De-nerving scars?

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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Asking on behalf of a friend at my yard. She has a new TB, straight off the race track, raced right up until January this year. He very recently became lame on his nearside fore. Approx 4/10 or 5/10. No heat in leg or foot. Vets have scanned the area and nerve blocked the foot. Came sound with the nerve block but that hasn't really helped at all. If no improvement after a few days field rest, vets will x-ray. However, the investigation has identified that the horse has two identical inverted-V shaped scars at the back of his foot, just above his heel. One on each front foot. The vets are wondering if these are the scars from a de-nerving operation. I think he was raced in Europe at some point. Anyone seen or know anything like this? Thanks.
 
It's possible, although most of the time, if the surgery is done well, there isn't anything to see afterwards. Are the scars on/near the bottom of the pastern or on the actual heel of the foot?
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
Asking on behalf of a friend at my yard. She has a new TB, straight off the race track, raced right up until January this year. He very recently became lame on his nearside fore. Approx 4/10 or 5/10. No heat in leg or foot. Vets have scanned the area and nerve blocked the foot. Came sound with the nerve block but that hasn't really helped at all. If no improvement after a few days field rest, vets will x-ray. However, the investigation has identified that the horse has two identical inverted-V shaped scars at the back of his foot, just above his heel. One on each front foot. The vets are wondering if these are the scars from a de-nerving operation. I think he was raced in Europe at some point. Anyone seen or know anything like this? Thanks.
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doubt it, as denerving is illegal in this country, not sure on the regulations in europe. could be possible though...
 
It's illegal under association rules to COMPETE a horse that's denerved (or sell without disclosure) but is it really against the laws of the country? If so, why do so many horses have PSD neurectomy surgery, which is essentially the same procedure, just a different part of the horse?
 
TarrSteps said:
It's illegal under association rules to COMPETE a horse that's denerved (or sell without disclosure) but is it really against the laws of the country? If so, why do so many horses have PSD neurectomy surgery, which is essentially the same procedure, just a different part of the horse?
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im talking about horses is training, its illegal to be under a trainers care and as it raced in january...
i dont understand atall why its done to be honest, i certsinly wouldnt have it done
 
"Banned" is not the same as "illegal". I think the point is the actual operation is done fairly often and is not illegal for vets to do at all, so it's not at all impossible the horse is denerved. Now, whether or not it SHOULD have been denerved is another issue. Obviously the horse in the article was racing, had been racing, and no one was any the wiser. Again, not saying it should have been done, just that the OP's friends horse could, possibly, have had the surgery, especially if he came originally from outside the UK.

It would seem, if he had had it, the nerves have grown back, which rules out the usual "layman's test" of poking the bulbs of the heels with a pen. Might be worth a try in the other foot, though.
 
Didn't know that about poking the bulbs of the heel. Will tell the horse's owner. I wondered whether de-nerving affects the entire hoof or only a specific part of the structures within it. Many thanks all.
 
What is his racing name?? He could well have been done...did she get him direct from the trainer or through someone else?
 
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