There are several things to look at when you suspect that your horse has Navicular syndrome. While walking, the horse with Navicular syndrome will place its weight on the toe to avoid putting pressure on the heel area, which contains the inflamed Navicular bone and bursa. You will notice that since the horse does not place weight on the heel it will take it longer to stop its stride. While standing the horse will tend to constantly shift its weight. This relieves the pressure and pain in the heels. You will also notice that since the horse places its weight on its toes during movement his gait will be very rough and give the appearance of lameness in the shoulder. In addition, when you circle horses with Navicular syndrome to the right, they will appear to be lame on the right side. When circled to the left, they will show lameness on the left side. This is due to the fact that Navicular syndrome is typically a bilateral problem in the forefeet. Due to this, veterinarians will often nerve block the most painful leg to eliminate lameness on that side. Without that pain present the horse will then appear lame on the less painful leg, thus giving a complete diagnosis. Finally, you may notice that the horse’s heel may have become contracted. This is due to poor circulation in the foot.

Your veterinarian should be contacted when signs of lameness are observed. Most veterinarians will use a hoof tester as an aid in diagnosing this condition. When pressure is applied with the hoof tester over the central third of the frog the horse will be overly sensitive if Navicular syndrome is present. The horse may even dramatically flinch from the pain in severe cases. The hind feet should be tested to compare the reaction with that of the forefeet. As stated above, a verve block may also be injected in the affected area to relieve pain for a short period. If the horse was lame prior to the injection, and then moves normally after the injection, it may be assumed that the lameness is located in the Navicular region.

Radiographs can also aid in diagnosis. However Navicular syndrome cannot be solely diagnosed from x-rays alone. Radiographic abnormalities specific to Navicular syndrome, when viewed along with the results of other tests, may suggest the presence of the condition.

Nuclear bone scanning is another imaging modality, which may assist in determining a diagnosis. A low dose of a safe radioactive material is injected into the horse to detect areas of bone remodeling called “hot spots”. IF the horse has Navicular syndrome, increased uptake of the radioactive material will indicated activity at the site.