side bone update- now what do i do??

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bushbaby28

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Hiya,

as a few of you know my 6 year old boy was diagnosed with severe side bone that was causing lameness on circles when lunged and ridden. since then he's had 3 courses of Tildren, 3 months rest and last week we got the all clear to slowly start riding him again (starting with 6 weeks walk, starting at 10 mins etc)

Problem now is hes gone really stiff and really not looking that happy!! i'm guessing its the weather as we were warned that he will be a bit sore when its cold. Anybody know what we can give him to loosen him up and make it better for him?? Stopped riding again and hes in at night.

ideas i've had at the moment are: Cortaflex (cant remember who but somebody on here said it helped), No bute/Zero bute, and possibly stable bandaging to keep legs warm? (saying that,hes a hairy beast and i cant see him legs getting cold!!)
 
It may be too drastic an idea but could you talk to your vet about putting him on a low dose of bute/danilon.
I've gone down this route with my 10yr old TB who has all sorts of issues with his feet and legs (he only hacks now) but really felt stiff this winter. One danilon every other day has made a huge difference and is a very low dose for something his size.
Otherwise I also have my boy on Pernamax which I think helps. If you google 'Pernamax' or 'Maxivita' it should come up. It's really helped my friends horse who suffers from spavins.
 
ok thanks will look it up.

Have thought that bute/danilon might be the route we have to take in the long run but obviously worried about the long term affects as hes only 6 yrs old. Hows yours coping having it regularly?

Strangely the vet hasn't offered us anything like that at the moment but think thats coz he was doing fine as long as he wasn't working. Will give them a ring and see if they think he needs it.

xx

thanks again
 
It wasn't a route I was overly happy about until I talked to people on here and had a long chat with my vet. Mine is only just 10yrs old so obviously I was concerned about the implications of long term use. However the long and the short of it was despite everything we tried (sicilon gel pads, shock wave, joint injections, a year turned away, etc) we simply couldn't keep him sound. He was only ever 1/10th lame if that, more stiff but if was enough to make me get my vet out. I think providing you aren't using the pain killers to work your horse to a higher level it is fine. I use danilon simply to keep my boy happier when hacking and doing light schooling.
We chose danilon as our vet said it was more suitable for horses prone to colic as it is 'kinder' on their stomachs. I'd chat with your vet. Maybe there are other routes to try first but at least you have a fall back.
 
I'd use bute to keep him comfortable and stable wraps/bandages to keep his legs warm when he's standing about. you may find, after a loading dose for a couple of days, that half sachet bute per day may be enough.
 
Give him some bute and carry on! Arthritic conditions need work. May be better out to keep him on the move. If only 1/10th lame I don't see there is much problem unless you doing Grand Prix dressage! Not many horse out there 100% sound and certainly not when on the lunge. My fellow diagnosed with sidebone many years ago.Only noticable if he turned right....when he would nod a couple of strides. Shod with rolled toes and had outside edge of shoe smoothed off to help him round the corners. Kept him working and hunting. After about 2 years all settled down and now not on bute for this. He lives out 24/7. Sometimes just need to crack on..........he is still hunting.
 
My horse has side bone. He has had remedial farriery with spiral shoes and grooves cut into his hoof wall and he is sound 98%. He feels hard ground and frosty ground more than he did before he got the condition.

The trick with arthritic horses (its not strictly arthritis because a joint is not involved) is gentle regular exercise.

If your ground is hard/frosty, I suspect he is feeling it in his feet at the moment, so do not panic and this could be the cause.

I feed my horse Cortaflex HA (he is allergic to alfalfa) and hilton herbs reflex and this has made a big difference. He also has magnetic boots on at night. I use the equilibirium ones. So far so good, touches wood and crosses fingers.

I also keep him in walk only on hard ground/roads and do not turn him in tight circles as this makes him painful.

You are doing everthing right for your horse, but I suspect its the hard frosty ground causing him to be sore on his feet. Once the ground thaws out a little, he will be fine. At least my horse is anyway.

If your horse is sound in walk, just walk him for exercise on the softest ground you can find so that he can get a bit of exercise.
 
thanks so much for your advice. its a relief to know other people have had the same problem. there was no frost today and he was alot better. Was looking at magnetic boots but wasnt sure that it would help because its not to do with circulation... or is it?? hmmmm.

might take him for a 10 min walk round the school later and let him have a stretch. keep seeing him galloping around on the frosty ground and thinking that cant be good for him!! getting shoes back on him next week as well so will ask about remedial farriery.

xx
 
Its great that he is better without the frost.

Side bone is when the cartilage at the top of the hoof starts to calcify. On x-ray it can look like it has been fractured, but its usually because there is more than area of calcification. Its usually in the front legs and with heavier type of horses or horses who have had a lot of concussion, either via exercise or due to conformation.

My horse was diagnosed with an x-ray and was found to have a medio-lateral foot imbalance. He always used to be sore for 24 hours after shoeing until he broke his shoes in.

The spiral shoes mean that the shoes are already 'worn down' on the inside and the grooves in the hoof wall underneath the area of calcification, help absorb concusion and flex the hoof wall more, taking the pressure of the area of calcification. I do not have to give him 24 hours after shoeing before riding him now and he is more comfortable in himself.

My horse also has bone spavin, he split his DDFT nearly 2 years ago and I find the magnets help with his stiffness and leg swelling as he gets very filled legs when stabled. If your horse doesnt have any arthritis or other leg problems, I would be sceptical about magnotherapy. If there is somebody who has these boots you can try first, it would be an idea before buying.

Its nerve wrecking seeing them galloping around on frosty, rutted ground, my heart is in my mouth each time. Unfortunately, horses will be horses and although I would love to tie his legs together when my horse does this, it might be frowned upon!!
 
thanks highlandponylass, i agree, horses will be horses and if it hurts that much he won't do it! I cant wrap him up in cotton wool.

Rode him this morning in the school so it was nice and soft and he was a little stiff/not picking his feet up properly but as soon as he saw his mates hacking along the road he cheered up considerably so part of it might just be him protesting about coming back into work- bless he was enjoying his retirement!!!

Will keep going slowly and gently and see if anybody knows a farrier who will be able to help (our farriers very pro barefeet and says their hoof will naturally absorb the concussion better than a show but its not appearing to work!!!)

thanks xx
 
I am glad that his stiffness is improving. I am sure he was enjoying is retirement, my horse decided he preferred being a horse of leisure too!

Maybe your farrier could do a trim on his feet to help. Although personally, I would get x-rays first to confirm any problems and therefore any treatment plans first.

I hope your horse is OK. I am sure he will with your care and attention.
 
A bit of a late contribution to this post. My old horse was in his mid-20's when he developed side-bone. My vet recommended rocker bar shoes - circular or heart shaped shoes which MUST have a convex surface like a rocking horse. This replaces the loss of flexion caused by fusion of cartilage. Because of his age he was arthritic as well. We used magnets on him for a year which worked like magic.

He worked until he was 27 years old.
 
ahh ok i kinda get it now about the rolled toe etc... never really understood how that helped and guessed it was something about reliving pressure.

We've got x rays of it so that might help. vet said farrier could ring her anytime to talk it through. For the last 3 months the farrier has been trimming his feet so he was sitting more on his heal (i think) and trying to shape his hoof to relieve any pressure problems. hes also mentioned thr grooves in the shoes.

ok so variety of shoe options- do i try one each month or just see what farrier can do? i suppose every horse is different so its a case of trial and error
 
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