A bit of a rant this morning — I’m seeing alot of information about mechanical and topical care for hooves that are dx’d as ‘navicular’. Navicular has become the catch-all word for heel pain. TRUE navicular ‘disease’ is something different than navicular ‘syndrome’ but the proper and EFFECTIVE treatment of balanced hoof trimming as well as other topical, systemic and mechanical relief is basically the same.
With respect to Homeopathics … navicular may or may not be ACUTE – remember, acute is a condition that will repair/resolve itself with no intervention. Chronic is long term condition that will NOT resolve on its own and Constitutional is something within the individual that is needing proper life force balancing.
That being said, ALL ASPECTS aka the WHOLE individual MUST be tended properly for complete recovery/cure.
Now, I see ALOT of stuff being thrown around in recommendations for treatment of Navicular – like the brand of minerals, feed choices, supplements etc. Let me say something — anything that is manufactured, processed, etc is going to inhibit healing! It may appear to help for a bit, but then, long term, after the ‘condition’ is apparently resolved, the ‘symptoms’ WILL re-appear again if the WHOLE individual, including stress control via herd management and husbandry, is not addressed properly – that is, organically.
I’m speaking from over 60 years of living with horses; 36+ of them tending hooves with the last 20-25 yrs of my care being resolving/restoring/recuperating SEVERELY pathological hooves. Pathological as in all 4 coffin bones dropping through the soles at once in severe founder. Navicular that was deemed ‘incurable’ by multiple vets/farriers … etc. NONE of the hundreds of horses over the years whom I treated would have recovered if the owners were not diligent about the care they gave. NONE of the horses would have recovered as well as they did if they remained on chemically processed ‘specialty feeds, supplements, injections, etc. and in shoes. NONE … and I say that in complete confidence because – I was always called in as a “last resort” because – NOTHING had worked prior to my treatment. Sometimes YEARS of treatment and the horse was still not recovering.
Now, granted, when I began this work, specialty feeds for PPID, IR, etc were just being developed and introduced to the public. I was against them then and am even more vehemently against them now. Our commercial feeds are tainted horrifically with all sorts of chemicals, additives, preservatives, artificial coloring and flavoring — being manufactured from “franken-grains” …
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT is a well-known adage and IT IS TRUTH! The horses MUST be fed organically with nothing but FORAGES … specific veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds along with individually determined herbs for healing bone, ligaments, tendons, antiinflammatories etc. This is to complement free 1st cut good quality HAY, all-round NATURALLY chelated minerals, sea or himalayan salt and fresh water. The stress must be reduced with natural environment … that means NO STALLING for extended periods of time. … turnout on VARIED terrain with other horse or horses … NO PAIN RELIEVERS …the body’s way of keeping an animal from injuring itself further is to produce pain …
By emulating the NATURAL lifestyle of a horse healing can take place and the homeopathics chosen can work to their fullest exent and they WILL restore the animal to a balanced state of being — Homeopathic CURE. It is the ONLY treatment known that can. But only when all the other parameters are met as to the NATURAL WHOLE horse with diet being of paramount importance. RANT OVER.
