Princess has a navicular-type condition. She's had it since she was very young. She's already been "nerved" once, about 5 and a half years ago. That's pretty good, for it to last that long. The pain relief, I mean.
We don't really know why she is sore on her front feet. But when these nerves are cut, she can't feel the soreness anymore. There are performance horses out there, who have been "nerved." The results can be amazing! Or they can be slight, without much noticeable improvement.
Last time Princess was "nerved" it took a little while before it looked like it helped. But things did improve, and then she had 5 really good years. but a few months ago we noticed a difference again. The hard, icy ground is not fun for her. So we took her to the Vet, and it was determined that Princess is a good candidate to do the surgery again. Hoping it will relieve her pain again. For many more years. Here are links to a couple of good articles about this condition / procedure.
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/lameness/tha-nerving.shtml#footer
http://stablemanagement.com/article/the-scoop-on-nerving
