So many horse owners hear the word “navicular” and immediately panic – and honestly, I get it. Historically, it has been one of the scariest diagnoses in the horse world. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get said often enough: many horses labeled as “navicular” may not have true navicular disease at all, and many of them can become comfortable, sound, and stay that way for years.
Most of you know The Humble Hoof Podcast exists because of my mustang, Vinnie. He was given a navicular diagnosis early on, and like so many owners, I went down the rabbit hole searching for answers, options, and hope. Somewhere in that search, a blog post titled “The Persistence of Memory” by Dr. David Ramey popped up and it touched upon what so many other hoofcare professionals were seeing in practice – that many of their “navicular” diagnosed horses seemed to become sound over time. The blog post challenged the way navicular is diagnosed, discussed how often it’s misapplied, and encouraged critical thinking instead of fear-based decisions. That post helped push me to look beyond the label and seek different ways to help Vinnie, and subsequently other horses in my hoofcare practice and my navicular-focused Facebook group, and it played a role in the path that ultimately led to this podcast.
Fast forward to meeting Dr. Ramey in person at AAEP, where I met him at a vendor booth and asked if he’d be willing to come on the podcast – and he said yes!
In this episode, we talk about: Why navicular diagnoses can often be wrong or oversimplified, the limitations of imaging and labeling, why time, management, and thoughtful rehab matter, and why a navicular diagnosis isn’t always the end of the story. If you or someone you love has a horse with this label, I really hope you’ll listen. This conversation is honest, humbling, and full of perspective.
You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app, or directly at this link.
