Nevicular Disease

[wildhorses]

I Have A 14 Yr. Old Horse That Is Nevicular. Is There Anything I Can Do Besides Nerve Him ?

[angelam643]

Definitely there are things you can do beside nerve him!!!

I have had two older geldings that contiuned to show at a really competitive level that have Navicular.

I think that it also depends on the severity of it.

However, there are two things that we do to help our guys. Talk to your farrier - we use an eggbar shoe on ours and it helps. Also, talk to your vet - you can give them Isoxuprine (not sure if that's the correct spelling) - but it's a blood thinner that helps improve circulation in their feet. Check with whatever association that you show with (or your Vet), because it will drug test (with AQHA anyway) and you have to make sure it's out of there system for 12hrs.(I think).

Anyway, good luck with your guy!! I hope that you don't have to do anything as severe as nerve him.

[wildhorses]

the big problem with shoes are they don't last long, because he pulls them off by stepping on them with his back feet. It hurts him when i ride him because i weigh about 270 lbs. and it hurts me to see him hurt,ya know?
he's pretty bad in his front feet and has been that way for 3 or 4 yrs. now, but I'll check out that medicine for him. i just wish Bru (my horse) and I could win a world championship in team roping, but i just don't wanna chance losing him.

[angelam643]

Why don't you put bell-boots on him? Mine lives 24/7 in them.