Navicular disease and navicular syndrome are common causes of chronic forelimb lameness in horses. Welfare management requires accurate diagnosis, pain control, and often career changes.
Navicular syndrome causes chronic pain that fundamentally affects affected horses' welfare and ability to be worked comfortably. Welfare-centred management begins with accurate diagnosis through nerve blocks and advanced imaging to understand the precise source and extent of pathology. Pain management should be proactive and not waiting for horses to show severe clinical signs before intervening. Corrective shoeing and appropriate exercise management help many horses remain comfortable in suitable work. The welfare considerations around neurectomy are complex: while it eliminates pain, it removes an important protective sensation and requires strict monitoring for complications. Decisions about when chronic pain has reached a level incompatible with good welfare, including considering retirement or euthanasia, are some of the most difficult in equine welfare practice.