Fractured Sidebone

[AnitaStreet]

Hello, two weeks ago my big WB youngster was diagnosed with probable fractured sidebone in his right front hoof. He did it just over four weeks ago, we spent the first two weeks thinking it was a bruise. Does anybody have experience of this injury? We're doing six weeks box rest and we've completed two weeks, four to go! Today I trotted him to check (with vet's permission) and I'd say he's improved from 5/10 lame to 2-3/10 lame - although he was messing about a bit so hard to say and wanted to keep it really brief. I'm really hoping that he's sound soon as very worried. Any positive stories would really help!
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[HeresHoping]

Oh yes. Fortunately side bone, as you know, is just excess calcification/ossification of the cartilage in the coffin bone apparatus. Largely due to concussion. During formation, your horse will hurt. Once formed, it shouldn't be a bother.

Until they fracture it - and then they will assure you that they have only three legs and can't walk at all for the first week. They are hopping like they have an abscess and you and the vet wonder if it's that because the foot is hot and you're sure there's a pulse. And what looks like a tiny hole and you are advised to poultice because digging doesn't reveal anything but the coronet band is sore to touch. Then the vet will come back a week later and do a lameness work up and you find that the horse is bad on hard ground but, hoorah, only about 3/10 lame on the school. Then the vets insist you take them to horspital [to use up all your insurance] for a further work up and x-rays, etc. and you discover it's a fractured side bone.

Mine was not box-rested but kept in a small paddock with limited opportunity for being a prat. She did hers by treading on herself. We started walking after 6 weeks building up to 2 hours on the road from 10 minutes before introducing trotting in the school. Trotting built up over 6 weeks to include 10 minute trots on hacks. Was advised if any lameness during this time to stop for a week. She was re x-rayed after 12 weeks and we couldn't find a crack. She went lame again three weeks later, but that's another story.

If you have access to an ArcEquine unit, this would greatly improve the healing time - it has had some great reviews for fractures.

 

[AnitaStreet]

Thanks for your reply HeresHoping - mine was a bit different, he's never appeared lame in walk, was better on hard surfaces than the school and was 5/10 lame at worst in school. Was never really footy and didn't think it was an abscess as then they really tell you it's agony! Glad to hear your mare recovered and hope the next lameness incident wasn't serious.