Coffin joint arthritis in 9yo dressage horse... prognosis?

[Ionadiamond]

My mare was diagnosed with bilateral osteoarthritis in the coffin joint and minor navic changes last year. She was injected with steroid injections which have only lasted about 8 months. She was re-medicated 2 weeks ago and is still lame despite her being sound after the first lot of injections.

The insurance no longer covers this area so expensive treatments that don't have 100% success rate are out of the question (such as the irap). The vet has told me not to work her too hard, but I'm not really sure what that means. We may not need the fitness of an eventer but I still like to do alot of training and competing throughout the year!

Am I better off cutting my losses and claiming loss of use and retiring her? We only have another month or so to decide as after a year the insurance won't pay anything.

 

[Andalucian]

If you can claim loss of use and get paid out now, do it. As far as the horse is concerned, if you want to get it sound, there is a really good chance to do so by taking it barefoot, and its certainly worth a try at that age, and in your situation.

 

[Ionadiamond]

If we claimed loss of use she would be branded and unable to compete anyway so her shoes would come off. I don't think taking them off would make her any more sound as she has to have egg bars on at the moment. I tried her barefoot a few years ago as a bit of an experiment encouraged by an equine podiatrist, and it all went badly wrong... foot sore after work!

 

[Goldenstar]

Why would she be unable to compete if sound enough our Lou horse is branded under the saddle area.
The bigger question is if you can get the insurance company to pay out on a horse that you think is going to be sound enough to do some competing.

 

[millimoo]

You can compete a LOU horse.
My friend had to claim, got paid out and 12 months later the horse is sound (for now)
She will never sell him, and has a new horse, so now has two to ride. She let her insurance company know and they were fine about it... I'm pretty sure his soundness problems will come back, but for now she's enjoying having him back from a ridden perspective

 

[Ionadiamond]

I never said I thought she'd ever be sound enough to compete :S

If she's branded she can't legally compete even if by some miracle she became sound. And as she's a grey horse I believe they brand on the shoulder? So can't be hidden.

I'm sorry but I'm a little confused by your post!

 

[Ionadiamond]

Millimoo my insurance policy clearly states that if they horse ever becomes sound to do what I bought her for (dressage etc) then I would have to pay back every penny they gave me for LOU.

 

[sbloom]

Having had a horse with this, seen regular farriery (local farrier examiner!) go downhill over about 18 months, then seen him come sound before losing him to a field accident, I'd say there is hope. BUT....you need to become a foot expert. The horse I refer to went to a superb Natural Balance farrier who did indeed make him sound on the spot, and for two more shoeings, but then I lost him. With my last two horses I went the barefoot route and that is what I would do again. I would consider NB only if a great trimmer coudlnt' get anywhere with the horse, or if there was no local recommended trimmer. Take a look at pages like the Rockley Farm site and blog, there are some great resources out there on hoof balance, not just barefoot. The thread on well shod hooves on here is useful. The only true success stories for these conditions come from barefoot, most standard veterinary routes only slow the degeneration.

I personally wouldn't give up, you've not even scratched the surface of options yet though I do understand the implications for finances - but this route is not expensive.

 

[Heilo]

That is the first I have heard of that in insurance. Having to pay back if the horse then competes again. Is this ever or upto a year after Lou payout.
I competed a horses Lou that was giving this as he would not ever be able to compete at elementary or above. He was competed but not for over a year since Lou. He started novice then elementary upto to medium without a problem from the insurance company. Good luck.

 

[Sianage]

Millimoo my insurance policy clearly states that if they horse ever becomes sound to do what I bought her for (dressage etc) then I would have to pay back every penny they gave me for LOU.

Wow that is really surprising! They would permanently brand your horse and then ask you to pay back all the money?! Meanies!! Does that just apply to affiliated competitions or to any kind of competition?

As for the OA, it is a degenerative condition so it's only going to get worse. I am not surprised when you say the second lot of steroids didn't work or do as much as the first - this is often the case with steroids.

You say that you don't want to spend money on something that doesn't have a 100% success rate but then nothing in veterinary medicine has a 100% success rate.... Arthritis is all about management, doing regular consistent work is better than keeping a horse still/on box rest etc.

If you can't use her for the purpose that you bought (and insured) her for then you could probably claim LOU and just hack etc... depends what you want to do with her, you know your horse better than anyone!

Good luck!

 

[Ionadiamond]

She went lame when I tried her barefoot BEFORE the arthritis and changes, and that was using an expert in the field. So I don't think that's going to be a viable option for my horse unfortunately. She's seen 3 different vets at different practices and they've all said egg bars, and they have all complimented my farrier's work.

I'm with E&L and read through all the fine print yesterday. If I claim LOU and want to keep her for breeding or in retirement (which I will) I can claim 60% but all has to be repaid if she returns to the purpose she was intended for, ie dressage, showing, riding club. I could only get 100% if I didn't want to keep her in retirement (I assume this option meant PTS but wasn't sure?).

 

[Ionadiamond]

Thanks Sianage and everyone else for you advice. I know nothing is 100% but I'm still holding out for a miracle. With my luck even if a treatment had 98% success rate we would fall into the 2%! If she was a super talented 4 year old I'd be more inclined to spend lots of money on her, but she doesn't enjoy her work at the best of times anyway. I'd love to use her as a broodmare but would have to think about that seriously because I'm all for improving British breeding, and using an unpapered PRE with early navicular changes may be a little hypocritical!

I have to say though I'm surprised that's not what all insurance companies do as it makes sense doesn't it? If you claim money because they can't be used for say dressage, and then they CAN be used for dressage isn't it cheating the system a little?

 

[kezimac]

lou horses can be competed affilated - i know someone competing one at elem - insurance are aware. horse is now sound, doesnt mean always will be.

If i were you i would claim while you can

 

[Zuzzie]

My danish warmblood is now 17 and has suffered with coffin joint arthritis for the last 3 years. I retired him from competition and kept him going on one bute a day which was sufficient to keep him sound enough for hacking out. Unfortunately he then damaged his collateal ligament in the right fore so was box rested for 3 months which did his arthritis a serious mischief - I would never ever do that again. He came out of box rest worse than when he went in! I finished up having every treatment available except IRAP. I was not insured and spent a fortune but at the end of the day I still had a lame horse. Whilst all this was going on I did contact Rockley Farm but they said that there are limitations for horses with arthritis and no guarantee that things would improve so I did not go down that route. I finally went for de-nerving and this was good except that the arthritis has now spread upwards into the pastern joint so we are back at square one.
My advice is, definitely try one bute a day and keep your horse moving as it will do the arthritis good. Bute will ease the pain but, long term, ultimately will help the healing process.
I hope you have a better outcome than me. Good luck.

 

[Ionadiamond]

I'm sorry for your situation Zuzzie, sounds rather similar to my own but at least your horse was a little older! If I claim loss of use she will definitely have whatever I can afford to make her comfortable enough to retire at pasture or light hacking.

I don't think I've mentioned this yet but I also have a 19 yo ID x who went lame with arthritis around the same time ( I am THE unluckiest person). Hers was more advanced due to age and poor conformation and more navicular changes so the injections were lasting a matter of weeks rather than months. I'm trying to keep her comfortable on a bute a day, and she's happy enough at the moment but quite obviously going down hill and I fear that she'll have to be PTS in the autumn before another harsh winter. It's so sad to think that my 9 yo future is also that bleak!