pour in packing for navicular

Question
QUESTION: Hi - I have a similar question to a previous post from 1/2009 from Lisa. I also have a horse diagnosed with navicular who previously wore Sigafoo clue-on shoes. Left foot more upright and right foot has low heel - basically two different feet. We just put egg bars on front and pour in packing on both feet, plus a wedge on the right foot. I'm wondering about going back to the clue-on shoes with added pour-in packing because the right foot inside heel is not improving with the nailed shoes. Very poor hoof and minimal places to nail shoe with this collapsed heel.  I'm having reservations about the egg bars because nails ruining our previous attempts and some success in growing heel on the right foot. Plus he has pulled a shoe twice in the short time wearing egg bars, so he lives in bell boots 24/7.  My goal is to making hopefully riding sound again.  His lamesness evalulation was a grade 1 but previous work made him grade 2 on a circle.  He was rested over the winter months and then switched to egg bars this spring.

ANSWER: HELLO JOANN...THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION...

I "really" don't like what's happening to your horse.

The Rob Sigafoos glu-on is a very good shoe that I've used off & on for years. That's where I have to stop.

Egg-bar shoes are for posterior support...that's it!!!
Support the rear-end of the hoof in simple language. Deep/super
fecial flexor tendons & ligaments. IT CAN TEMPORARY HELP a
low heeled hoof. Maybe 2/3 shoeings at the very most! Wedged open heeled shoes MAY be the next step? Feeding a strong hoof supplement
to boost hoof growth. Rocking the toes of the shoes to increase "breakover" and help the horse off of his heels.

Pour-in-packing works well for support of the heel area, but the problem seems that "they" are trying to balance your horse, when YOUR horse is not balanced and might never be in complete balance
to be very athletic.

Raising the right front(low side)will continue to "crush" that heel,
causing the bars of the hoof to collapse and the walls will suffer.
You said that now he's at a grade #2. If the radiographs are clear and very accurate, a straight-bar shoe would suffice better with the packing in the heel area(that's over the navicular area)with a
rocker toe. BOTH shoes can be wedged "slightly" and allow the the hoof to shape and "re-model". It will take time, but time is what you have right now to try and get this horse back to somewhat normal
"for him".
You can use aluminum or steel and shod every 5 weeks. You'll be
amazed by the results after a few shoeings...my opinion.

Best to You...
Joepaul Meyers,C.J.F.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Joepaul - Thank you very much for your reply. Here are some additional details I should have included in my original post (it was late when I found this wonderful site). These are MRI results of left front foot taken May 2009.

T2WD Sagittal - arrow indicates flexor surface erosion at the mid aspect of the navicular bone overlying the sagittal ridge. The bone itself has dark signal indicating sclerosis and inflammation.

T1W 3D Traverse - arrow indicates mild degenerative injury of the deep digital flexor tendon with scarring and enlargement. This finding is located immediately proximal to the navicular bone.  The navicular bursa is thickened and scarred.

Horse recieved corticosteroid injection with hyaluronate into the left front navicular bursa.  He also recieved corticosteroid injection with hyaluronate into the right front coffin joint.  Bute for 7 days and complete stall rest 2 days. He had his first set of egg bar shoes applied 3 days after these injections after completing stall rest.

Note - he was showing soreness on right front from compensating to get off his sore left foot. MRI showed fluid and inflammation around the right front coffin joint - so why it was injected too.

First ride 4 weeks later - short 15 minutes with walk trot. 2-3 short easy rides during weeks 4-6. Week 6 - the day before his 2nd shoeing, I rode him in an easy walk - trot dressage lesson.  My horse went probably the BEST he has in months - super forward and willing to go off the seat aids - no balking or resistance.  (I do not ride in spurs.)

The next day farrier applied 2nd set of egg bars - feet look very small due to break over.  Attempt to ride the horse the following day and he is all resistant, balking and simply didn't want to move forward.

I'm sensing that maybe he is the most comfortable at the 4-6 week period after being shod. I'm wondering if he needs to grow out a bit on the shoes and adjust because the first 1-2 weeks he is sore again??

If I understand your recommendation - after 2-3 shoeing, he should wear 2 different shoes on the front?  Egg bar on the left and wedged open heel on the right?

note - I purchased him as a 5 year old PT/QH with very crooked feet. I finally found a farrier 3 years ago who got him as balanced as we could with the clue on shoes.  The joint damage was already done and we probably kept him sound longer at age 13. This condition is very complex with the two different front feet.

Thank you again,
JOann


Answer
HELLO JOANN...
Thanks for explaining the rest of his history,

My opinion only...he "shouldn't" be sore for 1/2 weeks after
shoeing. Getting his angles and support back, he should feel
"loads better" !! Then as he gets longer, he would naturally start
to get alittle more uncomfortable.

He has irreversible problems that won't change. You have done a great job of following through.

I don't think in the "long run" the horse will do anything good in eggbar shoes. Again it does not promote or help the navicular bursae
or navicular bone,impar ligament or deep digital flexor.
A straight bar shoe, slightly wedged or not, would be more beneficial
because of position of the bar.
Your horse needs "support and less concussion" over the navicular
bone...NOT behind it.

To answer your question of two different shoes...IF you wedge one...
then you HAVE to wedge both. Everything with a horse's balance
relies on symmetry and equal concussion. IF NOT... the horse will
always react to the imbalance and have problems. THEY DON'T REASON
like we do. It's only good or bad...comfortable or not.
That is why he is reacting right after shoeing. Horses never lie !!

Thanks again...
Joepaul