Navicular syndrome causes chronic intermittent or persistent lameness in horses that, while rarely curable, can be managed to maintain acceptable quality of life with appropriate veterinary care.
Navicular syndrome causes chronic pain that affects a horse's ability to work comfortably and its willingness to move normally. Management rather than cure is the realistic expectation for most cases. The welfare priority is maintaining pain at a level where the horse can live and be used comfortably, with appropriate modifications to work intensity and surface. NSAID therapy provides pain relief that enables better welfare, but must be balanced against the risks of long-term medication. Horses that cannot be managed adequately in work may be retired to pasture, where the welfare of controlled low-intensity movement often improves clinical signs significantly.