Navicular bone fracture involves a break in the small, boat-shaped bone in the hoof, leading to significant lameness and needs treatment.

Navicular bone fracture in Horses

Seek veterinary advice before applying any treatment.

Navicular bone fractures can be classified into one of four types.These are simple sagittal fractures, comminuted fractures, avulsion fracture of the navicular collateral sesamoidean ligament, and avulsion fractures of the impar ligament. The aetiology is always traumatic but can be predisposed by either infection or chronic demineralization from navicular disease.

Symptoms

  • Change in Hoof Angle
  • Response to hoof tester
  • Swelling
  • Heel first landing
  • Hot
  • Short stepped
  • Lameness
  • Abnormal change in gait
  • Resting Only One Hind-leg

Common in

  • Forelimbs
  • Wet enviroment
  • Muddy enviroment

Treatment

Navicular bone fractures may be treated conservatively or by surgery. Surgery is expensive and difficult. Therefore, most veterinarians use a conservative management approach. Conservative therapy usually entails variable periods of rest with corrective trimming and shoeing to immobilize the hoof. Palmar digital neurectomy is an option after the fracture heals to increase the horse’s soundness. However, the results of this type of therapy have been poor.

Prevention

Select supportive footwear before you start an exercise or training routine and replace your shoes after 300-500 miles of use. Supportive shoes typically have a stiff sole with lots of cushioning in the shoe, especially at the arch. Start your new training routine slowly, especially after a period of relative inactivity. Do not increase your walking or running distance increments by more than 10% per week. Incorporate stretching, particularly of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon, prior to exercise.

How Happie can help you manage your horse's health

Digital health management offers numerous benefits in modern equine healthcare.

With the Happie Horse App, you can track symptom patterns and body values, such as Temperature, Pulse and Respiration. Allowing you to notice abnormal changes in body and behaviour early on, leading to more successful treatments.

The Happie symptom checker allows you to add all of your horse's abnormal symptoms in order to present potential causes and diseases.

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