sidebone and shoe question

[yaffsimone1]

My farrier has been fitting shoes for a while with a front breakover and slightly longer at the heels.

Last week Red went lame (in walk and trot although still weight bearing). Vet did nerve block, determined it was in the foot as he came sound. Vet took the shoe off, he had 7 days poulticing and box rest with bute as the vet initially suggested a bruised sole.

Today Xrays confirmed large, sharp side bones, each side on the right foot. Nothing else was found going on in the foot.

The plan is another week of box rest then introduction back into work slowly, give Danillion when working untill such time that he becomes fully sound again. Red is still very, slightly lame in trot (vet thinks this is due to concussion) he is a Sec D Cob and really stamps the ground, not at all light footed!

So my question is...when would you put the shoe back on? after another week of box rest or straight away to provide support?

Ive never come accross side bone before so any advice is greatly appreciated

 

[meesha]

My girl was diagnosed with huge side bone. We tried pads to reduce concussion which made it worse and side bone shoes which didn't help. From the day we took shoes off she looked more comfortable, turned out the side bone was sooo huge it interfered with her action and she is now a gorgeous field ornament, her side bone was not typical but the barefoot approach def helped. My current horse is shod all round, tried barefoot but was wearing down feet too quick so shod ... Diff things work for different nags.

 

[yaffsimone1]

Thank you for you reply Meesha.

On the xray the sidebones were like big horns. Not sure if the xray on the screen was to scale but they were about an inch long.

Vet feels he has had these for well over a year and we havent noticed it because he hasnt been lame. What prompted me to pay closer attention was the fact the farrier only recently noticed his shoe on that foot was becoming excessively worn, a week later following a particuarly heavy stomping session (i wish he would tread lightly ) he went lame.

The vet thinks concussion by stepping on a rock or stone has jolted the foot and caused the lameness and it not actually the sidebones themselves.

We are going to continue with his normal breakover shoes for a while, i really want to avoid overcomplicating things at this stage, and see how he goes. He is now on Danillon, while being ridden, for the forseeable future.

I do hope i dont have to retire him, he is only 16 and only up untill last week was charging around like he didnt have a care in the world!

 

[meesha]

Side bone doesn't normally make them permanently lame, my farrier trimmed this week and wanted first refusal on her feet when she goes, I told her she would probably have to fight the vet but they would be waiting a long long time....she is 19 and no worse than 9 years ago when diagnosed..... Bute makes no diff to her as the size of side bone means it actually interferes with her action. The only thing I would say is possibly if yours was barefoot the foot would naturally wear down as required although if up until now yours has been sound shod I would be reluctant to change. My girl just looked short in front to start with rather than lame as had side bone in both fronts...cortaflex seemed to help as coronet was rock hard before it and lovely and squishy after a couple of months (has stayed good even though has been off it for years).

Good luck, I am sure he will come right...

 

[Chavhorse]

Hi there,

My lad was diagnosed with severe side bones two years ago his e-rays looked like this and he was only 6 years old

My Farrier went down the trimming and barefoot route with hoof boots for hacking out to cut out as much concussion as possible.

He has not had a days lameness since he was diagnosed (we only found out by accident as I was having him vetted for an increase in insurance and he failed the flex test in spactacular fashion!) Happily hacks out and schools is capable (physically but not always mentally!!) of turning in a tidy Novice test and loves jumping although we only do small jumps on a surface and not very often.

Vet says it is very possible he will drop dead of old age in a field with no further problems.

I even managed to find an insurace company that was happy to insure him and only excluded problems directly attributable to Side Bones and not the entire front legs like some companies tried to!

Definatly do not give up hope but do look into barefoot and also the barefoot diet, I have noticed that at certain times of the year the grass can make him very footy.

 

[yaffsimone1]

Red will have to go barefoot if we have days like today

The farrier arrived this morning to put his shoe back on, unfortuantely Red wouldnt let him or me anywhere near his feet!

Up untill the veterinary involvement and the nerve block last week Red has never had issue with his feet being picked up, picked out shod etc., now we cant get anywhere near them. He panics everytime we go to his legs and lashes out.

He is on another weeks box rest, im going to slowly encourage him to pick his feet up during the week and hopefully he will trust the farrier enough to let him put the shoe on.

The sidebone isnt an issue, the biggest problem now is dealing with a horse who in the space of a week has lost all trust with people around his feet!

 

[yaffsimone1]

Hi there,

My lad was diagnosed with severe side bones two years ago his e-rays looked like this and he was only 6 years old

My Farrier went down the trimming and barefoot route with hoof boots for hacking out to cut out as much concussion as possible.

He has not had a days lameness since he was diagnosed (we only found out by accident as I was having him vetted for an increase in insurance and he failed the flex test in spactacular fashion!) Happily hacks out and schools is capable (physically but not always mentally!!) of turning in a tidy Novice test and loves jumping although we only do small jumps on a surface and not very often.

Vet says it is very possible he will drop dead of old age in a field with no further problems.

I even managed to find an insurace company that was happy to insure him and only excluded problems directly attributable to Side Bones and not the entire front legs like some companies tried to!

Definatly do not give up hope but do look into barefoot and also the barefoot diet, I have noticed that at certain times of the year the grass can make him very footy.

Ive spoken to PetPlan Equine and they assure me they will cover this and put an exclusion for sidebone on the policy so the whole foot isn't written off....hopefully they will stick to thier word!

 

[yaffsimone1]

Red will have to go barefoot if we have days like today

The farrier arrived this morning to put his shoe back on, unfortuantely Red wouldnt let him or me anywhere near his feet!

Up untill the veterinary involvement and the nerve block last week Red has never had issue with his feet being picked up, picked out shod etc., now we cant get anywhere near them. He panics everytime we go to his legs and lashes out.

He is on another weeks box rest, im going to slowly encourage him to pick his feet up during the week and hopefully he will trust the farrier enough to let him put the shoe on.

The sidebone isnt an issue, the biggest problem now is dealing with a horse who in the space of a week has lost all trust with people around his feet!

This is not funny anymore.....

Red is turning into a nasty so and so with regards to his feet.

I can approach him, firmly say 'lift' and he will allow me to pick out and do work to all four feet with no issues.

Literally go back 10 minutes later to do the process again and he is swinging his behind at me, trying to pin me up against the wall. He hasnt actually raised his back legs yet, but is wild with his fronts, far to happy to fling them about. He is not in pain and the vet hasnt been anywhere near him since Friday.

This is pure temper and bad manners that has developed since the vet, before that he wouldnt dream of fighting me. I feel like resorting to giving him a sharp whip on the backside when he next swings at me but i know this may make him even worse.

Please help with some ideas, ive got to get this shoe back on.

I can sedate him but he will bring himself out of it with ACP. (dont ask....the vet is another issue, have you ever seen a vet throw a needle at a horse like its a dart because they are too scared to go near him??) The vet did a muscular sedation to xray him and even knocked out he still manages to go wild

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If he is being really dangerous then caution is needed, the last thing that anyone wants is a serious injury, so the priority must be safety.

If he wont let the Farrier near him, but will let you pick up his hooves, then get the farrier to talk you through pulling the other shoes off. I've done it in an emergency and it's easier than I thought. I didn't unclench the nails either and no damage was caused by this.

Your horse is forcing your hand, but taking the shoes off gives you time to work on his issues without pressure.

 

[MrsNorris]

What makes you so sure that he is not in pain?
If these issues have only just started and he was so good before, I would be concerned that he was indeed in pain, if its bilateral, it will be much less obvious.
Horses usually have a reason for such an extreme change in behaviour.

 

[yaffsimone1]

If he is being really dangerous then caution is needed, the last thing that anyone wants is a serious injury, so the priority must be safety.

If he wont let the Farrier near him, but will let you pick up his hooves, then get the farrier to talk you through pulling the other shoes off. I've done it in an emergency and it's easier than I thought. I didn't unclench the nails either and no damage was caused by this.

Your horse is forcing your hand, but taking the shoes off gives you time to work on his issues without pressure.

I feel like im making excuses for him but in the last couple of weeks he has to put up with vets proding and poking his feet and the vet being scared of him hasnt helped.

If we cant get this shoe on taking the others off sounds like a good idea, at least then he can be lightly ridden and turned out. At the moment with 3 shoes i cant do anything.

He is a really quick leaner and loves to bear a grudge, im hoping that with either shoe on or all off i can then leave him for a month and he will have forgotton all about this 'traumatic' ordeal....it really wasnt that bad, he has just made a massive fuss and got himself in all of a tizz which he cant seem to get over!

 

[yaffsimone1]

What makes you so sure that he is not in pain?
If these issues have only just started and he was so good before, I would be concerned that he was indeed in pain, if its bilateral, it will be much less obvious.
Horses usually have a reason for such an extreme change in behaviour.

Im pretty sure its not pain. Vet advises he has had this sidebone for over a year and has possibly been in an element of pain for a while, problem is he wasnt showing it and not at any time has he reacted like this, also he is now buted up to the eyeballs.

We are quite sure this is temper

 

[ester]

On the basis that it is possibly unlikely the sidebone is causing this acute bout of lameness I think I'd want to be sure which bit the vet thinks is being affected by concussion (rather than just diagnosing as such). Essentially if he is still lame then he is still sore (although I am a stickler for manners with mine and he would be getting a reminder regardless). I suppose I'd want to know more what was actually going on because I'd be suspecting if mine that he would still be lame after a weeks box rest and no better when starting work on danilon/when you take off the danilon.

How are his feet otherwise, by breakover shoes do you mean natural balance?

I'm aware this post might be a bit garbled! I only type this as the owner of another stompy welsh cob who was sound until he was 19. Watching him move we were actually part suspecting to find some sidebone as he dishes but none there. In hindsight his lameness had snuck up on us a bit as he had been short striding a bit prior I think. He is now barefoot, sound and lands straight although he still wears his hooves on the outside wall a bit more.

 

[meesha]

My very polite mare was a star patient at vets when prodded and poked when we first found side bone.... The only thing I now have to do is always pick out the worst side bone foot first as she doesn't like putting the weight on it to have the other lifted if even a small stone in there. Try playing his game, pick up the worst first and quickly put down then lots of praise then do others... He may just be expecting pain even if there is none.. If that doesn't work then always have someone at his head when doing his feet to warn u and reprimand him if he tries anything. Maybe a hat for safety and a schooling whip to hand if he is playing silly beggars..

 

[JenHunt]

Tom was diagnosed at 6.... he's now 18 (turns 19 this year) and hunted this last season.

our farrier worked hard to get and keep his feet right, and if he has time without shoes he's much worse....

Get your vet, farrier and horse all in the same place and discuss it with them. IMO you need to work out whether the way of shoeing (or indeed shoeing at all) has helped or worsened the problem, that will tell you how soon to put shoes back on.

good luck, and be prepared for the long haul! but it's worth it!