Need some encouragement about navicular

My 11 year old Paint was diagnosed with navicular a week ago by my vet. She showed me the X-rays and explained everything to me. In the meantime, my farrier (who works closely with the vet) has put eggbar shoes on him. I rode him on a trailride today and he was about 90% sound. The sad thing is that I've only owned this horse for a little over a year. I bought him after my mare, who I'd owned for 15 years died. I had such high hopes for this guy. He's a drop dead-gorgeous Tobiano, who was a stud in his younger days (you'd never know it!) I think he was a throw away Florida, rich breeder horse. For some reason he didn't work out as a stud and was given up to auction. He's sweet as the day as long - tries to be pushy but when reprimanded, hangs his head. I guess I'm just worried that I'm going to have to be the one to put him down if he goes downhill. I so much wanted to give him a good life and now this diagnosis has kinda been a left-hook punch. I've read whatever I can about navicular and it's both depressing and hopeful. I'm just feeling very bummed out. Em

Sorry about your diagnosis, but its not the end of the world.

We had a horse with navicular, and she lived to the ripe old age of 32. We had to shoe her with the egg bar shoes AND pads. That kept her very comfortable for the last ten years of her life.

Work with your vet and farrier. You'll find workable solutions.

Hey Moon,
My horse has some issues at the moment with his navicular bone. My vet has told me that with some corrective shoeing on a regular basis and some other possibilities that are out there medically "if needed" to manage his issue he should be fine to do lower leves of dressage.
He was in pasture for 5 yrs at my parents breeding ranch while I recovered from some injureis that were from several different things. Non-horse realated.
Anyway I just finally got helathy enough to bring him here but when he arrived his feet did not look good at all and I had the shoes pulled ant trimmed and then x-rays and ultra sound to get a better Idea of what we are dealing with.
The vet was very positive about the whole thing and said that he is not in a category of such severity that he will never be doing anything...
He is 8 and I am will to devote time and patience into taking good care of his feet ...
Please pm me if you want extra support.
I have been doing a lot of reading about all different types of lamenesses...
Very interesting. There are lots of things out there to try and help the horse with is particular issues.

Did the egg bar shoe help???
I too know that certain sufaces are hard on my horse. He is in a stage right now where I am sort of battleing with respect from not benig handled every day for so long and then also the foot problems and a new environment ...so it is and continues to be a lot of work that requires a lot of patience...
Please don't loose hope just yet...
One thing I do is take photos of my horse feet ...every couple weeks...to see how they grow. My shoer think this is a good idea and that the photis are helpful to see progress that is made.
I just love Pain horses...
I don't have one but I sense you paint horse means the world to you and does my TB ...
Please PM for extra support if you like!
Half Pass