Navicular in horses: tell-tale symptoms to look out for

1. Good, regular routine farriery every 4-6 weeks will help reduce the load on the heels and over the navicular bone.
2. If your horse historically ‘feels’ the ground, it is common sense to avoid riding at speed or jumping on hard ground. The repetitive concussion of riding on hard ground is inflicted on the heels and navicular region and can be enough to encourage the onset of this degenerative condition.
3. Avoid tight circle work unless on a soft, level surface.
4. Be sensible if the ground is unsuitable. If you turn up at a competition and the going is too hard, be wise enough to put your horse back in the lorry, no matter how far you’ve driven, and curse the good weather on the way home.

How is navicular treated?

Treatment options for navicular sydrome have come a long way. Firstly, the treatment should be geared towards the actual structures identified as involved in each individual case. For example, a soft tissue injury may require an extended period of box rest (over six months in some cases).

Corrective farriery is a vital part (if not the main piece) of the treatment jigsaw for navicular. Teamwork between you, your vet and your farrier can assist in keeping your horse sound and comfortable. The aim is to re-establish the best foot shape possible to cope with the demands of work and to fine-tune the forces placed on the foot to avoid over-loading the vulnerable areas, namely the rear third of the hoof.

Hooves should never be allowed to grow overlong and so make a date in your diary for shoeing every four to six weeks, The foot should be balanced from side to side, the toes shortened and good heel support provided. This may take the form of a rolled toe or four-point shoe, bar shoes or 10° heel wedges. Some farriers like to use silicon pads for their anti-concussive effects.

Careful use of oral anti-inflammatories may help, such as phenylbutazone (bute). It’s important not to make the horse so comfortable that it worsens an existing injury. Vets often inject an anti-inflammatory, such as steroid, directly into either the coffin joint or the navicular bursa. Injecting into the navicular bursa is the trickier but more effective option. In one study, 60% of horses were still sound after two months following bursa injection, compared to 34% that had their coffin joints medicated.

Other treatments to alleviate symptoms of navicular

A newer treatment to the UK is the anti-arthritic drug tiludronate (Tildren™). It helps to switch off cells involved in arthritic processes. Tildren is given as an intravenous drip and has been effective in treating some forms of navicular where bony remodelling is a feature. In some cases, Isoxsuprine has been used successfully on the basis of the restoring good blood flow to the feet and satisfying the vascular theory of navicular.