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  Discussion on Born with Buttress Foot????
Author Message
New Member:
shajaime

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 8:12 am:

I had a western pleasure paint horse come in to my boarding facility as a three year old to be trained. He broke out nicely is now 7 yrs old has 2 ROMS in western pleasure. He has always been sensitive to walking on concrete but once out in the sand arena was always fine. I recently purchased this 7 yr old gelding from my boarders, rode and shown him for a few months, then he started to become intermittenly lame. I took him to my lameness vet, he performed a low block ( thinking it was Navicular) and the horse improved 90%. He x rayed for navicular, found some changes but nothing alarming. What he did find though was large bone fragments in both front feet. He called it buttress foot. The fragments are located at the extensor process P3 so I believe it is a type IV fracture. What I don't understand is how it can be in both front feet. I thought this type condition would be from injury. My vet said it was probably here since birth? They are now causing problems because of arthritis. Even thought the problem is in the front of the hoof he did block out from a low nerve block in the back of the foot so I had him nerved. Still waiting to see the results, only a week out of the procedure and still in wraps.
Member:
dres

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 10:08 am:

Jamie sorry to hear about your boy,, I have a gelding with an process extensor fracture as well with now a buttress shaped hoof.. My vet had told me that he had seen several that had been born with this condition..
interesting..

Where did you have him nerved, front or back?

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
New Member:
shajaime

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 10:40 am:

He was nerved on both fronts. He can't feel the middle to the back of his hoof but can still feel the toe. It won't help the pain from the process extensor fracture but it does alleviate the pain from the arthritis that is traveling to the other joints. Does your gelding just have this on one foot and if so front or back? How did it happen? Is he sound?
Member:
dres

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - 11:18 am:

Jamie, My gelding his two different conditions in front hoofs.. The extensor fracture on his right and a avulsion fracture of the navicular on the left..With some ring bone starting to develop too.. That being said he is more 'off' on the navicular hoof,, BUT if we were to block one hoof the other would show etc.. . I manage his front hoofs with very correct farrier care every 4 weeks and with oral joint supplements, and on days he is ridden one gram of bute .. I ride dressage so the 'purity' of the gaits are HUGE.. To a average rider to see him go would not notice the 'irregularity' I notice!~
I don't over ride him, 30 mins 4 days a week is about all i ask of him.. only arena sand & level... There are days when he comes out and says ''Mom i am just to sore today'' i respect that and put him away.. He lives outside 24/7 that has helped him not get to stiff..

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 - 6:32 am:

Welcome Janime,
A fractured extensor processes can come from avulsion (being pulled away from the coffin bone by the tendon) in a single foot. But a congenital disunion or weakness of the extensor process to the body of the coffin bone can lead to the bilateral condition you describe. There is often argument about when exactly the fractures occur.
DrO
New Member:
shajaime

Posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 - 7:36 am:

Thanks Dr O. Is there anything else I can do to make his quality of life better. He is only 7 right now and I don't really know what to expect. I had the neurectomy done to try to make him more comfortable but I don't know if I continue to show him in Western Pleasure events, if I will continue to cause further damage or is the osteoarthritis on a progressive path no matter what I do and I should just try to work him as long as I can? He has been servicably sound without meds up until about 3 months ago, then he became lame. I had the neurectomy done after he successfully blocked out and I am hoping the sx will return him to soundness.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 - 8:06 am:

Without specifically examining your horse and your horse's radiographs, I cannot make recommendations in your case. If the problem is DJD of the coffin joint my thoughts are that while nerving returned him to a reduced pain condition, it has not returned soundness to the joint. If the goal is to keep the horse as comfortable as possible for as long as possible I would not recommend riding while nerved. You get no feedback on how your riding effects the joint. For much more this, treatment, and prognosis of arthritis in the coffin joint see Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Lower Limb » Ringbone.
DrO
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