Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular

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Subject : Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 10:01:00 AM

Just interested. My horse is off for x rays next week as we have a lameness that no one can explain.



Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : lau+G
Date : 10.12.03 10:06:00 AM

My friends horse Lady has navicular (not badly) but she clearly points her front legs sometimes. We now shoe her with pads and the lameness has gone though she can be stiff to begin with. She has to have bute to be shod though that is partly cause she is arthritic behind also. However she still competes regularly at the age of about 20 years and jumps 1m20 with ease though she seems to prefer to jump indoors than on grass and we generally give her bute the night before.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Roz
Date : 10.12.03 10:09:00 AM

I know that Boz is going through this with her lovely horse at the moment, she's had years of lameness and has had various opinions on it.

Might be worth posting for her attention, I know that she's in the process of waiting for Chris Day (homeopathic vet) to come out and see what he can do to help her boy.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Roz
Date : 10.12.03 10:10:00 AM

Beccy, I've just realised it's you, do you think there's a chance your boy has got navicular, I really hope not, fingers crossed (and everything else) for you.

Big Hugs

Roz


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 10:12:00 AM

Roz, it's Beccy from HSBC!!

Yes Oscar has been on and off lame for 4 weeks now, no pus in the foot that we can find, nerve blocks he went sound, long story, but booked in for x rays next week, so fingers crossed it is something else not Navicualar.

I am afraid i will not be able to compete and he will never make the jumping grade or dressage as well as i would have liked.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Roz
Date : 10.12.03 10:22:00 AM

Beccy will email you via our lovely employer!


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 10.12.03 10:26:00 AM

I have been on a lot of threads about this and if you want to e-mail me direct you can.
My horse is 20 years old with navicular and ringbone & he is fine
I hope it is not navicular but if it is please don't be too despondent as there is lots that can be done.
My horse was diagnosed 3 years ago , he is still ridden, ocassionally jumps and bute and drug free.
take care


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : lora
Date : 10.12.03 10:27:00 AM

ooops [e-mail]


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Clare with Esme
Date : 10.12.03 10:45:00 AM

Please, have a look at the web site www.barefoothorse.com under more topics. Particularly if your horses feet have under-slung heels?


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : boz
Date : 10.12.03 10:59:00 AM

My horse has just been diagnosed as having chronic navicular - it has taken 3 years to get this diagnosis and I have to say my opinion of the veterinary profession is at an all time low. very little can be done for Falco as he has great feet. If he had low slung with long toes then remedial shoeing would help but not him.

I am currently waiting for Chris Day to see him - about an hours time - to see what he has to say about him. Fingers crossed we can find some way of giving him a happy retirement. Falco owes me nothing, he is 16 and I have had him 12 years - he has taken me from a novice rider to affiliated eventing and affiliated showjumping. He has won at gymnkahna games, side saddle and fancy dress. He is only a 15'2 cob but has the heart of a lion. I hope I can make him comfortable and we have many happy years together.

Good luck with your diagnosis. Fight the vets to make them make a diagnosis. If I had got more forceful instead of beleiving them i would have been able to get Falco comfortable much sooner. They are not gods, despite what they think.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Boz
Date : 10.12.03 10:59:00 AM

Lora


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Boz
Date : 10.12.03 11:00:00 AM

Lora please can you email me on:[e-mail]

I am trying to get as much information as I can about navicular to see if there is anything else I can do to help falco


THanks

Jacqui


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Roz to Boz
Date : 10.12.03 11:03:00 AM

Jacqui, just wanted to say I really really hope Chris Day can help Falco, will you let me know what he says, you can get me at work on 0117 929 6567 or on the mobile after work (4pm onwards).

Have everything crossed for you and Falco.

Big Hugs

Roz


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 10.12.03 11:12:00 AM

HI Boz,

I will e-mail you shortly, Chris Day really helped my horse, as I say he is sound and bute free. What more could I ask for?
L
xxx


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 11:14:00 AM

Boz, i am a colleague of Roz's. Oscar is only 5, it has not yet been confirmed, but this time next week he shall be having the x rays and the vets will hopefully come up with a conclusion to the intermittent lameness.

This will be devestating news for me if he does have Navicular at such a young age and for a horse who has so much potential and scope.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 11:16:00 AM

lora - i have e-mailed you.

Beccy


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : DJ
Date : 10.12.03 11:28:00 AM

It is sad that you horses have or may have navicular which as far as I'm aware is a man made problem. In I'm opium giving you horse butte so you can ride it is not right and it is not helping the problem it is just masking the symptoms. You should think of tacking the shoes off and having the feet trim by some one how knows how to treat the problem in a more natural way. I would look at the mineral baleens in you horses diet as it can affect lots of thing and may help. Good luck


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : CatherineB
Date : 10.12.03 11:32:00 AM

Definitely agree with Clare-with-Esme - have a look at the www.barefoothorse.com site and find out as much as you can about hoof balance in domestic and wild horses (see stuff by Jaime Jackson, KC La Pierre, Robert Bowker as well). There are lots of barefoot email groups on yahoo which are worth reading and there are lots of barefoot and/or navicular threads on here if you do a search.

Very often a "good" hoof is still very differently balanced from a wild horse hoof and some horses just can't cope with the shapes we impose on them.

My horse didn't develop navicular but did develop arthritis in his shoulders through "good farriery". If I hadn't looked into the various ways of going barefoot I dread to think where we would be now.

Important thing to remember is that no-one yet has all the answers (farrier, vet, research, barefoot trimmer, the lot). If what your vet is telling you isn't satisfactory then you will have to do a lot of research for yourselves. It is probably worth doing this anyway.

Good luck

Catherine


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 11:33:00 AM

Thank you for your knid words.

My horse has had no bute as yet and i would not give him that to ride, i am afraid to say that if it is diagnosed he would be put to sleep, he would not cope with having this and would go downhill very quickly, he is only 5 and is a rebel and does not know how to stop, he would get worse quickly.

He is Cytek shod, only recently and this should assist the blood supply to the foot area, which is the main cause of Navicular syndrome, lack of blood supply, Cytek shoes are assisting in this.




Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From :
Date : 10.12.03 11:42:00 AM

Beccy
Before anybody attacks you for the route you intend to take in the event of a diagnosis of navicular may I just say that I respect you for it. It is a very hard decision to make but in such cases is sometimes the best, I know of a horse who has been through 3 years of chronic pain, very rarely relieved and the owner insists on keeping it going. She may fel better but the horse has had no life for those 3 years. I hope you get a clear diagnosis and you don't need to make the decision but do if you do you have all my sympathy, it's a rotten thing to have to do but sometimes the best thing.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From :
Date : 10.12.03 11:42:00 AM

Have you tried navilox and bioflow boots (placed on front legs), both should improve the circulation.

Please don't give up yet, many horses return to a useful working life. It may not be what you want for him but other people would be able to give him pleasure and get pleasure from him.

I had a horse that was diagnosed with navic at 7 and he lived to be 25 and it wasn't the navic that ended his life. Please reconsider, I know how traumatising it must be for you but try the options and get a second opinion

xxx


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 11:52:00 AM

How helpful you all are at this hard time...

I am not going to say that is the route i would take, as i don't know how i will feel if that is the diagnosis, but my first thought was god i can't sit and watch Oscar go through this awful thing and watch him get worse. I understand that many horses lead a happy normal life, but i don't think Oscar will cope with it well at all and would get very bad very quickly, i can't do that to him.




Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From :
Date : 10.12.03 12:22:00 AM

up


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 10.12.03 1:11:00 PM

Beccy,

Yes the cytek should help your horse as they have mine. even if you want to go barefoot in the future they can help with the transitional process and they certainly helped my horse.
There is a number of other things you can do as well and yes bioflow boots may help too.
as I posted earlier if you want to e-mail me we can have a chat, as there is plenty that can be done.
all the best


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 10.12.03 1:12:00 PM

Lora i have e mailed you


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Bee
Date : 10.12.03 3:19:00 PM

Do A google search on Gallium Nitrate for navicular, maybe some light at the end of the tunnel, I've not looked at it in detail though


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : flojo
Date : 10.12.03 3:33:00 PM

found this on site about gallium nitrate- just do a google search and it is first or second to come up:

QUESTION: What results from the clinical trial can you report at this time?

ANSWER: There are several findings.

First, aluminum shoes prevent the horse from becoming sound.
Second, horses become sound using gallium nitrate over a few months, not overnight (as all of us want)! Some horses need gallium nitrate for only a few months and do not relapse for many months. Others, perhaps the more seriously diseased, need to stay on a gallium nitrate protocol to remain sound.
Third, no toxicity or adverse side effects have been reported.
Fourth, gallium nitrate appears to have utility in treating other horse disorders including founder, leg impact injuries and arthritis.

I have experienced looking after a mare who was diagnosed with navicular- had decent hooves but possibly slightly too long. Refused to have her on bute whilst i looked after her. Now she is on bute and boy who rides her wants to start show jumping her when she hasnt done for years- as far as i can see, is asking for trouble, grrrr!


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 10.12.03 4:09:00 PM

sorry Beccy but I have not received your e-mail.. unless my server is down would you send it again?
cheers.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Susan
Date : 10.12.03 5:42:00 PM

Beccy knows I am routing for her through this.

I am first replying to Boz, I told Beccy today there is an extremely good book out there called
Navicular Syndrome Explained, cant remember the author.
But it so useful and eye opener to the fact much of this issues is caused by man, as someone has said.
Wrong balance and incorrect support.
be it through shoeing or barefoot, if the basic isnt right then its a downhill spiral.

It seems such a small thing to expect a farrier who you put your trust in can so often mess up your horses life, and not do a correct balanced job for the horse which is what it is all about.

I have also said to Beccy, vets get it wrong. The Syndrome is called so, as its a pain in the foot area and they have difficulty if diagnosing correct.

I am sure we will get the bottom of this and Oscar will go on to have a long life enjoy what he knows best FUN.

Its the unknown and limbo land that is difficult to deal with, but we dont have to accept the first diagnoses and except it all lying down. I know anon posts admires her saying she wont put him through too much in seeking an answer. That is her choice and will be as she is his owner.
Fingers crossed for a positive outcome to this.
One point I remindered her today was when the Cyteks were put on, he was suffereing very sore feet and soft soles from before. Here may be a insight to the whole picture.

Time will tell and in the mean time she can seek more insight to it all and use this as a learning curve of knowledge gained.

Good Luck To Beccy and Oscar





Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : coldicote lyn
Date : 10.12.03 7:45:00 PM

My very beautiful 6yo Holstein gelding has got horrific navicular xrays ~ it looks like someone has taken a shotgun for his navicular bone. He has been on 2 bute a day, egg bars, natural balance, cytek and nothing worked, he has every global herb supplement, navilox, twydil PMC, shockwave. He isn't hopping, he is just isn't sound 1-2/10 lame, reluctant to take any stride other than shortened, he is bilaterally lame. I would love dearly to have a cure for this very beautiful and talented horse but I can't see any other alternative to a neurectomy and a life stabled 24/7, and is that a fair life for him?

[Admin]

Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Bee
Date : 10.12.03 9:40:00 PM

Hi Lyn, a neurectomy may not be so bad, I worked with a hunt horse who was de nerved at the age of 4, and was still hunting at the age of 22, he had summers barefoot on grass and was shod with shoes and pads for work, also have a look at gallium as a last resort.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Info from Liphook Equine Hospital that may help
Date : 11.12.03 6:00:00 AM

"Navicular ‘disease’ is really a group of related conditions affecting the navicular bone and associated structures in the foot. There are several possible causes of pain in and around the navicular bone.

Anatomy of the navicular region

The navicular bone is a small flattened bone, which lies across the back of the coffin joint. It attaches to the pedal bone via a short strong ligament (the impar ligament) and to the pastern joint by ‘suspensory’ ligaments. The deep digital flexor tendon runs over the lower surface of the navicular bone, which acts somewhat like a ‘pulley’ and between these lies a small pocket of fluid, the navicular bursa, which acts like a ‘cushion’ between the tendon and its ‘pulley’.

What causes navicular disease?

At present, the exact primary cause of Navicular Syndrome is not known. Damage to the navicular bone may occur due to interference with blood supply or trauma to the bone. Damage can occur to the deep flexor tendon, navicular bursa, or navicular ligaments all resulting in pain and lameness.

What are the symptoms?

Navicular disease affects the front feet of horses (rarely ponies) causing a low grade bilateral lameness, which usually progresses slowly. The lameness might only occur from time to time or when the horse is exercised on hard ground or in a small circle. In some cases, one foot is affected more than the other causing an obvious lameness. Affected horses may stand with the more painful foot in front of the other (pointing).

How is navicular disease diagnosed?

Diagnosis is based on a combination of history, symptoms, nerve blocks and radiography. A history of intermittent low grade or recurrent lameness is suggestive of navicular disease. Affected horses often appear to place the toe down first, as if trying not to put weight on their heels, and the lameness is worse on the inside leg on a circle. Injection of local anaesthetic (nerve block) around the nerves to the back half of the foot and/or into the navicular bursa will improve or alleviate the lameness associated with navicular disease. Some cases also improve when the coffin joint (P2/P3, distal phalangeal or DIP joint) is blocked. Radiographs (x-ray pictures) may reveal damage to the navicular bone but bone changes can be difficult to interpret, as there are differing opinions on what is ‘normal’. Navicular syndrome can exist without demonstrable radiographic abnormality.

What treatments are available?

Navicular disease can be treated but rarely cured. Corrective trimming and shoeing is important to ensure level foot fall and foot balance. Often a rolled toe egg bar shoe is used to encourage early break over at the toe and good heel support. Medication such as phenylbutazone will elevate pain in many cases and enable work to be resumed. Long term treatment with substances such as isoxsuprine and aspirin may improve blood supply to the navicular bone and improve the condition of the bone. Warfarin used to be a popular treatment. It ‘thins’ the blood and seems to help some horses although its use can predispose to excessive bleeding after injury.

Long term desensitisation of the back of the foot can be achieved by performing a neurectomy to cut the heel nerves. This treatment should only be considered as a last resort and then only in full recognition of the implications. Post operative complications are common and include rupture of the deep flexor tendon, painful inflammation of the cut nerve endings (neuromas) and damage to the foot which goes unnoticed by horse and owner. Treatment options can be discussed in detail with your veterinary surgeon.

Can navicular disease be prevented?

Horses with all foot shapes can develop navicular disease. Maintaining good foot balance and heel support can help to prevent many foot lamenesses. However not enough is known about the exact cause of navicular disease for prevention to be guaranteed."



Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 11.12.03 9:04:00 AM

Thank you all once again for the info, i had a quick read through the liphook article the other day and that helped and gave me a more positive outlook on Navicular.

I am going to have to wait for a conclusion next week and i will let you all know asap what is said.

I am in between still thinking of trying alternative remedies etc or having Oscar put to sleep (which is not what i want, but to see my baby suffer and be in pain would be so so hard!).

Lora - I sent the e-mail again, a really long one, check your computer and i will do again....

Susan - you are a glimmer of hope in my dark days (she is positive!!!).

I am hoping that this will all be over soon and i can get back to normal, riding my horse and enjoying life, cos at the moment it aint to bright!!

Fingers crossed for Beccy and Oscar.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 11.12.03 10:38:00 AM

Hi Beccy,

There maybe a problem with our server although IT says not!
Can you forward your e-mail to me on my home one cheers.

[e-mail]


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 11.12.03 10:51:00 AM

Lora - i am going to e-mail you now at the other e-mail address.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 11.12.03 12:05:00 AM

I have e-mailed you, unsure if you are able to read this now or when you are at home.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 11.12.03 12:09:00 AM

Hi Beccy I shall read it when I am home this afternoon will reply as soon as I can, :0) hence young daughter running around not helping.

will do what I can.. sorry My mail here seems to be up the swanny!


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 11.12.03 12:29:00 AM

Lora - no worries. I am at work until 5pm today, so if no reply then i will tomorrow.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 11.12.03 3:54:00 PM

Lora - that other e-mail address has come back to my computer with a delivery failure.

I have been sending other e-mails ok today, don't quite understand why i can't send any to you.

I will try again tomorrow.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : June
Date : 11.12.03 4:39:00 PM

One of my horses was diagnosed with navicular when she was 12. We tried various remedies eg egg bar shoes, rolled toes and pads but nothing worked and we decided to retire her. A friend had suggested trying her in Cytek shoes so we did that and then turned her away for a while. She did not come sound immediately the Cytek shoes were put on but by the third set of Cytek shoes she was sound. 6 months later we bought her back into work slowly. She is 15 now and still going strong. She plays polo but we only use her for winter polo which is played in an arena where we can guarantee that the ground is soft. She is completely sound and not on any medication.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Susan
Date : 11.12.03 10:48:00 PM

Its strange how so much more Navicular is now mentioned and so called diagnosed by vets.
Not sure why more of it or more is now spoke of. Perhaps the internet has that to answer for as we all communicate so much more.

But what is so good to hear is that all these good tales of how well the owner has got that horse and what they are doing with it now, many many have a life and many have full lives, although the vet made it sound like the kiss of death.

I try hard to be a positive person, even if I have the bad baggage in me.

It appears many are like minded.

We dont give up easily.







Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : liz-horsetalk
Date : 12.12.03 7:53:00 AM

Beccy,

not sure if this helps but it's something that I have on file :

The Dreaded Navicular Word.

Lameness isn’t always easy to diagnose. If your vet is puzzled at first, there is no need to jump to the conclusion it is the dreaded navicular disease. X-rays will usually confirm any presence of navacuiar disease.

NOT every case of lameness can be diagnosed by a simple examination of the horse.
In fact, in most of the cases of lame horses examined, the precise cause of the lameness cannot be confirmed at the first consultation, which usually takes place at the owner’s stable or field.
Of course there are some types of lameness which can readily be diagnosed - a foot abscess, for instance, or a corn. In these cases we can find the source of the pain or tenderness by carefully paring the foot, or by squeezing the sole with a pair of hoof testers, which are like a big pair of pincers.
But for every straightforward case of lameness like this vets see at least as many in which the lameness is either more vague, or the exact site of the discomfort is much more difficult to discover.
In these cases it is often found that the initial examination gives a good idea of what the problem may be, but that other tests and procedures are needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Is it navicular?

Most vets when called to a lame horse and can’t find the exact cause of the problem, but are fairly sure that the trouble lies in the pastern or foot, the owner will frequently ask, usually with a hint of fear or despondency, "Is it navicular?"

It seems that most horse owners have heard about this condition and many seem to live in dread of their horse becoming a victim of this infamous aliment. The disease has a sinister reputation, and yet it is only one of many possible causes of forelimb lameness, so most advise the worried client to wait and see what further investigations reveal.
Vettry to localise the exact source of pain in the affected limb by a series of nerve blocks. The idea is quite simple; use tiny injections of local anaesthetic to deaden different parts of the lame leg, by deadening or "blocking" the nerves which give each part of the leg its feeling.
This is exactly the same technique which your dentist uses to deaden different parts of your mouth for a filling or tooth repair. If the horse becomes sound when a particular part of the leg or foot is deadened then it is known that the pain must be coming from that area and the vet can then concentrate on that area to find the precise problem.
In performing a series of nerve blocks to investigate lameness, these are always started at the bottom of the limb and work upwards. This is because each succeeding block will deaden all of the leg below the point of injection.
As it happens, the first nerve block usually performed is the one which deadens the navicular bone at the back of the foot. If the horse starts the investigation quite noticably lame as trotted up in hand, but then the lameness is abolished by blocking out the back of the foot, there may then have been good reason to suspect navicular disease. The final confirmation, however, can only be made by X-raying the feet, because the nerve block also deadens other structures around the site of the navicular bone, and it is possible that one of these may be causing the lameness.

What is navicular disease?

The navicular bone is a small, boat-shaped bone which is tucked in behind the coffin joint at the back of the foot. This little bone seems to act as a sort of pulley, around which the deep flexor tendon runs before it joins onto the back of the bone of the foot - the pedal bone.

Navicular disease is a condition in which there is a reduction in blood supply to the back of the foot, and particularly to the navicular bone itself. This failure in the blood supply leads to a kind of crumbling and weakening of the bone and eventually causes a roughening of the surface.

What are the symptoms ?

Although vets now know what seems to be happening in navicular disease, they are by no means sure why it is happening.

The kind of lameness caused by this condition is often predictable. It usually affects horses, rather than ponies, and may start as shortening of the stride in both front feet. Sometimes it is much more noticeable in one foot than the other, but it is more common for both feet to be affected and for the horse to become "pottery" in his front legs, that is, to take short, shuffling steps at the walk and trot.

If one foot is worse than the other and the horse appears lame in, say, the left fore leg, when we block out the navicular bone on that side, he may go lame on the right fore, which shows that he is in fact having trouble with both, but that the left is worse than the right.

The onset is usually gradual and owners will sometimes ring and ask for a vet visit, explaining that they think their horse is going lame, but that he has good days and bad days.

Careful questioning will usually reveal that the patient is a bit lame as he comes out of his box or as he starts work, but that the
lameness then wears off. He is much worse however if he has had a hard day the day before.

All of these snippets of information are of great to the vet as he takes a history of the case, and they show once again how important it is for you to be able to describe exactly what has been going on.

As well as getting a good history, the vet will want to examine the feet very carefully. Because navicular disease affects the back of the feet, and because there appears to be a problem with the blood supply to this area, the heels of affected feet often contract or grow together, so that the foot is narrow at the back and appears square or blocky in shape.

If your vet gets as far as examining the horse, nerve blocking him and then X-raying him, what exactly is s/he looking for on the X-ray plates?
In the early stages only tiny shadows on the bottom border of the bone will show on the x-ryas and these require a great deal of very careful assessment before making the final diagnosis. In more advanced cases there will be unmistakable patches and blotches on the pictures which represent bone crumbling or ulcers and extra new bone along the edges. These cases are much easier to be sure about.

Sometimes vets are often asked to X-ray navicular bones in horses with no lameness. For instance, for a client who intends to buy a new horse and wants to make sure that there is nothing brewing in the feet. This may present real difficulties for the vet, because quite a lot of normal horses have little marks on their navicular bones which look very like the start of the disease. Most of these horses will probably never develop the disease, but finding these marks puts the vet in a real dilemma: should he regard them as significant or not? Most will probably err on the side of caution.

Is there a cure?

Once navicular disease is established and diagnosed, it is not the uncurable problem which it used to be. As a result of a great deal of research in many countries, both vets and farriers now have a much better chance of controlling and even curing the disease.

To begin with, always pay particular attention to the shape of the foot and with the help of a good farrier, take time to correct any imbalance or overgrowth of the foot. With successive trimming and corrective shoeing, many contracted or badly shaped feet with navicular disease can be returned to a much more normal shape.

Secondly you can try one of the courses of treatment which are aimed at improving the blood supply to the back of the foot. These are usually given as powder or paste in the food. The results are not immediate, and the course of treatment usually last several weeks, but many horses respond well to these treatments and come sound after a little while. Some of them will need further regular courses of therapy in the future, others will remain sound without anymore treatment, providing they are carefully shod.

In some cases it appears that surgery may be possible to treat the condition, and several surgeons both in Britain and abroad are trying this line of treatment.

Navicular disease is serious, and it is quite common, but it is no longer hopeless. Many cases can be successfully treated, and as more and more is discovered about this strange condition then it may be possible to prevent it as well as treat it.







Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 12.12.03 8:48:00 AM

Liz - Horsetalk - thank you for that information.

I will keep you all informed.

Susan - i know you are xmas shopping today, but if you do read this i will call Mark tonight to discuss the shoe removal.

Beccy D


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Lora
Date : 12.12.03 9:47:00 AM

Beccy,

still not getting your E-mail I am at home all day today so if you want to try again:
[e-mail]

hopefully hear from you soon.


Subject : re:- Anyone had or got a horse with Navicular
From : Beccy D
Date : 12.12.03 9:58:00 AM

Lora - will try again in a mo.