Does anyone have great transition (boots?) ideas for a horse with navicular? It has been 1 year since diagnosis and I tried many boot/pad/barefoot combinations before giving up and having shoes put back on. I trim often but I couldn't get her comfortable with boots. She has a history of thin soles too.  I would really like to get rid of the shoes but I can't stand to see her so uncomfortable. Anyone had luck with a certain combination?  Our terrain is varied- wood, some rock, slope, deep dirt and pine cones. She is not being ridden for now.

Thanks for any suggestions.
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Shera Felde
Sisters, Oregon
2020

Hi Shera
I've used hoofwings for over a decade and both my horses move better in them than they do barefoot. 
Equine Jogging Shoes say they are good for navicular - have you tried them?

Cheers
Josie
Davis CA 12/09

Thank you,  Josie. Do either of your horses have navicular?  I will check them out.
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Shera Felde
Sisters, Oregon
2020

Hi Shera,

Getting the trim correct is going to be crucial in helping the Navicular issues and in getting her soles to increase in depth. The only thing the shoes are doing is preventing hoof expansion, which is why they help make her more comfortable. That comes at the cost of suspending her from her lamina, as they take the soles and frog completely out of their roles in supporting the bony column.That decreases circulation, as well as leads to atrophy of many of those structures.

Boots and pads are the best option while working on getting the trim corrected. If you would like some input on the trim, get a full set of hof photos posted so we can assess where things may need improvement.

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Lavinia
Jan 2005, RI

Moderator/ECIR Support

Hi Shera
No they don’t. They’ve suffered thin soles and laminitis between them but the only potential navicular issue turned out to be just clutching at straws because it was actually an abscess.
How is the frog health in your navicular horse?
I have a friend whose horse was diagnosed navicular and she used cavallo boots with him for quite a while but he’s sound barefoot now.
Have you tried hoof armor? That helped my formerly shod horse with thin soles transition out of needing boots for riding
Josie
Davis CA 12/09

Hi Shera,

 I am new to the ECIR groups so just now saw your post from November. Have you had any success with finding boots for your horse? I have successfully rehabbed two
horses with navicular through proper barefoot care. With both horses I used the Easy Care Clouds. These help to cushion their heels and get them moving properly once their trim is better/right. Once we got their angles right (42-47 degrees), we found that Scoot Boots worked well for riding. I don’t ride one of the horses anymore but when I did, I used Scoot Boots. The other one doesn’t require boots when ridden anymore, but he also wore Scoot Boots at one time. I have another horse that I suspect is IR, and she has one odd foot - a “slipper” foot, so Scoot Boots don’t fit her very well. With her, I use Cavallos (Sport Slim’s, I believe). She’s actually in them right now, with the Easy Care pads that are for use in the Cloud boots. I also use Scoot Boots with one of my other horses. I would say though that Scoot Boots aren’t great for turn-out and they definitely would not work with a shod horse. I’ve also never had any success with using pads in them. I’ve used Cavallos with two horses and I like them okay. I never lost one with my last horse but with the current horse, sometimes one comes off. Last
night I was out searching for one in the dark LOL I found it though! I’ve also tried Renegades. When they fit well, they’re great, but I found them even harder to fit than Scoot Boots. 

Also, in case you weren’t aware, your horses feet will get bigger once she is out of shoes, so you may need to purchase a few different pairs over the course of a year or two. The good news is, you can probably find some used ones or some at a good price through Amazon. I think my first pair of Cavallos came from the Amazon Warehouse for about $85. I would just suggest that you take measurements with pictures and send them to whatever boot company you choose and let them size your horse. That way if the sizing is wrong, you can return them.

Best of luck to you!

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Carolyn in UT 2022

Thank you so much Carolyn. Boots have been a challenge. Sophie is pigeon toed which might play into boots coming off her (or it could be mud, snow, etc.). We are currently trying Hoofwings which were suggested here, but they also come off or rub her bulbs. I do trim my horses but would love to understand better the 42-47 degree angle you speak of. Any suggestions for visualizing that on a hoof would be very welcome. I have Clouds, but I think they're old enough that they would come off. I tried Easy sneakers which I like the fit in general, but she wasn't comfortable even in those. I'll look again at Scoots.

Thanks again for your suggestions,
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Shera Felde
Sisters, Oregon
2020

Correction on the angles - I meant 47-52 degrees!

Hi Shera - I’m not familiar with Hoofwings, but there are some “tricks of the trade” in getting hoof boots to fit properly and stay on. Are you using pads in your boots? If not, according to Dr. Bowker, you should be. They will help with the fit. I’ve never been able to do it but some people put a human sock over their horses feet to help with rubbing. I personally use a wound pad or a plain old Kotex old school pad and vet wrap. I put the pad around the heel bulb and buttress, then vet wrap. 

I’ll upload a picture to my photo album that shows the angle of a hoof. I just noticed that it’s not in my signature block in this group though so I’ll have to figure that out first 😂 Also, I meant to say the hoof angle should be 47-52 degrees, not 42-47.

By the way, my aunt Lynne and Uncle Carl Wood used to live in Sisters! They moved to Albany a few years ago. I’ve heard that Sisters is a super cute place! 

It is a beautiful area here. Very little rain, but miles of trails in all directions.

I do struggle with Sophie's tendency to have crushed heels even with me backing up her toes regularly so the angle idea is interesting. One trimming tool is an angle gauge but measuring 30 degree angle up the front wall from ground I believe.

Thanks!
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Shera Felde
Sisters, Oregon
2020

While noting what the angles are on feet is an interesting academic exercise, aiming to achieve a certain, predetermined angle for specific hooves is not a good idea. The hoof capsule should align to the bones inside, therefore it should mirror whatever  angle those bones line up at.

Some horses have more upright feet, while others have lower palmer/plantar angles when they have an optimal trim in place. Forcing them to match a measurement that doesn't conform to their genetics will create issues over time.

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Lavinia
Jan 2005, RI

Moderator/ECIR Support