Any positive stories of coffin joint issues in comp horses?

daveismycat

daveismycat

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My 7yr old TB mare has been on and off mildly bilaterally forelimb lame (blocked to the palmar foot) since the summer. After addressing foot balance issues we finally worked our way to having an MRI scan done this week. Thankfully no apparent ddft/navicular bone/bursa/etc issues noted but she does has some coffin joint effusion (blocked 75% to both coffin jts). The team treating her have been excellent and very supportive (I am a small animal vet so they humour me!) and we have a plan in place. They are cautious about predicting her prognosis but have not painted a grim picture.

What I'd really like is to hear if there are any positive stories out there of horses that have gone on to compete after treatment for coffin joint issues. I bought her to be a riding club allrounder (hoped to dressage to elem, jump 80/90cm) but in recent weeks had resigned myself to the fact she would probably be a turbocharged lawnmower. Now I am wondering if there may be a chance she may improve enough to do some low level stuff.

Thanks in advance :)
 
I have one diagnosed with mild/moderate coffin joint arthritis (from an old, badly healed pedal bone fracture). He presented as 'not quite right' and I had him MRI'd. We initially tried steroid injections into the joint but although effective, they were short acting. We went down the IRAP route instead and he has been sound and in full work for about 2 years now.

I am very careful with him, the hard ground from this summer didn't help him at all and he advised me quite firmly that eventing was not for him anymore! Although initially disappointed (I bought him as my potential Intermediate/1* horse) I am taking the sensible route and realise that he'll (hopefully) last much longer without the wear and tear associated with being kept event fit.

He now has an 'on-a-surface' career and is (quite successfully) BDing and BSing.

Obviously I don't know how long he'll stay fit and sound but until then I'll continue to mollycoddle him and do the stuff he's comfortable and happy to do.

Hope that helps!
 
Thank you, that is helpful. Good to know they can go on to have a job even if plans have to change slightly. We are going for IRAP too.

Do you have him on a joint supplement? Thanks.
 
I've tried various things without any noticeable difference (but then again he is completely sound anyway) but did start him on Boswellia 2 weeks ago. It might be completely in my head but he does seem to be looser and 'bigger moving' since being on it!
 
Competed mine PreNovice, on and off for 6 years post diagnosis, used a combination of steroid injections, shoeing and being careful with going/roadwork. Supplement wise been using glucosamine etc (whatever we had out of date at work ;) ) only one I thought made a definite difference was seraquin GLME but don't look at the price! I also give a shot of metacam iv if I think I may have overdone it or after an event. Yes I'm a vet and I used the resources available to me but I never ran her if she wasn't "clean" and 100% sound (as in on a hard circle).
Sadly her issues became complicated by caudal foot pain (sorry no MRI) which again we managed until this year. Medicine having failed us this time she is now at Rockley Farm and apparently doing well so fingers crossed :)
 
Ditto all of what you've said really. I am also a small animal vet. Horse has been bilaterally lame in front, blocked to palmar foot. MRI showed some coffin joint effusion and he improved after coffin joint block. Joint fluid was excessive and lacking viscosity. Injected with HA and steroids. Has also been on Cartrophen. The key was having him shod by remedial farrier at Liphook. He's been sound since second shoeing and is back eventing at 90/100 successfully. Ran him XC 4 times at the end of the season with no issues. He feels better than ever in the school. Vets were cautious about his return to full work so pleased with him but will be very careful with ground in the future.
 
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Mine was 1-2/10 bilat lame this summer. Also humoured by equine lot (I'm a cow vet ;-p) blocked to coffin joint, very quick response suggesting inflam so given steroid and HA. Spent couple months bringing slowly into work, as star said key was defininitely excellent remedial farrier, was better after first shoeing. He's now competing BD novice, has his first elementary next month and jumped double clear in a British novice and discovery class this morning :) plan to continue with this farrier and am told no reason to expect a recurrence once his foot balance is corrected.

ETA, looking at above responses the common denominator in developing coffin joint issues seems to be being owned by a vet!
 
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yeah what do you vets do to them all!

Frank blocked to the coffin joint - flat pedal bones on xray no MRI done. HA and steroid injections + shoeing differently didn't really help him even though feet did look much better. He's been sound since his shoes came off and is in full work albeit limited competing as no transport now. I would be more ground fussy with him now if competing more - but that's partly because he is 20 now anyway. If he were younger and I wanted to say event in summer I would be looking at shoeing for the season and seeing if he stayed sound and then having them off in winter.
 
Thanks all for replying. What is it with coffin joints and vets horses?!

My girl has had remedial farriery since September to correct the dorsopalmar & mediolateral imbalance that was initially assumed to be the problem. They put her in a modified bar with a slight wedge which made a huge difference to her foot balance but hasn't sorted the lameness. They are now in talks with the farrier here at the vet school to plan what to do next.

Thanks for these stories, they are helping me stay positive after months of gloom!
 
Polonaise said:
Medicine having failed us this time she is now at Rockley Farm and apparently doing well so fingers crossed :)
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ester said:
He's been sound since his shoes came off and is in full work albeit limited competing as no transport now.
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Interesting to hear this. Mine's currently without shoes (had them off for the MRI) and I thought she looked the most sound she had done in months trotting around her little paddock this morning. I have been lurking and having a read of the Rockley blog and I haven't discounted that plan of action yet. My vet was quite supportive of barefoot but would like to try a different shoe first.

Wishing you well with yours, do keep us updated.
 
Fwiw I think shoeing managed to make Frank's look much better externally but didn't change the internal structures enough to bring him sound but no shoes did. His palmar hoof is now hugely different and am sure provides much more support to any ongoing coffin joint issues - along with getting him landing straighter.

I'm not a vet but have recently spent the last 6 odd years at bristol vet school sooo... ;)

Timewise shoes were off march 2012 he was in full work 6 months later and just got better since then. - I took it particularly slowly though as I was worried he might have some collateral ligament issue too.
 
I have a few theories on why vets horses effected

1) we're too busy to ride enough to properly condition our horses
2) coffin issues tend to be bilateral and therefore not easy to spot in the early stages, do we pick up on them at a different stage (didn't say earlier or later!)
3) Original post asked for positive outcomes, does our ready access to cheaper treatment improve the prognosis?

Or...we're all horrible people who carry on competing our knackered mounts past their sell by date ;)
 
ester said:
Fwiw I think shoeing managed to make Frank's look much better externally but didn't change the internal structures enough to bring him sound but no shoes did.
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There have been some huge differences radiographically, taken without shoes. But yes, I agree, her feet could be better still.

Polonaise said:
I have a few theories on why vets horses effected

1) we're too busy to ride enough to properly condition our horses
2) coffin issues tend to be bilateral and therefore not easy to spot in the early stages, do we pick up on them at a different stage (didn't say earlier or later!)
3) Original post asked for positive outcomes, does our ready access to cheaper treatment improve the prognosis?

Or...we're all horrible people who carry on competing our knackered mounts past their sell by date ;)
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^^^^^ this really made me laugh. I think all three apply to me. Very glad of my vet school staff discount even though we're insured to the nines...!
 
Wedges made mine more lame. He's been sound since being shod with natural balance. I think finding the right solution to the foot balance for each individual horse is definitely key to managing coffin joint issues.

Sadly no discount on my bills as only do small animals. I do get my Cartrophen at cost price but that's it. Thank god for insurance!
 
Mine was diagnosed 2 years ago, had two lots of steroid injections (first one didn't last very long) and 4 cartrophen injections. But I believe completely that it's the gel pads (equipak) that have kept him sound, definitely over the summer certainly.

Last week he did his first British Novice, and as long I'm careful with the surface we're on (only jump on grass once/twice a year) he seems to be fine *touch wood*
 
Yes, at age five with bilateral lameness September time. Left coffin joint medicated and although his feet didn't look bad, remedial shoeing then natural balance shoes. Hacked out over the winter and was told okay to start working him as normal after six months. I then bust one hand riding early May just recovering from that when bust thumb which took ages to fix. So he probably had longer doing lighter work than what vets advised. However, remember I don't have to a school etc.... So a lot of my ridden work is hacking with occasional lessons between shows.

Suspect you want to do similar things we have so don't lose heart it is all over before it has begun. Pm me or message me on Fb if u like .
 
hi, my mare was the same as yours after xrays etc and blocking cae back that both her coffing joints were effected, we had a course of approx 4 IRAP injections and (touchwood) she has been sound ever since and has even started jumping small fences again
 
SnowGoose said:
ETA, looking at above responses the common denominator in developing coffin joint issues seems to be being owned by a vet!
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I'm a DEFRA vet's daughter and Barry has recently been diagnosed with early stages of arthritis in his coffin joint. Vet s hopeful he will be able to go back to doing everything I want (aim is to scrape through a BE80 one day). She's coming back in a couple of weeks to have a look at him again. We've now been cleared to start trotting and cantering in the school again, and are allowed out of walk out hacking :) He's had some HA jabs and now wears wedges, much to the amusement of my non-horsey friends.
 
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