Last Catt - 2013-12-20 12:54 PM

I'm curious for the answers as well. I've got a gelding who has navicular so he's been retired for a few years now, I've considered nerving him because his heart never left the game, and running poles on him is like floating. So I've always been on the wall on whether to do it or not. I don't want to do it just to get a few years out of him, but just to make him more comfortable. However he's a loon and I'm afraid nerving his front feet would cause him to get hurt because he wouldn't feel it.

cindyt - 2013-12-20 1:05 PM

I have been contemplating the same thing... from what I have been told Im looking at about 2k-2500 for it, it's done with lazer now so recovery time is alot less (but never got a time frame on it)
and you can actually compete on them again.  I thought this was actually a very harsh thing to do to a horse but in all that I have been told it's benefical... they will no longer feel the pain and nothing more deteriates in the hoof, of course keeping up with proper shoeing is a must... but I had a friend that had a GREAT horse she said he was nerved at 8 and qualified for the NFR for years.... she said she would do it to any horse, (that needed it) and really made my mind up that if I get the money, he's getting it done!
This horse ran for many many years after his NFR days were over (his age and soundness in other places) 
And her current horse had it done and has never missed a beat  

triplecircle - 2013-12-20 1:18 PM

I had it done. It cost $500. Not by lazer though. Can't remember the recovery time but it bought me 5 more competitive years on a mare that was too sore to ride at all. Contrary to some stories, she still had feeling in her feet & I took special care of her (injections, NO standing or riding on hard ground or cement, shoeing, etc). I would absolutely not hesitate to do it again if needed. It does not last forever.
 

CYA Ranch - 2013-12-20 1:25 PM

I debated on having my mare nerved but in the long run she means the world to me.  We've been best friends since I got her at 6 months old, she'll be 16 in 2014.  She has the heart and try to run her hardest no matter what.  I decided I'd rather have her fairly comfortable being a pasture ornament for years to come vs trying to keep her running and taking the chance she'll cripple herself bad enough to shorten her life.  She'll have her 2nd baby in a couple months and I've bought myself younger horses to run barrels on.  I still miss running her but I won't take the chance.  

God Is My Light - 2013-12-20 1:31 PM That's kinda how I feel too I am on the fence about it, but I am most concerned with keeping him comfy not riding him, I had my fun on him and he gave me all he had.....I want him to be happy.

RockinGR - 2013-12-20 2:04 PM

I struggled with this...my gelding is scheduled for surgery on January 3rd for his second neorectomy. I know he needs to be nerved for his own comfort--and I feel it is a better option than daily NSAIDS. My struggle was whether or not to run him again. He WANTS to go, you can see it in his eyes. He still WANTS to play in the pasture, and some days he can, and other days he struggles. I want what is best for my horse, and I also want him back under me so bad it hurts.
I sat down with his vet and had a long detailed discussion. We reviewed x-rays and CTs, but his opinion is that my horse is a low fracture risk, and is being maintained extremely well and therefore is expressing little to no change in his navicular. I was told that I have to remain VERY diligent in his care, but if it makes the horse happy, there is no reason why he cannot compete again.

After his first neurectomy, he returned to being VERY competative. Top of the 1D at big shows and won several rodeos. He did take maintanence...very strict shoeing schedule, wide web shoe/rolled toe, regular chiro, magnetic therapy, but I never injected him until we did his coffin joints as a last ditch try when he started getting sore again. I have high hopes that he will return to that level, for a few more years, and then he will be able to retire.
He is being done at Oklahoma State, for around $1000. I hope to run him again for the first time for my birthday weekend Barrel Bash in mid March, but I will let him tell me when he's ready. He's a REALLY happy horse, even when he hurts he tries to be happy, but I know I'm doing the right thing for him.

God Is My Light - 2013-12-20 2:12 PM


you took the feelings right out of my heart. I wish you allot of luck on him for a good recovery, its sounds like you have his best interest at heart. May I ask how long the first nerving lasted before you had to do it again ?

RockinGR - 2013-12-20 2:28 PM


He made it just short of 4 years on the first one. I'm hoping he does the same for the second...he'll still have to be retired young-ish (he'll be 13 this coming year), but he'll have had one hell of a career to be proud of. He is my "once in a lifetime", and he will always be with me.

Jenbabe - 2013-12-20 2:57 PM

Before nerving a horse I'd spend the money on an MRI. I have a gelding that has been retired since he was 11. He had navicular issues, and when injections, shoeing changes, and bute no longer helped we were given the option of MRI or nerve. We decided to go with the MRI because we were told that all but around 10% of horses can be treated with surgical options and return to competition in 6-12 months. After the MRI I was told to no longer ride my horse, unless he was the kind of horse that would do occasional trail rides, and that he was no longer a candidate for nerving. Flex tests and x-rays did not show how much damage was done, it was the MRI that told the whole story. Even my vet was surprised at how much damage there was considering that he did not appear that lame. My gelding had arthritis in his pastern and coffin joints, cysts in his navicular bursa, and his navicular bone was deteriorating and changing shape which was causing it to saw on his flexor tendon. If he was nerved he would no longer feel the pain and would eventually saw through his flexor tendon. I can't even imagine how big of a wreck that would have been. I hear lots of stories on here from people who have had great results with nerving, and I'm not totally opposed to it in the right situation, but I'd want to know exactly what was going on in my horse's feet/legs before making that decision. My gelding has been retired to the pasture 4 1/2 years and he is happy as can be out there. He is obviously lame, but he gets around just fine and is the head horse out there. He was a very nice horse and helped me achieve so many goals, and I'm glad that he gets to spend his life out there being the boss. I miss running him all the time, especially when I'm dealing with all of these young ones! And I have no doubt that if I got him out of the pasture and legged him up he'd still go run his heart out for me. But it's just not worth the risk. He took care of me, and now it's time for me to take care of him.

God Is My Light - 2013-12-20 2:36 PM


Mine is just coming on 12 years old and he is my once in a life timer too, I honestly believe god made him just for me, I just love him so much. Thank you for all your information, one more thing what was the after surgery like ? what I mean is are they stall kept and if so for how long ? whats the recovery time like for they are able to go out in the pasture and play ?

RockinGR - 2013-12-20 3:16 PM


I got him about a year after his first neuroetomy, so I'll have to let you know... I was told that they usually go home the day after if all goes well, but his vet has chosen to keep him through the weekend, so I don't get to pick him up until around the 6th/7th. I do know that he will be on strict stall rest for at least the first two weeks, and I have to keep him as calm as possible to avoid neuromas. I bought him a pony to keep him company, but if that doesn't work, I'll have to make my mare stay in with him for the first couple of weeks. I think I can start hand walking him after that, for a couple of more weeks, and then begin to gradually increase his exercise. I don't think he can get turnout for at least a month--he plays way too hard.

Luckily, my local vet can do all his follow up, so she will take his stitches out at 2 weeks, and he will get new shoes that same day. 2 degree aluminum wedge, wide web shoes with an equipak pad. Six weeks and he will be reset again with out the pads. Somewhere in the 4-6 weeks post surgery, we will look at injecting hocks--which are sore due to being rocked back off his fronts for a while now.

RockinGR - 2013-12-20 3:34 PM

Oh mine HATES his pony...and I mean HATES it. I've never, ever seen him show a mean bone or ugly face until I brought that pony home. The first week I let the pony out with them, they all tried to run him down and do him bodily harm. The pony thought it was a game, and figured out he could get under the fence, catch his breath and go back to it.
My intention was to let them live in the stall together...not going to happen. They don't try to kill him anymore, but I think the stall next to him will be close enough quarters for them during recovery, LOL. I do hope they have made good enough friends for the pony's sake, because once the horse is feeling good again, I'm not sure the pony will be able to out run him.

God Is My Light - 2013-12-20 11:00 AM


That is exactly my horse too, he will watch me ride my other horses and he wants to ride and run he just cant anymore, but there is no telling his heart that. My farrier says that they only lose feeling in the back half of there hoof and that they still know where there foot is. I know that Team ropers do it all the time and it works, but that's not running into a barrel at 30 MPH and turning a 360' 3 times.....No offense to my TR buddies.

Last Catt - 2013-12-20 6:51 PM


The problem with my boy is he likes to hang his hoof over the fence and pull when he wants something. He's pulled off many shoes that way, so for him not to feel the area he'd be applying pressure on, is what has kept me from doing it all these years. My family knows I know him better than anyone, so I've always played a big role in his stuff. He's 14 and has been retired for at least 5 years. I pulled him out in October for a gymkhana that was giving a buckle for high point. He went an won all but 1 class cause they had a reenactment start during my turn for poles so we got 2nd. He got that buckle though and showed he still had it. He'll be here the rest of his days, I've been blessed with a few horses that are my once in a lifetimes at my young age, and he is one of them. I started riding him when I was about 8 years old and he was 4, so I've had him over a decade now. If I had the money, I'd take him to the vet just to see if he was a candidate, but right now money isn't available. He's my boy and he knows I love him, all I could ever want was for him to be comfy and happy. He taught me more than any person could, he's like my little brother.

Has anyone put magnetic bell boots on a navicular horse or a nerved horse?

fulltiltfilly - 2013-12-20 7:05 PM

The horse in my avatar is de-nerved. I ran her for about a year and a 1/2 and had to retire her for a soundness issue unrelated to the de-nerving. I was just starting to really click with her and clock in the 1D.........

The surgery was $800 and she had to be on stall rest for 2 weeks, with bandages changed every other day. Once she was off stall rest she could go back to a normal work schedule. I brought her along slowly so she could get used to her "new" feet. She had surgery in May and I started barrel racing her in August. it has been almost 3 years since the surgery and she never had any issues resulting from the surgery.  

For my horse it was a great and viable option.  I have never regretted it. I did do my research, spoke to other people that had it done and i did speak to my vet at lenght about it before I made the decision.  It was so nice to give her a useful and pain free life. The day after the surgery she had a calm look about her because she wasn't in pain any longer. 

You just have to remember that if you do choose the surgery that it does not cure the navicular or stop the degeneration it only takes the pain away. You still need to be vigilant about regular shoeing (or trims depending on what works for your horse). 

God Is My Light - 2013-12-20 2:20 PM Ok Thank you so much....I have heard that it will only last a year or two before it grows back, is that true ?

Jenbabe - 2013-12-20 2:57 PM Before nerving a horse I'd spend the money on an MRI. I have a gelding that has been retired since he was 11. He had navicular issues, and when injections, shoeing changes, and bute no longer helped we were given the option of MRI or nerve. We decided to go with the MRI because we were told that all but around 10% of horses can be treated with surgical options and return to competition in 6-12 months. After the MRI I was told to no longer ride my horse, unless he was the kind of horse that would do occasional trail rides, and that he was no longer a candidate for nerving. Flex tests and x-rays did not show how much damage was done, it was the MRI that told the whole story. Even my vet was surprised at how much damage there was considering that he did not appear that lame. My gelding had arthritis in his pastern and coffin joints, cysts in his navicular bursa, and his navicular bone was deteriorating and changing shape which was causing it to saw on his flexor tendon. If he was nerved he would no longer feel the pain and would eventually saw through his flexor tendon. I can't even imagine how big of a wreck that would have been. I hear lots of stories on here from people who have had great results with nerving, and I'm not totally opposed to it in the right situation, but I'd want to know exactly what was going on in my horse's feet/legs before making that decision. My gelding has been retired to the pasture 4 1/2 years and he is happy as can be out there. He is obviously lame, but he gets around just fine and is the head horse out there. He was a very nice horse and helped me achieve so many goals, and I'm glad that he gets to spend his life out there being the boss. I miss running him all the time, especially when I'm dealing with all of these young ones! And I have no doubt that if I got him out of the pasture and legged him up he'd still go run his heart out for me. But it's just not worth the risk. He took care of me, and now it's time for me to take care of him.