How to Treat Navicular in a Horse

Navicular in horses is progressive and incurable. It is mainly caused by the repeated concussion of hard stops or turns, heredity and improper hoof care. The bones inside the hoof are affected permanently, causing the horse to become lame and sometimes unusable. Learn how to treat navicular in a horse by following these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Know the signs of navicular. A lame horse appears to get better with time off, but when worked again, she is significantly worse. She may point her toe or stretch her front feet out to relieve them of her weight. She may take short steps or shuffle. Navicular can be present in only one hoof or more in one hoof than the other. Navicular is found only in the front feet.
2. Bring your horse to a veterinarian so he can use hoof testers and examine the horse. He may take X-rays, but only about half of navicular cases actually show signs in X-rays.
3. Have a farrier shoe your horse every 6 weeks. Never go longer than 8 weeks to shoe a horse with navicular. Special trimming procedures and certain types of shoes can help relieve some of the pain associated with navicular. Horses can often be ridden if given the correct shoe. A good farrier knows what shoes are best used on each horse, since each case is different.
4. Use a painkiller along with corrective shoeing if you need to use the horse on certain occasions such as a rodeo or show. Prolonged use or everyday use is not recommended. Horses with navicular can be used if the navicular is not crippling.
5. Have surgery done on your horse. This is called posterior digital neurectomy, where the nerve in the rear of the hoof is cut and removed. Surgery is a last resort if painkillers and corrective shoeing don't work. It does not cure navicular, and in some cases can make it worse. Talk to your veterinarian for all of the possible complications.