Q) Hi. I am wondering if there is any special ways a horse with a cyst on the flexor surface should be shod or a special shoe that will help? The cyst was discovered when he had xrays done when he fractured his coffin bone almost 2 years ago. The fracture has since healed and he is rideable now sometimes. My Appaloosa gelding is only 6 and I'm trying to help him the best I can.

In this edition of "Ask the Expert," Chris Gregory discusses shoeing options to help a horse with a cyst on the flexor surface of the navicular bone.

Chris Gregory of Heartland Horseshoeing School gives us the answer:

"You don't say what bone the cyst is on for certain, but I am taking that it is on the flexor surface of the navicular bone.  This is the palmar aspect of the navicular bone where the deep flexor tendon passes over.  There is a bursa sac in this area called the podotrochlear bursa, or navicular bursa, and it lubricates the tendon as it moves over the navicular bone.  A cyst on this surface changes the shape of this area, and can cause the horse pain and discomfort.  If you increase the angle of the foot a few degrees, you will decrease the stress on the deep flexor tendon, and that should alleviate a little bit of the pain.  You can also put a rocker toe on the shoe that will decrease change break over, and should also help the horse feel better.  There is an aluminum egg-bar navicular shoe that I use all the time on horses like this.  You can get either a wedged heel aluminum egg-bar, or the navicular egg-bar.  Both will help, but some horses do like the navicular egg-bar better, and it is my first choice.  Navicular can't be fixed, only managed, so bear in mind that it is a degenerative disease.  Good luck."

See Previous Ask The Expert Q&A's