Sidebone issue, lame horse.

Delilah B

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Hi, my mare is currently quite lame with suspected sidebone and arthritic changes to her near fore, possibly coffin joint. She is much worse going downhill. She is barefoot and has been for years, always coping well on roads and tracks. Vet has done x rays and you can clearly see a large sidebone forming on the outside of her front foot, so he is recommending wide shoes with a bar but I am concerned about it increasing the concussion and ultimately aggravating her condition. I have ordered some hoof boots and pads to see if this helps but hate to see her in pain. She is a Clydesdale x cob so a big girl but is only 12 so am dreading having to retire her as she loves to be out and about. Has anyone been through this and come out with a sound horse? Can’t load the x Ray sadly as file too large.
 

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My boy who I lost two months ago had the most huge sidebone ever but that was the one thing he wasn't lame over. Once the side bone had settled they tend to get sound again. I'd be inclined to rest her for a couple of weeks and see how she is after that. The wide shoes wouldhelp with hoof balance issues but I wouldn't have thought they'd help with the side bone so I wonder if the vet thinks there's something else going on?
 

ester

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What is current hoof balance and hoof movement when breaking over and landing

My concern with boots is that they all (to differing degrees) delay the breakover which will probably not help so I'd want some that caused less of an issue with that.

Where are the other arthritic changes? As they may well be influencing the current lameness more

(if files are too large pictures can be posted the 'old' way by using a third party hosting site like facebook and copying the image location using
tags either side)
 

Red-1

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I worked with one with a huuuuge sidebone. Once formed it was big enough to not just be felt from the outside, it grew big enough that you could see the enlarged head of it from across the room.

The X ray was astonishing. The vet was amazed that he was only a little lame.

Once it settled (bute and straight line walking) the horse went sound for many years. Normal work, no medication. In the end he did go lame, had bute and work modified, but he was a teenager by then, and the sidebone was big at 5yo so not a bad innings TBH.
 

ihatework

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I worked with one with a huuuuge sidebone. Once formed it was big enough to not just be felt from the outside, it grew big enough that you could see the enlarged head of it from across the room.

The X ray was astonishing. The vet was amazed that he was only a little lame.

Once it settled (bute and straight line walking) the horse went sound for many years. Normal work, no medication. In the end he did go lame, had bute and work modified, but he was a teenager by then, and the sidebone was big at 5yo so not a bad innings TBH.

A friend of mine rode one just the same - 17hh, evented successfully up to 12yo to 3*. Then did a leg. Horse was very solid and upright in front which no doubt was the reason for the early formation of sidebone and later the tendon.

OP, if you can avoid concussion and let it all form you could well find the horse will be ok (ish)
 

Delilah B

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My boy who I lost two months ago had the most huge sidebone ever but that was the one thing he wasn't lame over. Once the side bone had settled they tend to get sound again. I'd be inclined to rest her for a couple of weeks and see how she is after that. The wide shoes wouldhelp with hoof balance issues but I wouldn't have thought they'd help with the side bone so I wonder if the vet thinks there's something else going on?
Vet feels she wears her feet unevenly so ends up out of balance, this has aggravated the sidebone issue. He feels shoeing will keep her foot balanced throughout the trim cycle and allow the sidebone to settle. She also has some evidence of arthritis in coffin joint but a nerve block proved inconclusive.
 

Delilah B

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What is current hoof balance and hoof movement when breaking over and landing

My concern with boots is that they all (to differing degrees) delay the breakover which will probably not help so I'd want some that caused less of an issue with that.

Where are the other arthritic changes? As they may well be influencing the current lameness more

(if files are too large pictures can be posted the 'old' way by using a third party hosting site like facebook and copying the image location using
tags either side)
Arthritis signs in coffin joint etc, fuzzy edges on x rays but a nerve block of coffin joint was inconclusive. I’m looking at scoot boots but may not be able to get the large size she needs.
 

Delilah B

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Arthritis signs in coffin joint etc, fuzzy edges on x rays but a nerve block of coffin joint was inconclusive. I’m looking at scoot boots but may not be able to get the large size she needs.
She has poor front end conformation, can plait quite badly and this can wear foot unevenly.
 

AdorableAlice

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My young heavy horse has just come sound after a side bone diagnosis. The farrier who looked after him from foal to 6yrs retired and the new farrier, who I now wish I had never allowed near the horse, didn't take long to leave him like this. Looking back I now realised the farrier should have vet wrapped the feathers up when shoeing him.

15fnh2s.jpg


Lameness was subtle initially and as he was in full feather I failed to realise that his foot balance was getting worse, look at the angles through canon/fetlock/pastern. I am really ashamed to have allowed this to happen to the horse because I do know better. My original farrier worked for me for 35 years and kept my horses sound, I trusted the new farrier to do an equally good job.

He was x rayed several times and my fabulous vets managed to get him onto the books of a very special farrier who has looked after the horse ever since. The farrier is a fair way from the yard and initially I took the horse to him. Gradually the new farrier was able to reduce the flair and get the horse more upright as you can see in this picture. (this was the second pair), horse was not yet sound.

2h6axw8.jpg


The shoe has extra width to help the foot balance.

2da0tas.jpg


5ajpfq.jpg


It is almost a year on now and the horse is sound, hopefully he stays that way. I try to keep him slim and he is never bashed on the road. Sadly heavy horses are prone to sidebone and a good farrier is a must.
 

ester

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I own one that would wear unevenly, hence the questions about hoof take off and landing because his point of breakover would become increasingly sidewards and he would never be a great candidate for self trimming. He was trimmed every 2-3 weeks to maintain the balance. Would this be an option if this is what the vet hopes to gain from shoeing? (I am not anti shoeing but would have the same concerns as you.

when he was lame (in shoes) we actually presumed side bone given his movement but didn't find any.

I did think boot size might be an issue, the scoots aren't too bad (and the ones I've seen tend to fit big compared to their stated dimensions).
 

Delilah B

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I own one that would wear unevenly, hence the questions about hoof take off and landing because his point of breakover would become increasingly sidewards and he would never be a great candidate for self trimming. He was trimmed every 2-3 weeks to maintain the balance. Would this be an option if this is what the vet hopes to gain from shoeing? (I am not anti shoeing but would have the same concerns as you.

when he was lame (in shoes) we actually presumed side bone given his movement but didn't find any.

I did think boot size might be an issue, the scoots aren't too bad (and the ones I've seen tend to fit big compared to their stated dimensions).
Yes her breakover moves off centre quite quickly. She is trimmed regularly at the moment to keep on top of this but as she is not sound she is not doing any work anyway so is mainly in the field. I am going to get the vet to do a couple more nerve blocks to see I feel we can isolate the source of pain, but am not optimistic!
 

Delilah B

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My young heavy horse has just come sound after a side bone diagnosis. The farrier who looked after him from foal to 6yrs retired and the new farrier, who I now wish I had never allowed near the horse, didn't take long to leave him like this. Looking back I now realised the farrier should have vet wrapped the feathers up when shoeing him.

15fnh2s.jpg


Lameness was subtle initially and as he was in full feather I failed to realise that his foot balance was getting worse, look at the angles through canon/fetlock/pastern. I am really ashamed to have allowed this to happen to the horse because I do know better. My original farrier worked for me for 35 years and kept my horses sound, I trusted the new farrier to do an equally good job.

He was x rayed several times and my fabulous vets managed to get him onto the books of a very special farrier who has looked after the horse ever since. The farrier is a fair way from the yard and initially I took the horse to him. Gradually the new farrier was able to reduce the flair and get the horse more upright as you can see in this picture. (this was the second pair), horse was not yet sound.

2h6axw8.jpg


The shoe has extra width to help the foot balance.

2da0tas.jpg


5ajpfq.jpg


It is almost a year on now and the horse is sound, hopefully he stays that way. I try to keep him slim and he is never bashed on the road. Sadly heavy horses are prone to sidebone and a good farrier is a must.
That's very interesting. Thank you. I have always clipped my mares legs but was not really aware of how her breakover was shifting to the side. We are rectifying this slowly and I am going to try hoof boots initially before shoeing.
 
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