just wondering if anybody has any information or has had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with this. My pro barrel horse has been diagnosed with navicular.
Just wanting to know if anybody has had better results with one thing than another - or what I can do to help my horse be in more comfort. She is currently on Isoxiprene, as well as "hopefully" proper shoeing. It is hard to find a farrier in this area that will do it right and for the horse - not for the money!!

Pease Help - I'm desperate to get my girl feeling better!

Janelle

Sorry to hear you are dealing with this. My pro mare has the same problem. Egg bar shoes are the best way to go in my opinion. You can also get Egg Bars with different degrees in case she needs some lift in the heels. Bar wedge pads are also an option if you don't want to go with an egg bar. They are an open bottom rubber wedge pad that come in different degrees. If it is a severe case of Navicular you can try heart bar shoes. (My husband is my personal farrier).
Also, magnetic boots and ankle wraps really helped. I put my mare on BioPlus powder from Equine America to get her feet healthier from the inside out, and also use Hooflex on her coronary band to get more and healthier hoof growth.

Hope that helps a little and I wish you and your mare many a winning a pain free run!!

I have 3 navic horses and all are sound and have been for over a year. First we feed Black oil sunflower seedswhich is a natural fat supplement and helps with joints, also feed MSM. My hubby is also a farrier and we spread a heel shoe so not to put pressure TOO close to the bulb. I am not a fan of eggbars and such since they do put pressure on the back of the bulb. But they do work for many horses. I just have had a tremendous result with a spread out heel shoe, no pad needed. You need to stand your horse up higher. Meaning a shorter toe and high in the heel. Not too short a toe to sore them but a slight shorter than normal until they get stood up well. The pastern needs to be made taller and not flexed as it use to be. I would gladly send some pics to explain better.
Though it can not be "cured" your horse can still be very comfortable and sound without any meds and injections. I wish you and your horse the very best and it is aweful to hear that word come out of a vets mouth!!!
I have my 3 navic horses, because their owners were unable to find a suitable farrier in their areas as well.
Kathy

We do the spread heel on horses with under run heels, and a horse I have that a vet told me was "pre-navicular". We spread the heels to put the support where the hoof should be, put no pressure on the bulbs, and allow the frog and heels to work.
I do like the egg bars, but like you said they will not work in every case. I try to keep pads off of any of my horses. I am not a big fan of pads, but I have used the bar wedge degreed pads when needed, I like them because they are open bottomed and still allow for ground contact.
I just started feeding black oil sunflower seeds, I am glad to hear you are having good success with them.
Very good advice, I hope Janelle can find a good farrier and her and her mare have a good future together! My sister just had a mare diagnosed with navicular yesterday, it isn't fun to hear, but it's a good thing there is hope in many treatments avaliable!

Thank you everyone for your advice - my mare has been sound - we ended up putting a wider shoe on her and rolling the toe up - she seems to just love it! We have been having to get her shod every 3-4 weeks(which is fine as my farrier wants to sponsor us!)

What have you all found with the black oil sunflower seeds? I have some in my tack room - and had been putting it in her grain - then I stopped!
again, thanks you - and please keep the info coming!

Janelle

The seeds are a great fat supplement and also are like a natural joint supplement. Pretty good for a shiny coat too.
Great to hear about your horse. It is amazing what can be done when you find the right person to do it.
I just took in a 7 yr old reg paint, navic in both fronts. Took about an inch stride he was so sore, but now is almost back to natural strides in one shoeing and he had been that other way for about 4 years.
I hope you have continued success!!!!
MSM is awesome too for a navic horse. It wouldnt hurt to give her some and it is not expensive at all. Awesome for the bone structures in the hoof. You will see results in just a week or so usually.

Kathy,
Could you please send me pics.about shoeing the navicular horse? Trying to help my farrior see the proper way. He just hasn't gotten it right yet. How often do you reshoe? Also, where do you get the sunflower seeds? Are they the same as the bird seed? also, do you inject the MSM or give a powder form? Got our mare on herbs now, but she has a long way to go. thanks for any help. Where are you located?

jo

I am in Burnsville, NC. The MSM is powder and has no odor so horses dont know its there unless they see it.The seeds, make sure they are Black Oil Sunflower, yes the same as for birds. Cheaper if you buy them for birds too. They sucker us horse people sometimes,.lol
I am emailing pics now.
Kathy

Can someone please send the shoeing pictures and information about shoeing a navicular horse that Cathy said she would share to me. I have a very nice gelding that points his left from foot all the time! He has been diagnosed with navicular and it is evident that he is short strided and sore.

Thank you for the information.
rcmach5@rockwellcollins.com

Becky

Pics sent, I hope they help out. PLease keep in touch and let me know how it goes.