Dealing with Navicular Disease

Navicular disease is a degenerative condition of the navicular bone and soft tissues in the back of the horse’s foot. Over the years veterinarians have referred to the condition by many names, but the current accepted vernacular is “caudal heel pain.” It can be devastating when your veterinarian reaches this diagnosis, but treatment options exist and many horses can return to athletic work.

When treating a horse with caudal heel pain, the simplest change to make involves his trimming and shoeing. The farrier’s goal should be to decrease the deep digital flexor tendon’s (DDFT) tension during movement as well as the pressure it applies over the navicular bone. Many horses benefit from the farrier shortening or squaring the toe to create an early point of breakover in the stride, which also decreases DDFT tension. Another tension-reducing technique, used in combination with an earlier breakover, is elevating the heel with a wedge or by establishing more heel wall. There are many shoes designed to treat caudal heel pain specifically. Because detailed care for these horses’ hooves is very important, ensure your veterinarian and farrier work together to find the best options for your horse.

Source: TheHorse