Anyone know about Navicular?

[harleydales]

I work for a charity and we have a horse ready to go out on laon who has navicular. If he's shod correctly (for navicular) he's OK, if he's barefoot he's sore.

I'm thinking this horse might be OK for my young friend....who really wants to do hacking and schooling, not a lot of jumping and no competition. He's 11 years old, 16hh and Arab x HIS.

Can anyone enlighten me as to the finer points of navicular? I've looked it up on the net etc but you can't beat first hand knowledge.

Thanks,
Jane

[jojoebony]

I think the name "navicular" has a huge range of meanings. I understand there is true Navicular Disease but there are also a range of non-specific lamenesses in the foot which are grouped as Navicular Syndrome.
My boy has problems in this area and goes lame whenever he is put into light work. However, I used to care for a 14 year old Quarter Horse who had had navicular for 6 years. He was kept perfectly sound with a range of management techniques.
I would suggest, if you can, that you get a bit more info on the diagnosis.
Jo

[harleydales]

Thanks, Jo.
It's only in 1 front hoof, and I thought Navicular tended to be in both.
As long as he is shod, he's OK, but he's hopeless barefoot.
If he's shod he's a happy active hack and loves to be out and about.

I wonder if it's a mild lameness without a specific cause and has been labelled Navicular just to give it a name.

[mickey]

Has he been xrayed? Id be very cautious but its down to past experience- I had a horse on loan that had navicular and was restricted to work on a surface. We provided bute for him but looking back now Im not sure he was getting enough... he was fairly pottery and got to the point where he tripped over in walk and threw me- luckily sidewards. I didnt ride him again.
A lot of lameness tends to be labelled navicular but having had an unsound horse for so long now if there was the slightest possibilty that I know about it going lame in the future Id walk away. I know any horse could go lame but going through arthritis with Mickey, I wouldnt put myself through it again.
I probably sound really harsh and off topic but its how I feel having had Spike on loan then Mickey.
I also believe navicular tends to be degenerative and gets worse? Could be wrong. Though if the horse hasnt been xrayed Id do that 1st to check it definately is navicular.

[bevbob]

My friends horse was intermitently lame for over 2 years, he was nerve blocked, x-rayed, scanned, you name it he had it. He had remedial shoes for a year and all this was before they diagnosed him. He ended up being on bute every day and in the end couldnt be ridden.
He was Pts. just over a year ago.
I feel it isnt a thing that will get better........only worse. I believe its degenerative too Emily.
If it were me I would avoid it....sorry.

[harleydales]

If he was to buy, then I would deffo walk away very fast. But as he's on loan from the charity it does change it a bit as there's no initial outlay. Since he's been correctly shod and his feet kept properly, he's been sound. He's not shod at the moment and is sound in walk and trot (which is all she's done so far since she got him back to the yard).
We're going to see him today and I'm going to have a good old feel of his fetlocks to see if there's any thickening etc.

[harleydales]

If he was to buy, then I would deffo walk away very fast. But as he's on loan from the charity it does change it a bit as there's no initial outlay. Since he's been correctly shod and his feet kept properly, he's been sound. He's not shod at the moment and is sound in walk and trot (which is all she's done so far since she got him back to the yard).
We're going to see him today and I'm going to have a good old feel of his fetlocks to see if there's any thickening etc.

[harveydales]

I think you are right Jane, as he is oin loan from a charity it is worth givng him a chance. You will know when you seee him and try him out. Will they let you have a months trial?

A friend of mine recently put her 17yo CB cross our on loan. He has a "navicular type" problem, can't cope barefoot and can't take competitive dressage now but has had a new lease of life in his loan home, just hacking around and duing RC type stuff. The gentle, consistant exersise has helped his problem I think.

Fingers crossed it works out for you.

[Debbie]

Mickey is thoroughly right in this case, the x rays would be the first port of call. With them, you'd get a very good idea of what's truly going on inside with the bone structure.

With true navicular, its not a pretty picture. It is a degenerative disease that will only get worse. You can try the denerving, but it does not last for long, and essentially you would end up with a horse that couldn't feel its foot. Not exactly a safe mount.

Navicular is a catchall for other problems, though, so it might not be true navicular. Surely the charity have done the work on him, and as you say, he is sound. And I'd be shocked if at any point she couldn't return him to the charity if his condition worsened.

I'm sure you'll be a better judge, though, having him right in front of you. Follow your instincts, and see how he travels, and reacts with your friend.