pedal bone fracture

[jenniferneaves]

just looking for advice really, horse went lame over Christmas took straight to vets as it was so severe, full investigation done nerve blocks and xrays to be told he fracture his wing of his front right

been told to get a spider plate fitted (this was done the next day )
12 weeks box rest
re x-ray at 12 weeks
then more box rest

he doesn't like being in so on bromide twice a day and his friend is in with him on box rest

i have toys treats hay nets hang up around the stables ( he has a different stable at night compared to the day for variety and a stable mirror

im finding this so tough i fell i have let him down some how

all i want right now if for him to go out of some kind of grazing and i cant bare thinking he wont be back out of the summer

what's everyone's experience with this ? any info good or bad would be much appreciated

have to add i only brought him in august after losing my boy of 17 years so we haven't had the best of starts

 

[Cortez]

just looking for advice really, horse went lame over Christmas took straight to vets as it was so severe, full investigation done nerve blocks and xrays to be told he fracture his wing of his front right

been told to get a spider plate fitted (this was done the next day )
12 weeks box rest
re x-ray at 12 weeks
then more box rest

he doesn't like being in so on bromide twice a day and his friend is in with him on box rest

i have toys treats hay nets hang up around the stables ( he has a different stable at night compared to the day for variety and a stable mirror

im finding this so tough i fell i have let him down some how

all i want right now if for him to go out of some kind of grazing and i cant bare thinking he wont be back out of the summer

what's everyone's experience with this ? any info good or bad would be much appreciated

have to add i only brought him in august after losing my boy of 17 years so we haven't had the best of starts

My only experience of a pedal bone fracture didn't end the way we all hoped it would, but don't let that discourage you - every case is different and horses do recover. I wonder if your horse could go out in a paddock in a stable-sized pen, perhaps with his friend in a slightly larger one beside him?

 

[ihatework]

I’ve seen a handful with varying outcomes from full recovery to pts.
In your position I would brace myself and be militant in the first 12 weeks. Then if X-ray positive I’d be aiming for small pen turnout under sedation initially for the next 12 weeks.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine did his about 2 years ago but his fracture was on the side near the toe which is rare apparently its nearly always the wing that fractures, my horse wasnt really that lame either could only really see it on a circle.

He had a cast on and 12 weeks on box rest then he was xrayed and it had healed and he looked sound, he had heart bar shoes fitted and I started putting him out for short periods slowly extending it.

I use sedalin for about the first 3 days of turnout as he won't settle in a small turnout pen, he just bucks and rears the whole time so he goes out with my other horse in their regular field.

His 20 now and his been fine since although he does have coffin joint arthritis which has been treated and his still ridden.

 

[jenniferneaves]

My only experience of a pedal bone fracture didn't end the way we all hoped it would, but don't let that discourage you - every case is different and horses do recover. I wonder if your horse could go out in a paddock in a stable-sized pen, perhaps with his friend in a slightly larger one beside him?

Hi, I'm sorry to hear your experience didn't go well - i appreciate all cases are different and i need to remain positive on this - i just aware this is going to be a slow process.

 

[jenniferneaves]

Mine did his about 2 years ago but his fracture was on the side near the toe which is rare apparently its nearly always the wing that fractures, my horse wasnt really that lame either could only really see it on a circle.

He had a cast on and 12 weeks on box rest then he was xrayed and it had healed and he looked sound, he had heart bar shoes fitted and I started putting him out for short periods slowly extending it.

I use sedalin for about the first 3 days of turnout as he won't settle in a small turnout pen, he just bucks and rears the whole time so he goes out with my other horse in their regular field.

His 20 now and his been fine since although he does have coffin joint arthritis which has been treated and his still ridden.

oh wow - so he came sound and was back out doing normal things - full work etc ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

oh wow - so he came sound and was back out doing normal things - full work etc ?

His not in full proper work as he also has hock arthritis which we found after he came back from the fracture, but he is 20 now so we mainly hack now he can't do the schooling we used to but that's because of multiple issues and wear and tear really.

 

[Lamehorses]

A friend of mine was given a horse with a fractured pedal bone. Owner was going to pts rather than go through the months of box rest.
I can't remember the timescales to full recovery, but she spent many subsequent years with the most fabulous & sound horse that lived well into his 20's

 

[jenniferneaves]

A friend of mine was given a horse with a fractured pedal bone. Owner was going to pts rather than go through the months of box rest.
I can't remember the timescales to full recovery, but she spent many subsequent years with the most fabulous & sound horse that lived well into his 20's

that's such a positive story - thank you for sharing - its very much a waiting game and lots of patience

 

[doodle]

I have just got back on mine having fractured the wing of his pedal bone. It was initially miss diagnosed by a vet who wouldn't listen to me saying this was acute and not just his hock arthritis. He would be very lame, sound etc

So we switched vets and he was diagnosed after 2 months, I had been riding lightly and he had been out full time. Initially physio raised the issue that he had a dent in his hamstring. So went to vets to get that diagnosed. First vet check and vet was really pleased as he was totally sound. Gave go ahead to start trotting and immediately very lame. Vet straight back out, foot blocked we realised we had missed the foot and he was xrayed 2 days later. Found the issue then. The wing of the pedal bone has the best prognosis vet was sure he would be fine with box rest. You could see the start of the healing on the x-rays.

He had 3d pad with a wedge put on and did 3 months box rest. He does not like box rest, he was going mental box walking, sweating, refusing to eat. This was end sept by diagnosis. Vet said he could go in a small pen in the field in the day. Of course this just got churned up.

Then after 2 weeks another horse got injured and also needed box rest. So he is want happy but he was settled. Those 3 months were hell tho. I panicked the whole time. 6 days before the 3 months were up he got loose and galloped round the farm.

After 12 weeks we re xrayed. It had fully healed. Vet was gobsmacked. As usually you still see the fracture line. Vet took extra x-rays to check but it is totally healed.

He then had 6 weeks in the field. He carried on with wedges and pads as the bad foot the pedal bone was flat rather than slightly raised.

However at first set of new shoes we decided these were un needed and took them off.

Last week I got back on. He feels amazing. He has no stiffness or anything. He is also coming 17. Vet had initially wanted another check mid Feb but that was more to check how hocks. He was never lame again after the first x-rays.

So we are almost 7 months post injury and you would never know there was an issue.

 

[doodle]

Oh and to add I had the physio just before the follow up x-rays. She said he hadn't dropped any topline or muscle. There was no tight muscles or change I'm posture. Which again was astonishing! So for that reason we are happy we don't need to do months and months of rehab
Before

After
Oh it won't let me add it

 

[jenniferneaves]

I have just got back on mine having fractured the wing of his pedal bone. It was initially miss diagnosed by a vet who wouldn't listen to me saying this was acute and not just his hock arthritis. He would be very lame, sound etc

So we switched vets and he was diagnosed after 2 months, I had been riding lightly and he had been out full time. Initially physio raised the issue that he had a dent in his hamstring. So went to vets to get that diagnosed. First vet check and vet was really pleased as he was totally sound. Gave go ahead to start trotting and immediately very lame. Vet straight back out, foot blocked we realised we had missed the foot and he was xrayed 2 days later. Found the issue then. The wing of the pedal bone has the best prognosis vet was sure he would be fine with box rest. You could see the start of the healing on the x-rays.

He had 3d pad with a wedge put on and did 3 months box rest. He does not like box rest, he was going mental box walking, sweating, refusing to eat. This was end sept by diagnosis. Vet said he could go in a small pen in the field in the day. Of course this just got churned up.

Then after 2 weeks another horse got injured and also needed box rest. So he is want happy but he was settled. Those 3 months were hell tho. I panicked the whole time. 6 days before the 3 months were up he got loose and galloped round the farm.

After 12 weeks we re xrayed. It had fully healed. Vet was gobsmacked. As usually you still see the fracture line. Vet took extra x-rays to check but it is totally healed.

He then had 6 weeks in the field. He carried on with wedges and pads as the bad foot the pedal bone was flat rather than slightly raised.

However at first set of new shoes we decided these were un needed and took them off.

Last week I got back on. He feels amazing. He has no stiffness or anything. He is also coming 17. Vet had initially wanted another check mid Feb but that was more to check how hocks. He was never lame again after the first x-rays.

So we are almost 7 months post injury and you would never know there was an issue.

wow thank you for sharing your story with me, i totally get where your coming from the stress an injury like this has on your own metal wellbeing as well as the horse is immense - im so sad to hear your vet wasn't listening to you - i must admit i have a wonderful vet and team behind us both and she is very optimistic - i did the silly thing and goggled it and i started to panic that we want get the chance to have a partnership together.

so having a re xray on the 15/3 this will be the 12 week mark - fingers crossed - its also a milestone for me to aim towards.

im sure we will be told more box rest but really hoping by then he can at least go out in a small pen for some time each day.

 

[jenniferneaves]

middle pic shoes the fracture on the inside of the front right on the left hand side

 

[doodle]

Yours looks more complicated I think but my vet was very confident. He said that he only known 2 wing fractures (as opposed to middle or quarter) that were anything but straightforward. It is easy for them to say tho "oh just do 3 months box rest" when we have to deal with the horse would dosnt want to be in. Mine was in no pain and so saw no need to be in!

Then pen idea would have worked fine if it was the summer rather than coming in to the winter as long as your pen isn't too far to walk too. He did have restricted to go back out. Which was fine for 4 days till he realised his buddies were at the top of the field. Although that was restricted so protect muscles and ligaments etc rather than the bone

Feel free to pm if needed. It is fixable and doable!

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Mine was a happy ending. He stood on the toe clip having pulled shoe off. He had quite flat feet and the toe clip broke off the end of the pedal bone.At the time we didn't realise and just poultice as normal. He went to Rossdales and they operated without a GA , he was 17 or 18 at the time. He came home with a plate screwed to the shoe. He was always a grumpy bastard and hunting was his life. We unscrewed to plate every day to treat the hole underneath which was filled with some mega expensive green filler. He was on box rest for about 4 weeks then we turned him out. Eventually it alĺ grew out and he started work and went back hunting and there was never an issue. Had him PTS at 23 as he had lost his love for life as we were unable to hunt.

There is quite a back story to this too but these are the facts.

 

[ycbm]

I've only seen one, and in spite of being mildly lame for 6 weeks before it was found, she made a complete recovery with the standard box rest and pen test. I know of another that recovered fine as well but I never saw it. Good luck!
.

 

[M1lbie]

We had a fractured wing of the pedal bone which initially wasn’t discovered as vet thought it was an abscess only had X-ray when he was still slightly lame on the turn. Ended up on boxrest for 7 months, shod with aluminium plate covering the sole, then a bar shoe, when X-ray showed it eventually had healed we sedated to get him out and he gradually returned to work, we didn’t jump him for a year but then returned to all normal work as a pony club pony, hacking, rallies etc. He was 9 when it happened, never lame again and retired in his late twenties until eventually pts at 30

 

[Goldenstar]

I looked after one he did it out hunting he had box rest a years rest and returned to work ( he was an older horses when he did it) he retired eventually and I used to see him him in the field at his owners home for many years .
That was years ago when a horse having an X-ray was quite a thing .
I wish you luck keep him as calm as you can .

 

[Bec26]

My gelding fractured his pedal bone play fighting over the fence with another horse, he had a month box rest and then out in very small paddock with heart bar shoes - took 4 months and he was sound and back in to normal shoes. We did 6 months of only hacking and then back to normal work.That was 2 years ago and so far he hasn't had any lameness.

 

[jenniferneaves]

My gelding fractured his pedal bone play fighting over the fence with another horse, he had a month box rest and then out in very small paddock with heart bar shoes - took 4 months and he was sound and back in to normal shoes. We did 6 months of only hacking and then back to normal work.That was 2 years ago and so far he hasn't had any lameness.

OH WOW - do you remember which part of the pedal bone got fractured or have a pic of the x-ray you could pm me - be very interested to know if its similar to beans

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

I have a friend whose horse did the same. I know she was on box rest for about a year and it was a long slow recovery but she’s back in work now and has even been hunting!

 

[nbn]

Mine did his years ago. Not as severe as yours though as he didn't need surgery. We cast it and he was in about 3 months.
It was absolute hell. He was climbing the walls, I was pregnant at the time which didn't help life. When it came to walking out in hand he was lethal so in the end my vet agreed he could go out in a pen instead. Only he was then being an idiot in there too!
In the end we decided (me and vet) he was likely to be calmer in a field with his pals and not making hand brake turns so he went back out and we were right.
Got back on 6 months post break (after baby!) and he came back good as gold. Vet was amazed how sound he was. 15 years later he's a sound 33 year old.
Would I do it again? I'm not sure. After that I always said anything more than a couple of months box rest and I wouldn't put him through it but it really depends on the horse and prognosis

 

[jenniferneaves]

said horse has now been in the vets 5 days with complication to do with mobility - basically because he has been on box rest and fed a large amount of hay along with hard feed - he developed mobility issues where he was slow to pass food through the system and it getting stuck on the lining of his stomach - i have been told he can not have hay for at least 6 months - to fix his gut he needs grass but the fracture requires him to be on box rest - without forage of hay he so stressed being stabled i spoke to vet and we agreed to just turn him out in a small pen to manage the gut and we will have to just hope that the fracture holds out - we are due an xray in two weeks - my trouble is i went to check on him at lunch and he was galloping around so had to bring him in again =!! im at my wits end!!! im so stressed with it all I'm seriously considering sending him away to live on full livery somewhere where they can deal with him, i just don't know what to do for the best

 

[Timelyattraction]

said horse has now been in the vets 5 days with complication to do with mobility - basically because he has been on box rest and fed a large amount of hay along with hard feed - he developed mobility issues where he was slow to pass food through the system and it getting stuck on the lining of his stomach - i have been told he can not have hay for at least 6 months - to fix his gut he needs grass but the fracture requires him to be on box rest - without forage of hay he so stressed being stabled i spoke to vet and we agreed to just turn him out in a small pen to manage the gut and we will have to just hope that the fracture holds out - we are due an xray in two weeks - my trouble is i went to check on him at lunch and he was galloping around so had to bring him in again =!! im at my wits end!!! im so stressed with it all I'm seriously considering sending him away to live on full livery somewhere where they can deal with him, i just don't know what to do for the best

I feel for you, its so stressful especially as it sounded like he had recently been doing well on bod rest and now this

ive been going through the same with my horse (not for the same thing) was meant to be on box rest and she was climbing the walls being in on her own, put her in a small pen turnout and again just fence walking churning it up and then next time i checked her she had escaped and was grazing with her friends so i can only imagine they had a full blown blast around the field when she got out so now her friend has been summoned to box rest with her and all is fine for now.

I think if you can afford to send him away then i would do it. If i could i would because the hand walking twice a day along with medication at different times a day is doing my head in and we’re only 2 and a half weeks in ‍♀

 

[jenniferneaves]

**update 12 weeks x rays **

so we had a set back where he was on box rest and just eating hay he developed a gut mobility issue!!
he went in for 5 days to be flushed out and was sent home being told he requires box rest still but his gut requires grass !! even the vet was stumped on what best to treat first when they booth need different things.

so i decided that the gut needed to heal so he is turned out in the day and in at night on a low residue diet and ready grass only. (never to be fed hay again)

so it looks as if we have comprised the foot healing to save his gut

has anyone had anything similar?

 

[jenniferneaves]

**update 12 weeks x rays **

so we had a set back where he was on box rest and just eating hay he developed a gut mobility issue!!
he went in for 5 days to be flushed out and was sent home being told he requires box rest still but his gut requires grass !! even the vet was stumped on what best to treat first when they booth need different things.

so i decided that the gut needed to heal so he is turned out in the day and in at night on a low residue diet and ready grass only. (never to be fed hay again)

so it looks as if we have comprised the foot healing to save his gut

has anyone had anything similar?

to add his new x ray they think shows the top of the fracture healing but the rest is still open and requires more time