Navicular syndrome (palmar foot pain) causes significant chronic lameness in horses. Modern understanding and management approaches have improved welfare outcomes considerably.
Navicular syndrome causes chronic, often bilateral, forelimb pain that significantly impairs quality of life. Horses may resist work, show shortened stride, and adopt stance adjustments to offload painful feet. The historical approach of corrective shoeing alone often provided insufficient pain relief. Modern MRI diagnosis identifies the specific structures involved, enabling targeted treatment: bisphosphonate therapy for bone pain, physiotherapy and controlled exercise for tendon lesions, or surgical neurectomy as a last resort. Pain management, appropriate work modification, and regular monitoring maintain welfare while managing this chronic condition. Horses with severe or unresponsive navicular disease may reach a point where quality of life cannot be maintained at an acceptable level.