One year after a navicular diagnosis, my 5 1/2 year old mare is sound. At her first LD a year ago, I noticed on the second loop that her heart rate was zooming up every time I urged her into a trot. Although she was not lame I knew she hurt. Consequently, we walked a very long way to the finish, but we made it and she trotted out fine to complete the ride. I knew it was a fluke that we finished. I had the farrier out to check her right foot and when he reshod her, he trimmed off a lot of toe. Now she was really lame. It would seem that her left foot with an underrun heel would have been the one to suffer lameness, but this was not the case. I did not know at the time to measure the heel and toe angle to see if they were equal. I did question this farrier about the shoe size as I thought she needed one size larger, but I figured he knew best. Later I had the shoes removed and she improved but not to 100% soundness. She always favored her right foot when it was on the outsi
de while being trotted in a circle. I then had her x rayed and the vet also did a nerve block and came back with the dreaded N diagnosis. He said the X rays showed circulatory changes. At this point I thought she had a broken bone in her foot, but I was shocked when he told me that she had the beginning stage of navicular disease.
A different farrier put her in eggbars and after 2 shoeings, she showed no improvement nor with the isoxuprine? that the vet prescribed. The vet had told me to ride her lightly, but I rarely rode her, because I kept thinking something else was going on. She was consistently lame if I trotted.
This summer I had a different vet x ray her and he obtained clearer views on his film. There was a line across her navicular and he said that she might have had a fracture. She also showed damage to her deep flexor tendon. I contacted a different farrier and also wrote Rob Kalb and along with the vet, they recommended the Tennessee navicular shoes. I also started her on a 50 mg biotin supplement, vitamin E, Accel, MSM, and the buteless bute (Devil's Claw, B12 etc.) I know I am missing the glucosamine.
She is sound, has been for 2 months, and we are up to 20 miles. It's a thrill to see her hooves flying out in front as we trot. I am also taking a lot of pix of her hooves and legs so I will have good clues if something goes amiss again.
I also wanted to give a limited report on the Torsion saddle. Due to my mare's predicament I don't have a lot of ride time in it. It is a well constucted saddle. I have the least expensive cordura suede model. The suede has good grip.. I have ridden in a Sport saddle and with the Torsion, I don't feel as much contact,. The torsion fits my mare's very short back better though. I would like a higher pommel and I do not like the buckle under my thigh where the stirrup hangs as I don't have enough leg contact nor grip when my mare spooks or bucks. Also I must girth a little tighter as during one 180, the saddle and I were parallel to the ground with no wings to stay aloft. Fortunately my mare did not spook as she finds this riding position on par with me. Her back has shown no tenderness. I am going to get different fenders with a blevins buckle so I will have more leg contact. Will keep those of you interested in this saddle posted if you E mail me. N
ancy Z
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