Navicular syndrome (Podotrochlear syndrome) causes chronic forelimb lameness and pain in horses, with modern management significantly improving welfare outcomes for affected horses.
Navicular syndrome was once considered a career-ending and life-limiting diagnosis. Modern diagnostic capabilities — particularly MRI — and treatment advances have transformed the prognosis for many horses. Pain management through appropriate medication, therapeutic shoeing tailored to the specific pathology identified on MRI, and exercise management can maintain horses in comfortable, productive lives for years or decades. The welfare priority is accurate diagnosis before committing to a management approach — navicular syndrome encompasses multiple different pathologies requiring different treatments. Horses retired early for navicular syndrome without modern diagnostic workup may be suffering unnecessarily from undertreated pain.