Posted by Patty Stiller on July 15, 1999 at 23:19:18:
In Reply to: Re: correct shoes for navicular? posted by Ray Miller on July 13, 1999 at 15:09:59:
: : Hi all, I have a question regarding a QH I shoe. I have only been shoeing for a short time, and a new client with this Qh calls. Says she cannot get a farrier to help her horse. He has been diagnosed with navicular by the vet, was shod with eggbars when I got there. I have no idea what tests the vet did, but the owner was told the horse would have to live in barshoes. Now when I examined the horse, I noticed he had a shorter front leg from the other.I figure if the barshoes aren't working, lets start with the basics and work from there. I shod him with plain wide web shoes and padded the short side to match the other. Horse was fine at a walk and trot but could't do any other gates with lameness.(Horse is shown in western pleasure). Next shoeing I put on a heeled shoe with a rolled toe, still padding the short leg to match. The horse has gone fine since, no lameness, and has taken 1st, and 2nd in the last 4 shows. Now the problem I have, was this a navicular problem or did the vet give wrong diagnostics? also I attended a clinic recently and the person lecturing told me you should never put heels on the front of a horse. How could this be wrong if it helped him?
: : thanks,
: : jeff
: Jeff,
: The horse may well have navicular. By putting the heels on the foot, you may have raised the angle just enough to help the horse for the time being. You may of also help by rolling the toe, takeing some more of the pressure off in the stance phase of movement.
: Navicular is very hard to call, and what works on some horse may not work on others.
: As for heels. I never shoe with heels unless looking for traction, I might suggest a wedge shoe next time at the same angles the horse is now set at. In time you may also need a bar of some type for additonal support.
: You may also want to give the vet a call and talk about this horse. You may also want to take a look at the raidographs if any were taken.
: Ray Miller
Ray has excellent points. I feel there is no one particular shoe for any one lameness, but there ARE basic *principles* to be applied.How well the *principles* are applied affects the success of whatever shoe is used.
Navicular problems arise from several factors, the MOST important being the distance from the tip of the coffin bone to the point of breakover.(radiographically it should be 1/4 inch. That is usually somewhere in the range of inch and a quarter to inch and a half from the apex of the frog.A couple of engineers have calculated that bringing the breakover rearward a centimeter and a half reduces the maximim stress on the deep flexor tendon at the moment of breakover by 45%. That is a bunch. Other factors as well are important, such as the correct boney alignment especially in the coffin joint, and the position of the back of the heels. Som horses also have inherently bad digital cushions inside the foot. In a recent study at Michigan State University so far EVERY foot that had navicular pathologhies had a poor quality,fatty digital cushion, while the feet that had no navicular pathologies had a strong,elastic, cartilaginous one.it may be that those weak feet may need some help forever, but bar shoes may not be the answer.
You addressed a couple of problems with your shoeing. You raised the angles, and brought the breakover back with the rolled toes. The bar shoes may have helped, but if the breakover wasn't addressed, no amount of shoe sticking out behind the heels will help.In fact too much may hurt.You are on the right track, and I agree wtith Ray that a wedge shoe (or hard wedge pad) would be better than a heeled shoe.Patty