Tia
Well-Known Member
Has anyone on here anything positive to say about navicular? Anyone's horse been diagnosed with any type of navicular and successfully recovered?
Navicular - Positive Outcomes?
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wizzi901
Well-Known Member
I do have a friend who had a mare diagnosed over 20 years ago, the mare has had few setbacks over the years but in whole has had a good and active life. She was told at the time to put it down! She refused and got another opinion, gave it a year off and brought it back slowly at the time and it continued its career as light RC horse.
However it does suffer in the cold and wet these days with stiffness etc, and of course every nav case is different but I know hers was quite severe.
However it does suffer in the cold and wet these days with stiffness etc, and of course every nav case is different but I know hers was quite severe.
madhector
Well-Known Member
Not one of mine, but a livery at the yard I had H at in london had his horse diagnosed with it, was at the point of thinking he would have him pts, but gave him one last chance and sent him away to a place that specialised in treating untreatable lameness, with the idea that they have 6 months to succeed and then call it a day.
Well he claimed loss of use and got a new horse, 3 months later got a phone call saying horse was sound, jumping and would he like him back! So yes, it is definatly possible to have a positive outcome
Well he claimed loss of use and got a new horse, 3 months later got a phone call saying horse was sound, jumping and would he like him back! So yes, it is definatly possible to have a positive outcome
eventing_chick
Well-Known Member
YES! 2 ADV horses both had desmotomys in 2002 one retired sound last year,the other has gone perminatly lame after a bone spur snapped off after her last ADV run last year (we'll never know weather it was related to the navicular or not)
I did manage them a bit differently, kept off the roads and both shod in aluminium carefull about the going ect..
I did manage them a bit differently, kept off the roads and both shod in aluminium carefull about the going ect..
JessPickle
Well-Known Member
Yep we have a 28 year old tb at our yard, he was diagonosed with it years ago, at the time he did a lot of competing in XC at firle etc. HE stopped doing that for a year, then recovered and got back into it. He is ridden lightly now just flatwork of course and no hacking (he is a nutter out hacking!)
clipclop
Well-Known Member
This one might be worth reading about. I remember someone talking about this horse some time ago.
http://www.barefoothorses.co.uk/page21.html
http://www.barefoothorses.co.uk/page21.html
lizzie_liz
Well-Known Member
YES.
My mare was diagnosed age 6 with navicular (syndrome I think). She was put on bute with no positive effect, had egg bar shoes, and had a steroid injection. All treatment we gave her was proving unsuccessful and she was getting worse and worse. It was therefore decided to claim LOU and turn her away. She spent that winter out in a field doing nothing. I got a new horse and competed that one.
After the winter she came in sound, we decided to start bringing her back into work, she is now 11 and has not had a days lameness since. We went to Trailblazer SJ finals last year (85cm) and was in the JO on both days. She is now affliated BD and goes out SJ when I am home from uni.
When I am ay uni she is lightly ridden by mum 3-4 times a week and when I am home from uni she will be worked 6 days a week.
I don't know if she would remain sound if I worked her hard all year.
My mare was diagnosed age 6 with navicular (syndrome I think). She was put on bute with no positive effect, had egg bar shoes, and had a steroid injection. All treatment we gave her was proving unsuccessful and she was getting worse and worse. It was therefore decided to claim LOU and turn her away. She spent that winter out in a field doing nothing. I got a new horse and competed that one.
After the winter she came in sound, we decided to start bringing her back into work, she is now 11 and has not had a days lameness since. We went to Trailblazer SJ finals last year (85cm) and was in the JO on both days. She is now affliated BD and goes out SJ when I am home from uni.
When I am ay uni she is lightly ridden by mum 3-4 times a week and when I am home from uni she will be worked 6 days a week.
I don't know if she would remain sound if I worked her hard all year.
Tia
Well-Known Member
The reason I ask is because of something a little odd that has been happening here.
My wonderful mare Golden was always totally sound; fabulous little mare to ride. When she became pregnant she was fine and then when the ice came and the ground froze; one day she was unsound. No reason, no explanation.
Well months went by and she never really came sound. When the vet was here a few weeks ago I had him nerve-block her to see if we could find out what was wrong. His diagnosis was "acute navicular". What a disappointment to hear that. She is such a lovely horse and I felt that this was going to be a downward spiral towards the end.
The vet was quite the opposite to me and was verging on being quite flippant about it. He said that this was nowhere near the end of the world for her. This did surprise me I have to say. He believes that her condition is not chronic and gave me a list of options - he also said that it could well be purely down to the fact that she is carrying extra weight with the baby. First suggestion was to have the farrier trim her in a different fashion. Well the farrier was here on Monday and he trimmed her in the manner asked of him. Now I don't want to get too excited BUT she blooming well appears to be sound now!
This is a horse who has barely moved out of her shelter for the past few months; even before the farrier left my farm, she had wandered off out of the paddock and into the big field.....in the middle of the day! Absolutely unheard of for the past few months.
On Wednesday she had wandered away up and over the hill and right down to the very far end of the big hill. Today she is away up the field again.
Is this a good sign? Am I getting my hopes up for nothing?
My wonderful mare Golden was always totally sound; fabulous little mare to ride. When she became pregnant she was fine and then when the ice came and the ground froze; one day she was unsound. No reason, no explanation.
Well months went by and she never really came sound. When the vet was here a few weeks ago I had him nerve-block her to see if we could find out what was wrong. His diagnosis was "acute navicular". What a disappointment to hear that. She is such a lovely horse and I felt that this was going to be a downward spiral towards the end.
The vet was quite the opposite to me and was verging on being quite flippant about it. He said that this was nowhere near the end of the world for her. This did surprise me I have to say. He believes that her condition is not chronic and gave me a list of options - he also said that it could well be purely down to the fact that she is carrying extra weight with the baby. First suggestion was to have the farrier trim her in a different fashion. Well the farrier was here on Monday and he trimmed her in the manner asked of him. Now I don't want to get too excited BUT she blooming well appears to be sound now!
This is a horse who has barely moved out of her shelter for the past few months; even before the farrier left my farm, she had wandered off out of the paddock and into the big field.....in the middle of the day! Absolutely unheard of for the past few months.
On Wednesday she had wandered away up and over the hill and right down to the very far end of the big hill. Today she is away up the field again.
Is this a good sign? Am I getting my hopes up for nothing?
JessPickle
Well-Known Member
We have another horse with navicular at our yard, he has been lame for 2 years. Then suddenly out of the blue sound again within 6 months! they brought him down lunged him in the school to check. He is completely sound!!
Anything is possible!
Anything is possible!
Patches
Well-Known Member
Tia
I'm not sure if you can recall Patches case last year?
June 29th infact.....a year today...a I had her x-rayed because of her tripping. She was walking toe first and 2/5 lame when trotted in a tight circle on concrete. She went pretty much sound when the navicular area was blocked out.
Vet was 99% sure it was navicular but I asked for x-rays to confirm it. No one was more surprised than my vet to see no changes to her navicular/coffin joint area apart from a very small amount of non-articular ring bone, which he said would be present on the x-rays of most heavy type horses of her age and was not a concern.
What the x-rays did show was a foot that was horribly out of balance. To look at her foot in the flesh, you'd never have said her toes were long and likewise you'd never have matched her x-rays to her feet had you been given the x-rays and a group of horses in a line up!
Upshot was that she had to be totally re-shod to reduce the length of her toe and give some heel support. That was done and she instantly became 100% sound infront and the tripping stopped.
Maybe it's not navicular but a foot imbalance that has now been corrected? Feet can become unbalanced gradually but the resulting discomfort can just suddenly be felt by the horse.
I'm not sure if you can recall Patches case last year?
June 29th infact.....a year today...a I had her x-rayed because of her tripping. She was walking toe first and 2/5 lame when trotted in a tight circle on concrete. She went pretty much sound when the navicular area was blocked out.
Vet was 99% sure it was navicular but I asked for x-rays to confirm it. No one was more surprised than my vet to see no changes to her navicular/coffin joint area apart from a very small amount of non-articular ring bone, which he said would be present on the x-rays of most heavy type horses of her age and was not a concern.
What the x-rays did show was a foot that was horribly out of balance. To look at her foot in the flesh, you'd never have said her toes were long and likewise you'd never have matched her x-rays to her feet had you been given the x-rays and a group of horses in a line up!
Upshot was that she had to be totally re-shod to reduce the length of her toe and give some heel support. That was done and she instantly became 100% sound infront and the tripping stopped.
Maybe it's not navicular but a foot imbalance that has now been corrected? Feet can become unbalanced gradually but the resulting discomfort can just suddenly be felt by the horse.
Tia
Well-Known Member
Yes that sounds promising Patches. The biggest trouble with navicular that I have a problem with, is that it is a generic term....bit like colic! I am pretty hopeful that the trimming may have indeed had a huge effect on her.
I am very hopeful as Golden is a keeper - I am closely thinking that I love her!
I am very hopeful as Golden is a keeper - I am closely thinking that I love her!
smallbutgreat
Well-Known Member
Isn't it the case that navicular is something that MANY horses, particularly those without ideal conformation, hover on the the brink of?
Good shoeing and hoof care, as well as use of supplements, can keep this condition in check for many years.
There are also promising results from horses going barefoot. Is this something you have explored with Golden?
Good shoeing and hoof care, as well as use of supplements, can keep this condition in check for many years.
There are also promising results from horses going barefoot. Is this something you have explored with Golden?
brightmount
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
There are also promising results from horses going barefoot. Is this something you have explored with Golden?
[/ QUOTE ]
I think most of Tia's are barefoot otherwise I would have suggested it myself. It saved my horse who had navicular from the scrap heap.
It sounds likely that it was a foot balance issue. What sort of trim did the vet recommend?
There are also promising results from horses going barefoot. Is this something you have explored with Golden?
[/ QUOTE ]
I think most of Tia's are barefoot otherwise I would have suggested it myself. It saved my horse who had navicular from the scrap heap.
It sounds likely that it was a foot balance issue. What sort of trim did the vet recommend?
Tia
Well-Known Member
Yes SBG, all of my horses are barefoot. Golden has beautiful feet and this was part of why I was so surprised by the findings.
Lynwood; the farrier is making the change gradually over a period of time. My guys are trimmed every 6 weeks so I think he should have her the way he wants her within a couple of months. He is trimming the hoof wall slightly shorter than the frog and shortening the toe slightly, so that it encourages her to put her weight on her heel rather than toe down first.
She's still looking good this morning and is once again out in the big field rather than in her shelter in the little paddock. I am just hoping that she gives birth either on time or slightly earlier than expected so that she can get rid of the extra weight. She won't be put in-foal again and hopefully all of these things can secure a comfortable life for her. The vet was very positive and didn't believe that any major changes had actually occurred, but I guess time will tell.
Thank you everyone for you comments, both positive and negative; it never does to become complacent.
Lynwood; the farrier is making the change gradually over a period of time. My guys are trimmed every 6 weeks so I think he should have her the way he wants her within a couple of months. He is trimming the hoof wall slightly shorter than the frog and shortening the toe slightly, so that it encourages her to put her weight on her heel rather than toe down first.
She's still looking good this morning and is once again out in the big field rather than in her shelter in the little paddock. I am just hoping that she gives birth either on time or slightly earlier than expected so that she can get rid of the extra weight. She won't be put in-foal again and hopefully all of these things can secure a comfortable life for her. The vet was very positive and didn't believe that any major changes had actually occurred, but I guess time will tell.
Thank you everyone for you comments, both positive and negative; it never does to become complacent.