Navicular changes and endurance

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

After reading the post to the woman whose horse was having navicular
problems, I forwarded it to Lynda Corry of Texas who'd had the same
problem recently.  Felt this answer would be interesting to anyone else
experiencing problems. 

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------

	Patty, my horse has a similar problem, but I've had some success
in dealing with it.  He hit the 4,000 mile mark this year, and I also
noticed that late last year and early this year he'd been finishing some
of his rides with a grade one lameness.  Took him to the vet who x-rayed
him and
determined that there were lesions in the navicular bone in his left
front foot.  The vet told me if my horse was a wide-bodied quarter horse
with small feet he'd be having real problems;  however, since he was a
slender Arab with good sized feet, we might be able to deal with it.  As
a matter of
fact, he told me that turning my horse out to pasture at this time and
completely retiring him from work would be the absolutely worst thing for
him, since what he really needed was increased blood flow to his feet and
the best way to improve that is working the horse.

	He, too, suggested I put my horse on isoxuprine, but most
importantly I had to pay attention to how he was shod and be sure to give
his feet proper support.  He suggested egg bar shoes.  Then he suggested
that if my horse became sound once again, I take him to an endurance ride
and just see how he did.  I implemented all his suggestions immediately,
and
at the next ride a month later -- a 50-miler -- my horse started and
finished completely sound.  The isoxuprine, however, was very expensive
(as I'm sure you know), so I thought I'd experiment a little and just see
how my
horse did without it.  I continued to use the egg bar shoes.  Again, my
horse was sound at the next ride a month later, and has had no problems
with his left front foot since then.  Although we were unfortunately
pulled at our last ride, it was due to a sore suspensory.  

	I have no illusions -- I am aware that my horse's particular
navicular problem will not reverse and it will probably worsen with age;
however, it is under control at present and I am convinced it was the
shoe job that did the trick.  The egg bar shoe just seems to provide more
support for my horse's front feet.

	As for the isoxuprine, not long after I discontinued using it a
friend sent me the following e-mail:

"Re: isoxyprine.. you will be glad to know that I discussed this with my
vet over the weekend. They used to give isoxyprine to foundered horses,
too, since it was believed to dilate the blood vessels... they have found
it does NOT do that. (per vet Dr. Hood at Texas A&M who is doing
laminitis research)
It does act as somewhat of a painkiller. So it was a good decision on
your part to stop the isoxyprine. Wasn't really doing what they thought
it did..."

	You may want to do a little research on this and discuss it with
your own vet.  Anyway, hope this helps.  Feel free to forward to Ridecamp
if you wish.

Lynda Corry
lcorry@velaw.com
Houston, Texas

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------

Patty Jackson jbco@jps.net
Today I had my mare's feet x-rayed because I have been
noticing her stride has shortened, especially on the front
right.  The x-rays showed some changes (degeneration) of the navicular
bone in both fore with increased vascular areas...
--------- End forwarded message ----------

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