Shoeing advice for Navicular please

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A1fie

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One of the horses that I share has navicular. He is only 9. He was so bad a year ago that he was going to be shot. My yard owner took him in and over the last year has taken his shoes off, taken him off all bute, (he's on devil's claw and supplements) and rested him for a year. He has recently been brought back into work by me and has remained sound. We even did a sponsered ride together recently. He is out all the time to enable him to keep moving.

Recently the yard owner has spoke about him needing shoes as the ground is getting hard and also about him being stabled some of the day.

I am a bit concerned that by putting shoes on him again, albeit remedial ones, that this may cause his navicular to flare up again.

Does anyone have any experience of this or is there anything else that may help him like boots or something?

Many thanks
 
why not try him in those barefoot boots either for riding or for turnout when the ground is hard if you'd like to keep him barefoot, that way you can have the best of both worlds.

My mare went barefoot about 10 months ago as part of her rehab from spavin and sacroilliac and it is only now that I realise she must have always had foot pain as suddenly her trot has become more fluid. She isn't perfect yet as the changes in hard/soft ground do affect her, but I am hesitant to put shoes on incase it undoes all the hard work of the past 10 months!

Has he shown any tenderness from the dry ground the past few weeks? If not, then I'd just wait and see.
 
Thanks I will google barefoot boots.

Unfortunately I have noticed a change in the last couple of weeks. He is just a little bit more stumbly and uncertain than he was. When I started riding him, he was very unsure on his feet and kept looking at the ground. It seemed like he was really checking it out for holes and bumps. He improved lots although still stumbled on occasion.

We did a bit of road work trotting two weeks ago and I'm terrified that I didn't stop and think first, and go another route, and that it's that which has caused him damage.
 
If you have a good farrier, then discuss with him regarding what shoes he would put on, I know alot of horses seem to do ok barefoot, but I have seen some dramtic improvements in horses which have had some form of eggbar and the toes are kept short.
I had one who had aluminium eggbars with the toes cut out so they looked like back to front shoes and he went like a dream in them, due to the 'open' toes, he wore the toe naturally short so that he had a short break over point had great heel support, not only did he move much better, but he got much better heel and general foot shape
 
Thank you Jo - The yard farrier does seem to be really good f and I will definately speak to him as well as yard owner. I am not against him having shoes on, it's just that I would worry that having seen such dramatic improvements having taken the shoes off, putting some on would cause the problems to start up again.

I have utterly fallen in love with this horse and I just want to do right by him, whether that be shoes, boots or alternatives. He is the most kind, genuine horse I have ever met.
 
My horse that had navicular was saved by going barefoot, it's one of the most proven remedies for the condition, provided of course the horse is trimmed regularly to keep the feet in balance. I totally understand your misgivings about putting shoes back on. After a year his feet should be well conditioned, but they should continue to improve; to my mind it would be a shame to put shoes back on at this point.

I would definitely give hoof boots a go when the ground is hard or when you have any rough tracks to ride over (or even to lead to the field over hard or stony ground). I have a full set of Old Macs. They were great but I hardly use them now. My horse has been barefoot 3 years and hasn't looked back. We left the navicular behind with the shoes. She does everything again now.
 
You should be alright to shoe as long as you have a good farrier - and yes, keeping the toes short will help, and shoeing a bit more 'upright' as this takes some of the pressure of the sesamoids and navicular bones, and the DDFT running over them.
The other thing that springs to mind is this stuff I saw advertised in H&H last year - I think fox-pitt was quoted to use it - it's like tar stuff that comes in a liquid and you put it on the sole of the foot and it dries into a tarmac type thing that is stuck to the foot so they don't feel stones etc...can't be any more specific than that I'm afraid as can't remeber the name and don't even know if it would work on an unshod horse, but maybe worth some investigation?
 
Thanks brightmount - they are exactly my misgivingsbut I will look into all options. He definately needs something doing at the moment as he is watching every step he takes. I have been looking at some boa boots which look really good, but will talk to yo and farrier.

Bean - I will ask the farrier if he has heard of this. He hates stoney ground and will walk around pebbles.

Thanks again.
 
I'd stay barefoot and use boots where required too. Personally I don't like Boa and would go for Old Macs. I also really like the simplicity of the easyboot gloves but haven't used them cos they don't make them big enough for my fella. What's his diet like, could it need tweaking especially with the spring grass coming through? Have a google of Nic Barker too - she's had success with rehabilitating navicular neds barefoot. Best of luck with keeping him sound
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Hi Ali - I've just looked at the old macs - they look fab. The price is making my eyes water, but I guess they last longer than shoes so it could work out cheaper. He is also a big lad, ID x and hooves like plates!

He is currently fed twice a day chaff, nuts and alfa beet, and he is on ad lib hayledge. He used to have the run of the yard until he sussed out that by going into the diy barn, he could eat all the dinners that were left out!!!
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Yeah, they are on the pricey side but we've had a set for two years now and they're still going strong so do work out OK in the long run
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Bean88, I think you might be thinking of Equipack or Equithane. Comes in a thing like a mastik gun and you "pipe" it into the foot onto a mesh, then put a polystyrene pad under the foot until it sets. Sorted out our tender-footed Irish TB last year a treat.
 
My suggestion is easywalkers. these are a plastic shoe which mimic the horses natural barefoot movement while giving all the support that a horse with naviculoar in work needs.

They are easy to find online and all the information is available. I am not sure since you say he has very large feet that they go large enough for him but it is worth discussing it with your farrier.
 
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