Charlie77
Well-Known Member
My horse was diagnosed back in May, I would just be interested to know what other peoples horses with it are doing? How they cope etc??
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Arthritis of the Coffin joint?
- Thread starter Charlie77
- Start date
Christmas Crumpet
Well-Known Member
My horse was nearly 20 when he was diagnosed. His was a result of a hard life hunting twice a week.
The vet wanted to inject the joint because it was making him intermittently lame but sadly he broke down and was pts instead.
You can definately help the situation with the aid of steriods etc.
The vet wanted to inject the joint because it was making him intermittently lame but sadly he broke down and was pts instead.
You can definately help the situation with the aid of steriods etc.
amandathepanda
Well-Known Member
Sovereign was diagnosed with DJD in the coffin joint which amounts to the same thing. He was fitted with eggbar shoes for the first 4 years, then he went on to rolled toes with out the eggbar. He had to retire from BSJA (he was JA) but was ok to do local sj on decent ground or go XC. He was ridden for about 10 years after he was diagnosed with DJD and was still sound when we had him PTS at the age of 25 (with intestinal cancer). Don't despair, it doesn't mean you have to retire your horse or never jump them again.
Doublethyme
Well-Known Member
A friend's horse had undiagnosed "issues" when he was 4, remedially shod for a year or so, then back to normal shoes till he was 11. In that time he was sound or so we thought, till he was diagnosed with bilateral lameness in both front feet. X-rays revealed extensive bony changes on the coffin joint, plus some navicular, but coffin joint the main problem.
He had three lots of steroid injections - came sound for a short time with the first lot, but not the rest. Had remedial shoeing by top natural balance farrier, still not comfortable. Vet and farrier recommended retirement, with some mutterings of maybe only being a short retirement before he deteriorated too badly.
At this point the horse slipped through a fence and severed his extensor tendon on the hind, so after surgery had months of box rest. Against farrier/vet advice, my friend decided to pull his remedial shoes (he'd never been comfortable in them anyway) and as he was only in the box, what was the point, so shoeless he became.
Went out in the field eventually for more rest and the first thing we noticed was how much more comfortable he looked on his feet - hadn't been able to get round corners like that for years (if ever!).
That was 18 months ago (from point of tendon injury). My friend gave him a year off from point of coffin joint diagnosis (which included the tendon recovery) and as he looked sound, thought what the heck and brought him back into work last Spring.
He has been sound since and now does upto 1hr walk/trot/canter in the school (or field in the summer) and has been on some short experimental hacks. My friend is taking it very slowly with him, as she has a new youngster anyway now, but he has stayed sound - has the odd day where he is a bit stiff, but more on his back end than anything.
He isn't on any pain relief (normal or homeopathic), so is doing pretty well for a horse that the vets wrote off completely as the damage to his joints was extreme.
He is trimmed by a farrier, but with a more barefoot type trim and is a happy boy - much happier than he was in the very expensive remedial shoeing that he "had" to have according to the professionals.
He had three lots of steroid injections - came sound for a short time with the first lot, but not the rest. Had remedial shoeing by top natural balance farrier, still not comfortable. Vet and farrier recommended retirement, with some mutterings of maybe only being a short retirement before he deteriorated too badly.
At this point the horse slipped through a fence and severed his extensor tendon on the hind, so after surgery had months of box rest. Against farrier/vet advice, my friend decided to pull his remedial shoes (he'd never been comfortable in them anyway) and as he was only in the box, what was the point, so shoeless he became.
Went out in the field eventually for more rest and the first thing we noticed was how much more comfortable he looked on his feet - hadn't been able to get round corners like that for years (if ever!).
That was 18 months ago (from point of tendon injury). My friend gave him a year off from point of coffin joint diagnosis (which included the tendon recovery) and as he looked sound, thought what the heck and brought him back into work last Spring.
He has been sound since and now does upto 1hr walk/trot/canter in the school (or field in the summer) and has been on some short experimental hacks. My friend is taking it very slowly with him, as she has a new youngster anyway now, but he has stayed sound - has the odd day where he is a bit stiff, but more on his back end than anything.
He isn't on any pain relief (normal or homeopathic), so is doing pretty well for a horse that the vets wrote off completely as the damage to his joints was extreme.
He is trimmed by a farrier, but with a more barefoot type trim and is a happy boy - much happier than he was in the very expensive remedial shoeing that he "had" to have according to the professionals.
Charlie77
Well-Known Member
That's interesting, He's only 13 and he's always been very forward, He had the 3HA injections etc, and he stayed sound most of the summer, I did take him clear round jumping in a rubber school & he came back sound , He attacked the jumps, but then 2 weeks later was a bit sore, we had been cantering up stubble fields also, I just assumed it was the jumping & that it had just taken its time to show, Didn't know if I was being cruel by jumping him? He's pretty much sound most of the time, Its if he has a Pratt about in the field that he feels it, though my black smith did say that it would but be hard & un - even ground that would bother him, so may he's right?
amandathepanda
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
That's interesting, He's only 13 and he's always been very forward, He had the 3HA injections etc, and he stayed sound most of the summer, I did take him clear round jumping in a rubber school & he came back sound , He attacked the jumps, but then 2 weeks later was a bit sore, we had been cantering up stubble fields also, I just assumed it was the jumping & that it had just taken its time to show, Didn't know if I was being cruel by jumping him? He's pretty much sound most of the time, Its if he has a Pratt about in the field that he feels it, though my black smith did say that it would but be hard & un - even ground that would bother him, so may he's right?
[/ QUOTE ]
I found with Sovy it wasn't the jumping that made him sore but when we did tight turns between fences. As a JA pony, he used to be able to turn on a sixpence but I found if I turned him tight into a fence he hurt & was unable to take off so would put a stop in. Dropping him back down to local SJ where he didn't have to turn quite so tightly in jump offs and the jumps were smaller he was fine, as long as the ground wasn't too hard or rough and XC was fine as most of the jumps follow on in a straight line.
That's interesting, He's only 13 and he's always been very forward, He had the 3HA injections etc, and he stayed sound most of the summer, I did take him clear round jumping in a rubber school & he came back sound , He attacked the jumps, but then 2 weeks later was a bit sore, we had been cantering up stubble fields also, I just assumed it was the jumping & that it had just taken its time to show, Didn't know if I was being cruel by jumping him? He's pretty much sound most of the time, Its if he has a Pratt about in the field that he feels it, though my black smith did say that it would but be hard & un - even ground that would bother him, so may he's right?
[/ QUOTE ]
I found with Sovy it wasn't the jumping that made him sore but when we did tight turns between fences. As a JA pony, he used to be able to turn on a sixpence but I found if I turned him tight into a fence he hurt & was unable to take off so would put a stop in. Dropping him back down to local SJ where he didn't have to turn quite so tightly in jump offs and the jumps were smaller he was fine, as long as the ground wasn't too hard or rough and XC was fine as most of the jumps follow on in a straight line.
Happytohack
Well-Known Member
My mare was diagnosed with arthritis of the coffin joint last April. This followed a period of lameness and then nerveblocks and xrays. The joint was injected and then re-injected 1 month later. She was on bute and field rest. My farrier initially fitted pads and then just continued with remedial shoeing - getting her toes back, quarter clips to her front feet and relieving pressure from her heels. As soon as she was diagnosed I started her on Feedmark's Extraflex HA supplement and at night she wore magnetic fetlock wraps. As she is a big heavy horse (Clydesdale x), my vet's prognosis was guarded, but after a good 6 months rest, she was sound and I started walking her out. She is now still sound, not on any bute and is doing well - although she was only ever intended to be a happy hacker. She no longer wears the wraps (as she pulls them off, so I reckon she doesn't need them anymore!) but will remain on the supplement permanently. My vet is very pleased with how well she has done as she really was very lame.
merlinsquest
Well-Known Member
Not had time to read other replies so sorry if repeating what others have said....
Try googling Irap therapy.... very good results in coffin joints... merlin had it for fetlock and it seems to have done him good.
Try googling Irap therapy.... very good results in coffin joints... merlin had it for fetlock and it seems to have done him good.