without shoes that can be changed, with shoes the shoes prevent that.
 
Horses need breaks from shoes .
the equine vets and the good farriers all know this .
Shoeing breaks allow the walls to grow down giving the farriers the best chance to shoe horses really well , it extremely difficult to do a good job when the horn is breaking away and 'nail sick'.
Shoeing breaks exercise the horses heels , allow the foot to expand naturally for a time .
Good diet ,the BF diet if you call it that ,is just a good diet will encourage quality hoof growth giving the farrier more wall to work with that's optimal for all horses not just ones without shoes .
Good strong thrush free frogs is something we should be working to get with all horses not just bf in work ones , the fact than a manky frog makes BF lame but a shod can't feel it is not a reason not to be as careful with shod ones.
BF would always be my choice for a horse with navicular the first sign of trouble I would be whipping the shoes off I would not work with a vet or farrier who not support this .
 
Goldenstar said:
Horses need breaks from shoes .
the equine vets and the good farriers all know this .
Shoeing breaks allow the walls to grow down giving the farriers the best chance to shoe horses really well , it extremely difficult to do a good job when the horn is breaking away and 'nail sick'.
Shoeing breaks exercise the horses heels , allow the foot to expand naturally for a time .
Good diet ,the BF diet if you call it that ,is just a good diet will encourage quality hoof growth giving the farrier more wall to work with that's optimal for all horses not just ones without shoes .
Good strong thrush free frogs is something we should be working to get with all horses not just bf in work ones , the fact than a manky frog makes BF lame but a shod can't feel it is not a reason not to be as careful with shod ones.
BF would always be my choice for a horse with navicular the first sign of trouble I would be whipping the shoes off I would not work with a vet or farrier who not support this .[/QUOTE

Are you going slightly off topic by any chance :)
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