HORSE HEEL PAIN

[debi]

Hi,

What are some of the causes (other than Navicular) for heel pain in a
horse.?
Could a trim that left my horse too long in the toe cause heel pain?
Debbie

[jcdill]

Yes. It can also be a simple heel bruise.

"Navicular" isn't a single condition, it's a catch-all designation for
pain in the region of the navicular bone, which is in the heel of the
hoof (at the back of the coffin bone). It encompasses both damage to
the navicular bone itself, and to the bursa and to the tendons and
ligaments that attach to the navicular bone or run over the navicular bone.

How was your horse's heel pain diagnosed? What tests were done?

jc

[debi]

Jc

When I mention Navicular Disease I'm referring to degeneration of the
Navicular bone which is not curable. So, yes it is a single
condition. My question was referring to reasons other than Navicular
which cause heel pain.

[John Hasler]

Debi writes:
> My question was referring to reasons other than Navicular which cause
> heel pain.

There are many. Does he have sheared heels? Crushed heels? What are
his angles like?
--
John Hasler Boarding, Lessons, Training
jo...@dancinghorsehill.com Hay, Jumps, Cavallox
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA

[debi]

On May 24, 10:17 am, John Hasler <jhas...@newsguy.com> wrote:
> Debi writes:
> > My question was referring to reasons other than Navicular which cause
> > heel pain.
>
> There are many.  Does he have sheared heels?  Crushed heels?  What are
> his angles like?
> --
> John Hasler                Boarding, Lessons, Training

> j...@dancinghorsehill.com  Hay, Jumps, Cavallox

> Dancing Horse Hill
> Elmwood, WI USA

His feet are terrific I'm told! He's been on an inconsistent trim
schedule because my farrier is always so busy. My horse has been
doing a slight toe first landing in his right foot since his last trim
which causes him to be a bit "trippy." I'm wondering if it's the trim
or something else. Been trying to get hold of the farrier

[jcdill]

On 22/05/12 6:31 AM, jcdill wrote:
> How was your horse's heel pain diagnosed? What tests were done?

You need to answer the questions if you want help.

jc

[debi]

He had the standard tests in the Fall of 2011. A vet came out and
did the clinical, the nerve blocks and the x-rays and pronounced my
horse Naviclular. My research indicates that it is not easy to
diagnose Navicular disease.. It also is not that common of a disease
especially in a horse of his age (17). My horse was on bute and
isoxsuprine and rest all winter. He did well coming out of winter.
I lunged him and rode him and he was better. Now with this last trim
he seems to have heel pain. At this point, I don't care if Trigger
has a serious disease - I just want someone to tell me what's going
on!?! Someone that knows what they're doing. They're hard to find.

[jcdill]

On 24/05/12 6:33 PM, debi wrote:
> On May 24, 7:47 pm, jcdill<jcdill.li...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 22/05/12 6:31 AM, jcdill wrote:
>>
>>> How was your horse's heel pain diagnosed? What tests were done?
>>
>> You need to answer the questions if you want help.
>>
>> jc
>
> He had the standard tests in the Fall of 2011. A vet came out and
> did the clinical, the nerve blocks and the x-rays and pronounced my
> horse Naviclular. My research indicates that it is not easy to
> diagnose Navicular disease..

That's because there is no such thing. It is not a "disease". It's a
condition, and it is a catch-all term for a group of conditions in the
region of the navicular bone.

It's like colic. Does the horse have gas colic? Impaction colic?
Torsion? These are all very different conditions. They all occur in
the same area, but the treatment for each condition may be very different.

Similarly, the treatment for damage to the navicular bone may be
different from the treatment needed for damage to the deep digital
flexor tendon in the region of the navicular bone.

> It also is not that common of a disease
> especially in a horse of his age (17).

My first horse was diagnosed as navicular at age 12 (before I got her).

> My horse was on bute and
> isoxsuprine and rest all winter. He did well coming out of winter.
> I lunged him and rode him and he was better. Now with this last trim
> he seems to have heel pain.

When did you take him off the meds?

> At this point, I don't care if Trigger
> has a serious disease - I just want someone to tell me what's going
> on!?! Someone that knows what they're doing. They're hard to find.

Have you put him back on the meds? Have you tried the bar shoes your
vet suggested last fall?

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.equestrian/TMTNjnFaE_A

(Oh, and is this the same horse that foundered in 2007?
http://www.groupsrv.com/hobby/about477380.html And/or the same horse
diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome in 2010?
http://www.freak-search.com/en/thread/985217/heiro
With the above additional info, I also have to ask if the horse is fat.
Fat will make any hoof problems worse. )

Have you had him seen again by a vet?

Were new xrays taken, compared with the old xrays?

Upthread you said he's landing on his toe. If his toe is long and heel
is short and he's landing on his toe, he needs much better farrier care.
The farrier being "too busy" to keep this horse on an appropriate
schedule is no excuse. Tell the farrier that this horse NEEDS to be
seen on an appropriate schedule or you will get another farrier, and
start looking NOW for an alternate farrier, just in case. This horse
needs to be seen every 5 weeks. If the problems go away on a 5-week
schedule, it tells you the hoofs can't go longer - a 5-week schedule can
"fix" a lot of hoof problems. If the problems do not go away on a
5-week schedule, then the problem is not just because his hoofs are long.

The next step may be to get some other imaging done, such as ultrasound
or MRI, to better see what's going on in the soft tissue area.

jc