Hi George, Two and one-half years ago my daughter’s 4-year-old QH gelding was diagnosed with navicular disease. Our vet sent Dream to the state vet school. Through x-rays he was diagnosed with changes in the navicular bone in the right front foot. At that time he was head bobble lame. We had wonderful vet care and I can’t say enough about the skills of the vets and students. The horse was given an injection the right front foot. He was sent home to rest for a week and then we could try to ride him. Unfortunately, for Dream, the injection didn’t work completely and he needed to be given Bute each time my daughter rode him. After about 3 months of tears from my daughter and a lame horse we decided to give the Gallium Nitrate a try.

It took almost 4 months of full doses daily of Gallium Nitrate for the horse to become sound. He started slowly getting better. Since he became sound 2 years ago we haven’t given him any more Bute or injections. We found that doubling his does a day or 2 before the farrier came and for a day or two after kept Dream sound even through shoeing. Dream was kept on full dose of the Gallium Nitrate for almost 2 years. My daughter rode her horse for 2-3 hours a day in the summer, on the weekends showing for a full day in every class from halter, showmanship, trail, pleasure and English classes. In the winter she rode him 4 times a week at least. Now she has graduated from high school and only rides a couple of times a week since she is in college. This past fall after the show season we put him on 1/2 dosage of the Gallium Nitrate. He has stayed sound. Just as exciting as soundness with half doses, is that we have pulled his shoes and are trying the barefoot trim with him. The first barefoot trim he had, I put him on full dose for the day he was trimmed only. He was never lame and moved off great. Since then he has had several more barefoot trims and I have only given him the maintenance dose.

Gallium Nitrate saved this horse from a lot of pain and gave a horse crazy girl her horse back. They are a wonderful sound team thanks to Gallium Nitrate. I should also mention that this horse is HYPP N/H. We are very strict with his diet and adding the Gallium Nitrate didn’t appear to have any negative impact on his HYPP N/H status while allowing him to move pain free.