Horse Navicular Disease: Welfare and Management

Navicular disease and navicular syndrome cause chronic foot pain in horses, requiring long-term management combining farriery, medication, and exercise modification.

Key Facts

Navicular syndrome refers to pain from structures around the navicular bone, including ligaments and bursa.
Warmblood and Thoroughbred breeds are predisposed due to foot conformation and workload.
Clinical signs include shortened stride, intermittent forelimb lameness, and toe-pointing at rest.
Treatment combines specialist farriery with rolled or egg-bar shoes, NSAIDs, and bisphosphonates.
Regular exercise on appropriate surfaces can slow progression by maintaining vascular supply.

Welfare Considerations

Horses with navicular syndrome experience chronic pain that worsens without appropriate management. Early diagnosis through nerve blocks and imaging allows prompt treatment initiation. The condition is manageable in many horses with appropriate farriery, medication, and careful exercise management. Horses with poorly managed navicular syndrome experience ongoing pain, muscle wastage from reluctance to bear weight, and reduced quality of life. Owner education and regular veterinary and farriery collaboration are essential.

What You Can Do

Seek veterinary investigation promptly if your horse shows repeated forelimb lameness.
Work closely with an experienced farrier when managing horses with navicular syndrome.
Maintain appropriate work surfaces and avoid deep or hard ground that exacerbates pain.
Discuss long-term NSAID use with your vet to manage pain while minimising side effects.
Consider retirement to light work or turnout if lameness is unresponsive to treatment.