Thank you. I'm working to rehab a horse that was going to be euthanized. He's only 9, I begged the owner to bring him to me. I've had him 2 months. Now he's barefoot, he has an in/out stall on a large pasture, and he has a friend. I've weaned him off all the drugs, except for the Previcox and I changed his diet. In his previous life, everything you touched on, applied. Over the last 5 yrs, his owner, trainers, vets and farrier have done everything, money was not an object. He was a high end show horse. He'll never be sound or rideable. I'm ok with him being a pasture ornament as long as he's comfortable and happy. He's a great horse. I don't want to lose him to this disease.
Hi Lindsay, my new boy just showing signs of potential bilateral navicular after nerve blocks so MRI scheduled next week. Shoes have been off for six months and up until now, he’s been coping well. All of what you’ve said makes perfect sense and I’m not unduly concerned about what will show up. Feel confident that structures within the feet are now moving and trying to adjust to a new normal. As I have the option to have an MRI I’m taking it as need to rule out extensive pathology, otherwise I’m sure I can get him right with the barefoot protocol as I’ve done before. Thank you for the comprehensive educational podcasts 🙂
A really good positive attitude - regard it as a sports injury and it will take time to repair. Keep on the road of the species-specific diet and management and natural trim and you have the best chance ever of rehabbing your horse 💪
Drugs! UGH!!! My 11 yo ‘dream horse’ (QH mare) was diagnosed with “Navicular”. She was in my life for 2 years. Her previous owner used her for Drill Team and parades. She was always shod. On the very day the vet diagnosed her (rads, blocks, observation, etc) she (the vet) suggested I try the drug OsPhos. What did I have to lose?? If my vet suggested it and maybe her bones could / would re-model - by golly, it was worth a try! She then gave Dazz a ‘routine’ shot of Banamine. Then 3 shots of OsPhos. Because she was in a hurry (she had a big vacation scheduled and lots of horses to get to so she could clear her calendar) … she left. Loooong story short - never mix Banamine with OsPhos… it says so in the teeeny tiny print on the package insert - the one nobody reads and vets are supposed to memorize. My horse went into kidney failure. 10 days in a specialized equine clinic (all out of pocket - no insurance - $$$$$$$$$$$) - and I lost her. That’s my navicular story. Thank you Lindsay for this lesson and for all of your teachings. When we know better we can do better. ~ Maya Angelou 🌺
No compensation at all. I could have sued the original vet / hospital I suppose but I didn’t want to carry that anger. I also didn’t want to go after the vet who made the big mistake as she was quite young - all I could hope for was that she learned from her mistake and became a better veterinarian because of it. I, myself, was beyond devastated. I actually moved to another state. (CA to MT - USA). In my unresolved grief I rushed into getting a replacement horse. That’s how I ended up with my current horse - this time a horse with pedal osteitis. He is my spoiled pasture pet for now. I’m on the lookout for a riding horse but I’m in no hurry anymore. I simply cannot make the same mistake(s) myself.
I bought a 7 year old who had never been shown and only ridden very lightly and he was outside barefoot, 24/7. He has navicular. His feet and teeth were never done consistently or properly. He was alone in a flat/muddy field with a round bale. All of these factors I’m certain have led him to this diagnosis. So I think there are multiple contributing factors outside of competition horses. Movement and posture is a huge piece that was missing for my guy since he was alone and likely stood at the hay bale all day long. On top of whoever was doing his feet did not acknowledge his grade 1 club foot so didn’t trim accordingly. I’ve had him for two years and after dealing with intermittent lameness have finally gotten a diagnosis. He’ll likely just be a pasture pet for the rest of his life but I am still going to do everything in my power to get him to a comfortable place!
If you want to try everything in your power for him now, get him on a track with mixed species hays, no rye or alfalfa, no bagged feeds etc, with company, and keep his feet trimmed to his constant of the HSP - that is doing the best for him :)
Wow! Gosh, this all makes such sense. Definitely a lot of food for thought and thank you so much. I have looked into some of these things but definitely not the writing part and as a relatively new owner, I have no doubt that my own riding/tack/etc. And his posture, which I do not know how to teach, and I don’t know that he was ever taught or helped with before I purchased him may be contributing to my boy’s navicular. I definitely want to know more about this false collection and correct collection and how to identify and teach it
Many ponies are given the wrong trim and we do see an awful lot of them with rotation, and coke can feet too. But larger horses do get rotation too. Incorrect trimming is everywhere, and educating owners to be aware is one of our primary focuses.
Thanks for this. I just got a horse in training with navicular and it is not common in the breeds (Morgan, saddlebred) or disciplines (saddleseat, western pleasure, hunter pleasure, pleasure driving) that I work with and show in so I definitely learned a lot from this. The owner of the horse seems to think the horse is sound but I am not entirely convinced (the horse frequently stops and won’t go forward, counter canters and cross canters frequently and has a twist in the hind legs when it walks) so I have said I won’t ride the horse until I can get her muscled up and fix those issues. Do you have any suggestions on specific ground exercises that would help her?
Firstly check the hooves and make sure there is no thrush causing pain and weakness in the back of the foot. If there is, which is usual for horses who present with navicular syndrome, then treat that first. Once the hooves are being treated and they are trimmed and balanced correctly, then the horse will begin to feel more comfortable loading the back of the foot, then it is just a case as exercise as usual - but build up more slowly while the foot heals.
Thank you.
I'm working to rehab a horse that was going to be euthanized. He's only 9, I begged the owner to bring him to me. I've had him 2 months.
Now he's barefoot, he has an in/out stall on a large pasture, and he has a friend. I've weaned him off all the drugs, except for the Previcox and I changed his diet.
In his previous life, everything you touched on, applied.
Over the last 5 yrs, his owner, trainers, vets and farrier have done everything, money was not an object. He was a high end show horse.
He'll never be sound or rideable. I'm ok with him being a pasture ornament as long as he's comfortable and happy.
He's a great horse.
I don't want to lose him to this disease.
Think about taking our foundation courses in horse & hoof care, start with the 15-day challenge: bit.ly/15-Day-Hoof-Challenge
Hi Lindsay, my new boy just showing signs of potential bilateral navicular after nerve blocks so MRI scheduled next week. Shoes have been off for six months and up until now, he’s been coping well. All of what you’ve said makes perfect sense and I’m not unduly concerned about what will show up. Feel confident that structures within the feet are now moving and trying to adjust to a new normal. As I have the option to have an MRI I’m taking it as need to rule out extensive pathology, otherwise I’m sure I can get him right with the barefoot protocol as I’ve done before. Thank you for the comprehensive educational podcasts 🙂
A really good positive attitude - regard it as a sports injury and it will take time to repair. Keep on the road of the species-specific diet and management and natural trim and you have the best chance ever of rehabbing your horse 💪
Drugs! UGH!!! My 11 yo ‘dream horse’ (QH mare) was diagnosed with “Navicular”. She was in my life for 2 years. Her previous owner used her for Drill Team and parades. She was always shod.
On the very day the vet diagnosed her (rads, blocks, observation, etc) she (the vet) suggested I try the drug OsPhos. What did I have to lose?? If my vet suggested it and maybe her bones could / would re-model - by golly, it was worth a try! She then gave Dazz a ‘routine’ shot of Banamine. Then 3 shots of OsPhos. Because she was in a hurry (she had a big vacation scheduled and lots of horses to get to so she could clear her calendar) … she left.
Loooong story short - never mix Banamine with OsPhos… it says so in the teeeny tiny print on the package insert - the one nobody reads and vets are supposed to memorize. My horse went into kidney failure. 10 days in a specialized equine clinic (all out of pocket - no insurance - $$$$$$$$$$$) - and I lost her. That’s my navicular story.
Thank you Lindsay for this lesson and for all of your teachings. When we know better we can do better. ~ Maya Angelou 🌺
Oh dear I am so sorry to hear this sad story. Did you get any compensation for this error?
No compensation at all. I could have sued the original vet / hospital I suppose but I didn’t want to carry that anger. I also didn’t want to go after the vet who made the big mistake as she was quite young - all I could hope for was that she learned from her mistake and became a better veterinarian because of it.
I, myself, was beyond devastated. I actually moved to another state. (CA to MT - USA). In my unresolved grief I rushed into getting a replacement horse. That’s how I ended up with my current horse - this time a horse with pedal osteitis. He is my spoiled pasture pet for now. I’m on the lookout for a riding horse but I’m in no hurry anymore. I simply cannot make the same mistake(s) myself.
I bought a 7 year old who had never been shown and only ridden very lightly and he was outside barefoot, 24/7. He has navicular. His feet and teeth were never done consistently or properly. He was alone in a flat/muddy field with a round bale. All of these factors I’m certain have led him to this diagnosis. So I think there are multiple contributing factors outside of competition horses. Movement and posture is a huge piece that was missing for my guy since he was alone and likely stood at the hay bale all day long. On top of whoever was doing his feet did not acknowledge his grade 1 club foot so didn’t trim accordingly. I’ve had him for two years and after dealing with intermittent lameness have finally gotten a diagnosis. He’ll likely just be a pasture pet for the rest of his life but I am still going to do everything in my power to get him to a comfortable place!
If you want to try everything in your power for him now, get him on a track with mixed species hays, no rye or alfalfa, no bagged feeds etc, with company, and keep his feet trimmed to his constant of the HSP - that is doing the best for him :)
Wow! Gosh, this all makes such sense. Definitely a lot of food for thought and thank you so much. I have looked into some of these things but definitely not the writing part and as a relatively new owner, I have no doubt that my own riding/tack/etc. And his posture, which I do not know how to teach, and I don’t know that he was ever taught or helped with before I purchased him may be contributing to my boy’s navicular. I definitely want to know more about this false collection and correct collection and how to identify and teach it
Glad I am helping you to understand better. 👍
Very interesting ~ thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
toe resting as opposed to heel resting .. that is how i worked out my horse did not have laminitis but thrush in the sulcus affecting the navicular
Yes, pain in the central sulcus of the frog is huge for horses. Well done for spotting it.
Do you think ponies are more likely to have rotation, because they are more likely to be barefoot and therefore more likely to get the wrong trim? 🤔
Many ponies are given the wrong trim and we do see an awful lot of them with rotation, and coke can feet too. But larger horses do get rotation too. Incorrect trimming is everywhere, and educating owners to be aware is one of our primary focuses.
Thanks for this. I just got a horse in training with navicular and it is not common in the breeds (Morgan, saddlebred) or disciplines (saddleseat, western pleasure, hunter pleasure, pleasure driving) that I work with and show in so I definitely learned a lot from this. The owner of the horse seems to think the horse is sound but I am not entirely convinced (the horse frequently stops and won’t go forward, counter canters and cross canters frequently and has a twist in the hind legs when it walks) so I have said I won’t ride the horse until I can get her muscled up and fix those issues. Do you have any suggestions on specific ground exercises that would help her?
Firstly check the hooves and make sure there is no thrush causing pain and weakness in the back of the foot. If there is, which is usual for horses who present with navicular syndrome, then treat that first. Once the hooves are being treated and they are trimmed and balanced correctly, then the horse will begin to feel more comfortable loading the back of the foot, then it is just a case as exercise as usual - but build up more slowly while the foot heals.