Growth plate problem

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Rebels

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My yearling came to me free from a local tb stud in the summer as she was so tiny she couldn't be prepped for sales. She stood about 13.1 at the time at 14months (rest were 15hh plus!) and hasn't grown until last week ( I'm thinking pony racing is better than pony pie) at which point she had a small growth spurt to about 13.3hh within a few days. I then noticed that from the knee down her lower leg pointed out, she was previously straight, so the farrier had a look today and says its growth plate related (he is a remedial farrier within the vets practice) and she would need an op to insert a wire down the inside of the leg to pull the limb in as it grows which should straighten it. Has anyone any experience of this? Recovery, costs etc and prognosis?
 
Firstly she went onto Dobson and Horrell yearling cubes which I reduced until she was just on grass (we had plenty of good grass) as she had been on a high protein prep diet and I was trying to avoid OCD issues, she wouldn't grow despite the huge amount of food so I reasoned that a healthier, higher fibre diet would help her gut at least. When the grass went off she is now gets a wedge of haylage to herself in the morn and in the eve the Dobson and Horrel Build and Glow (high oil prep mix) and the same quantity on Yearling Cubes, comes to about a stubb scoop plus hay shared in the field. There is still grass to eat, its a 10acre field but obv lower nutritional value. Also free access to a mineral block which she does use. Otherwise outside, unrugged 24/7 with a hedge for shelter.
 
18 months is pretty old to be developing something like this. I am no expert on limb deformities but I would think operating at this age would have a low success rate, as there is so much less growing still to be done (compared with a 6 month old for example). Restricting the growth of one side of the leg will only work if the other side grows enough to catch up!
I would get vet to do some x-rays and advise from there.
 
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