Minor Navicular on a horse?

Question

I found a mare online and it said she had a minor navicular. What does this mean? Will she be needing treatment if I got her? Would this keep her from doing anything? BTW, I do mainly h/j and want something to help me learn to jump on. Thank You!

Answer 1

Most Quarter Horses' x-rays show signs of slight navicular. If she is a QH, this may not mean much for her future. My 14-year old QH x-rayed with signs of navicular when we bought him 8 years ago. His x-rays haven't changed much since we bought him and he's been sound every day since then. Down the road, she may have problems with her feet. According to our vet, it's hard to tell. Some horses will go years and years without symptoms, while others can go lame tomorrow.

Answer 2

This owner is up front about the navicular problem...any horse you consider buying could also have navicular changes that are not revealed up front.  I would not choose a horse with navicular, but if you want to pursue it, ask if xrays were taken to diagnose it and get a copy of the report...have your vet interpret it.  If no xrays are available, do a prepurchase exam with xrays...pretty expensive so don't do it unless you really have your heart set on this horse.

Answer 3

Navicular is pretty much when the navicular bone in their hoof erodes and starts to dissolve, much like arthritis. there is no cure, however treatments such as shoeing and medicine can keep a horse comfortable and rideable for longer. i would not recommend anyone buy a navicular horse. especially if you're riding competetively and jumping. it is a progressive disease and will only get worse. my sisters horse has navicular and its not pretty. he was unrideable after only a few years of owning him and he's only 15. lucky for him he's a lifer with us so he has nothing to worry about.

if you really like this horse i would have you're vet check her out and get x-rays. navicular is often mistaken for other problems in that area and can only be determined by x-rays. educate yourself about the disease and see if you think you can deal with it. if you're just wanting a starter horse then she might be the one for you. as long as the disease isn't pronounced she could have a couple good riding years left with proper shoeing and treatment. remember if you get this horse it will probably be for life. horses with noticable navicular or any lameness are hard to sell and often end up at slaughter so make sure you can take care of her even after shes no longer ridable. or at least be responsible enough to send her to a reputable retirement home when she can no longer work. trust me that day will come and i'd hate to see her dumped at slaughter. good luck