We have a diagnosis.....coffin joint arthritis

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So, MRI scans have shown very very early coffin joint arthritic changes. So early there is nothing on xrays.
We are going to medicate with steroids and hyaluronic acid injections.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Do we have a shot of getting back jumping? Dressage?
 

ester

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we had a coffin joint DJD diagnosis based on reaction to nerve block (nothing to see on xrays)
After 6 months barefoot went back to doing everything we did before (only had limited time effects from steroid).
 

ihatework

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I bought a horse with pigeon toes that was diagnosed with coffin joint arthritis. It was pretty easily managed with good shoeing/foot balance and injecting the coffin joint strategically + monthly pentosan. She competed nationally at dressage for a number of years.
 

Annagain

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Mine retired last year at 24 due to coffin joint arthritis. First diagnosed (like you, as very mild) at 11. We didn't really jump after that - just now and again on a fun ride or the odd log out hacking - but that was more because he wasn't an easy horse to jump, especially on his own in a SJ ring, you had to ride him really strongly and I couldn't do that knowing it could be hurting him. Had he been a more enthusiastic jumper before, I'd have carried on. After the first diagnosis when he was treated in exactly the same way as yours we had a good 10 years with no problems. Then a bit of lameness, at which point we re x-rayed and it had progressed. He was medicated again and we had another 2 years. I then stopped riding him for the first lockdown and he was never comfortable when we tried to start again despite medicating again. He's now fat, naked, filthy and loving life in the field.
 

Flicker

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I know of one diagnosed in his 20’s. Steroids gave him a further year competing advanced medium before he went lame again. His owner then hacked him for another year before retiring in the summer and PTS before winter set in.
 

Annagain

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I bought a horse with pigeon toes that was diagnosed with coffin joint arthritis. It was pretty easily managed with good shoeing/foot balance and injecting the coffin joint strategically + monthly pentosan. She competed nationally at dressage for a number of years.

Mine is also pigeon toed as are several friends' horses who have similar issues. When I was looking again, I asked for photos of front feet and I didn't go to see horses with pigeon toes or where the photos weren't forthcoming - except one that was 2 minutes drive from where I was working that day. I saw the ad at 9am and I was viewing him at lunchtime. I took one look at his feet and walked away without getting on.
 

sbloom

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Trimming and shoeing/barefoot will be critical, read, read and read some more, it's a very similar prognosis and treatment as navicular. My horse had it 20 years ago and I wish there had been more (any!) push to barefoot, though I really like these guys now https://www.facebook.com/hoofscanandhoofcarecentre, brilliant shoeing protocols, seldom seen but it's the only way I'd consider shoeing I think.
 
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