Shoeing & Trimming The Navicular Horse
By Alan Eggenberger, Farrier
As a farrier for over nineteen years, I have seen all types of lameness in horses' hooves. Puncture wounds, abscesses, laminitis, surgical procedures and quarter cracks to name a few. But none have caused more confusion and concern than navicular syndrome and/or heel pain. Veterinarians, owners and farriers have spent many hours discussing how to best treat a horse with heel pain. We have seen this problem in all disciplines and breeds of horses. I have seen navicular syndrome in low heels and high heels, big hooves and small ones. It may be more common in low-heeled horses simply because of the stress on the navicular bone and surrounding structures.
When trimming a horse with navicular syndrome, I think it's best to trim the toe back and make it as "bold" as possible to help with the breakover and make sure to keep the hoof wall straight up and down. A straight wall can support more weight better than a concave wall. Some heel may need to be trimmed off so it does not crush or roll under. The best way to get a good heel under a horse is to trim away some of the bad and let it grow out from that point. But a well-balanced foot is most important to help with concussion of the stride.
When shoeing a horse with navicular syndrome or heel pain, the most common shoe is the eggbar shoe. Either in aluminum or steel, these can be used with flat or sedge pads if needed. Although pads can crush the heels and cause them to e able to support less weight, be sure to look for heel wear on the pads if they must be used. They also can have the toe of the shoes rockered to ease the break over of the hooves and help relieve some pain.
There are newer navicular shoes available that may help some horses. They have wedged
heels and come in aluminum and steel. These shoes may not help all horses, but they are one more thing to try. The new shoes let the horse rock forward and get most of the weight off of the heel area. When this happens, the weight of the horse is now at the widest part of the hoof which can support more of the horse's weight than on the heels. Whatever types of shoe is used, they should be fit full at the quarters and the heels. Some grinding or rasping may be needed to "safe" or bevel the edges so as not to have the shoe stepped on and pulled off.
Each horse is different, so it is best to try different ideas to see which work the best. ~
