Treating navicular

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Gizmo4me

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Hi, my horse is 12 years old and never had a hard life, I've had him since he was 4. About 5 years ago he was diagnosed with navicular syndrome, which I dispute ! As I think he tore a ligament ! Although x-rays showed changes to the navicular bone in both feet it wasn't definitive that this was the cause of lameness. He had 2x Tildren treatments, several courses of cartrophen and bute / danillon. He had been sound for about 3 years then had intermittent lameness. About a month ago he went lame in his near fore and is still lame !!! We've tried bute etc, no difference once he's taken off, had a cortisone injection into the coffin joint and now started another course of cartrophen and having more Tildren !!! He is able to be ridden on 2x danillon a day and is sound on that.The vet has suggested de-nerving !! But I have asked for an MRI ( which I will have to pay for as no longer insured for navicular !) why do vets presume that any lameness in the foot is navicular ? I want reassurance that its not tissue damage that's causing the lameness. Any thoughts !!!
 
Ummm my first thought is whether this horse is , or was, shod??

Most navicular cases can be hugely improved by taking off the shoes as shoeing puts the navicular into an unnatural and weight bearing angle which it is just not designed to function as.

(barefoot isn't the answer for everything but with navicular its rare to find it massively improved without moving to no shoes being a part of the answer), since mobile x rays have highlighted the functional compromise for the navicular, many more nav horses have returned to an active life, whereas 30 -40 years ago it was regarded as the End.
 
I haven't ever thought of letting him go bare foot as if he treads on a stone he doesn't react favourably ! Also, it has taken about 3 years of feeding a hoof supplement to improve his hoof quality. He grows very little horn between shoeings but is shod every 6 weeks.but thanks for your suggestion, certainly something to consider
 
I really would consider it, hoof boots will make him comfy if he's sore for a while on stones but it will give his hoof structures relief, especially the navicular area.

Your comments about ligament damage are interesting as the two can be connected! If the horse is landing incorrectly toe first, there is massively more strain on tendons and ligaments, and the soft tissue damage to one or both of these (unless changes are made to remove shoes and move to a trim which allows and encourages a heel first more natural landing), is often followed by bone changes (classic navicular disease) later on (it used to be thought the bony changes came first which is why they thought shoeing wouldn't be the cause and not shoeing wouldn't have any effect)

This article is interesting on this subject
http://www.herefordequestrian.co.uk...s/going-barefoot-–-a-new-approach-to-healing/

So it could well be tissue damage that is causing the lameness, but this may be reversible by changing the approach to the hooves, MRI and x rays could show whether the damage has progressed to bony changes in which case the approach would be the same but would need to consider whether results would be as good. But certainly worth doing before even considering de nerving?
 
Barefoot ;)

I had two of mine pts because of navicular because I went with vet opinion. Knowing what I know now I wish I had a rewind button so I could have taken them barefoot.

It's said that the horses who struggle the most without shoes (& standing on stones etc) are the ones who need to be without shoes the most.

I'd suggest reading the Rockley Farm blog and contacting CPTrayes, Oberon and Heelfirst for advice, amongst others, although hopefully they'll be along soon to offer advice.
 
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=416024

The above thread may help.

I posted the question asking how barefoot people could say that taking shoes off could cure navicular. At this point I had a shod TB and had lost 2 shod horses with navicular.

I didn't get how these "whackadoodles" could go about saying taking shoes off could cure navicular. There's tildren, remedial shoes, etc and my vets told me that barefoot wouldn't and couldn't work.

After that thread I bought books by Pete Ramey, Jaime Jackson and Feet First by nic barker & Sarah Braithwaite. I read a lot online too.

Needless to say I'm a "whackadoodle" too now with a sound, barefoot ex racer TB who'd been shod since 16mths- he was 10 when I took them off so lots of damage to repair. As an aside my previous vets wrote him off; said not suitable as a riding horse and that he (TB's in general) NEED shoes. Funny that he's a sound and in ridden work barefoot.

Noone can force this on you; you have to want to do it as it's hard going. All I can suggest is finding out as much as possible.

All the lightbulbs pinged when I was reading the books I mentioned above. It made complete sense. I'd considered myself well educated on foot care/health, shoeing and navicular. Reading those books completely turned everything on it's head. Before I'd finished them all I wanted to pull the shoes off with my bare hands!
 
Start here and read other articles on the site. I also recommend James Rooney's book The Lame Horse if you want more scientific and technical information in a readable format. http://www.hoofrehab.com/NavicularSyndrome.htm

ps. I don't believe true navicular disease can be cured but the horse can often become happy and comfortable and the bony damage doesn't seem to cause a problem.
 
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Thanks everyone, looks like I've got lots of reading to do. I don't know if we have any reputable bare foot specialists in my area, sand hurst, Berkshire. !
 
Theres a UKNHCP one listed for Berkshire (UKNHCP trimmers are properly insured and one of the couple of respected trimming organisations). Haven't used her personally tho use one governed by same organisation in Aberdeenshire and have been very very happy.m

Might be worth asking for any opinions on the regional board, also of suggestions for farriers who are also proper barefoot trimmers as there are some of these jewels around, just too few!

Liz Chapman
http://www.shoefree.co.uk/
 
My mare was diagnosed with navicular last year (TB with 'poor' feet), went barefoot against vet/farrier advice, doing fab, jumping etc. Please, please consider it....contact me if you want a blow by blow account :)
best of luck x
 
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