Posted by Patty Stiller on July 21, 2003 at 19:05:16:
In Reply to: Club foot with new diagnosis of Navicular also! posted by S Carey on July 19, 2003 at 10:58:21:
: Hi,
: I am new to this board and in distress with my 7 year old Arabian Gelding. This poor beautiful horse has had a rough life so far with loosing his right eye at age 3years old and several trips to the U of M for that and then gelding a horse that had a great potential of being a great stallion. Except, for having and passing on his club foot problems that are heredity in the Arabian Horse breed.
: We now have also, beed diagnosed with Navicular in the foot that is clubbed. I have been using this horse for Hunt Seat and western pleasure. Under Hunt seat he really has a terrific way of moving and can really lay out his way of moving especially in a trot. But because he moves this way he really pounds the ground with his feet. It is awesome to watch and fun to ride, but after winng four classes this spring he came up lame. He had a quarter crack on his left foot, which we treated right away, and then after a few weeks came up lame on the other foot which was his club foot which is now diagnosed Navicular.
: Wow, sorry this is getting so long, but I feel the more history you get the better to help us.
: He has been lame all summer long. Not severly lame, just minimal and when put out side to run on soft ground he actually works out of the lameness with just regular shoes on. I need to have him shod the correct way for both navicular and club on that foot. The quarter crack is healing well and not a real concern at this point it will grow out just fine with proper shoeing. And is there any special drugs we can give to help with pain that won't prvent him from showing if he wins and a drug test is taken? Also, the bad foot is a white foot and his feet have never been the best so we have had him on HT20 for the last two years to improve the walls of his feet and make them stronger. The HT20 has been doing it's job in that respect. Well, if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Thanks
: Sue Carey
First, I am glad you had him gelded , because a club foot should never be passed on to create more genetically lame horses.
Is your farrier atempting to make the two feet match? Is he leaving the club foot toe a bit longer, and taking as much of the other toe as possible? If so, that is very likely the reason the club foot has developed navicular syndrome and the horse is becoming chronically lame.
In trying to match the feet, farriers are to often taught to leave more toe on the club foot,trim as much heel as the dare, then fit it with a perimeter fit shoe (or worse yet extend the shoe out a bit more forward).Doing that is exactly the same as adding a pry bar out the front of the foot to 'leverage' the coffin joint, stretch and irritate the impar ligament and the navicular bone with every step.
The toe wo fet should be shod according to their individual conformation and that means they will not (and never should) match. The shoe on the club foot may even be smaller than the other one when the feet are shod as individuals. It is imperative that the breakover point of both feet be maintained close to a point under the tip of the coffin bone ,and that means it will be a lot farther back under the foot than it probably already is, especially in the club foot if that foot has developed any toe distortion.
iHas the veterinarian assessed hoof balance as seen INTERNALLY, using specially taken Xrays? Has the vet "mapped out" the exact trim and shoe placement using Xrays to assist the farrier to properly balance these feet? if this has not been discussed, ask the vet and if you get a non answer, or he thinks it is not necessary then run as fast as you can to a different vet, one who understands the importance of internal hoof balance and breakover in the development and treatment of navicular, and who WILL address it. once hte horse is properly shod, due to his more upright conformation on the club footed side, but that is part of owning a club footed horse.
Patty