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Discussion on Sidebones on prepurchase
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Member:
sambor
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Posted on Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 - 8:21 pm:
Hi,
I was wondering what your feeling is on a horse with significant sidebones on both front feet.
The horse evented Novice last year xrays were taken in the spring before the season started, mare was sound and is sound.
Would you be concerned about buying this horse?
Thank you very much,
Liz
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Member:
pattyb
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Posted on Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 - 8:51 pm:
Liz, I had a buckskin gelding that was 15 when I bought him as a tag-a-long. About 5 years later, he was mildly lame and it turned out he had ringbone and sidebone. Once I understood what was wrong, I could actually feel some of the areas affected. The vet told me that he was probably used for calf roping or barrel racing in his younger years and these were some of those conditions that show up later to haunt the past.
I put him on MSM and he did fine for just trail riding for several years....but he was very limited in his trotting abilities and needed a very wide turning radius. When he was around 25, I had x-rays done and the attending vet that day blurted out "this horse should have been dead years ago." Excuuuuuuse me? He lived to be 35 but he did have limited abilities for 15 of them. When we rode, he was allowed to choose his own gate but we had to be extremely careful that he not whack his pastern area either on trails or while loading/unloading into or out of the trailer. And I had a whole nuther problem when the neighbors spooked him with illegal 4th of July fireworks.....one fast flight of fright turn and he could be done for.
I would proceed with caution and ask your attending vet what he thinks. It may depend on your intended use but if I remember correctly, ringbone and sidebone continue to progress to limited movement thru eventual fusing.
My buckskin literally ran circles around us when we rode in the pastures and I lost him at the age of 35 to cancer.
Good luck, I will be interested to know what you decide to do.
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Member:
canderso
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Posted on Monday, Mar 16, 2009 - 8:25 am:
I agree you should ask your vet about it, and make sure the vet is well-versed in horse lameness.
Personally, I would be concerned. Sidebone is calcification of the collateral cartilage of the coffin bone. If you think of a car- the coffin bone has lost a lot of its suspension.
Patty - Did you get sidebone mixed up with hocks? I am pretty sure sidebone doesn't fuse.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Mar 16, 2009 - 9:35 am:
I do think Patty has confused sidebone and some joint issue: bone spavin perhaps?
Elizabeth I am always concerned about buying any horse. The article on sidebone explains in detail about it's relationship with unsoundness in much greater detail that I can here, so start with thoroughly understanding the article. If you remain uncertain a thorough exam by a veterinarian you trust would be indicated. Remember there are many factors that enter into a decision of the value of the horse so be sure to consider all that apply to you and this horse.
DrO
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Member:
pattyb
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Posted on Monday, Mar 16, 2009 - 10:14 am:
Good morning all.
It was long enough ago that I don't remember which one fused but I remember the vet telling me that in the progression, one of them would and, it did.
All of this took place in his front feet. Some of it was high enough up that you could actually feel it once you knew what to look for. As it progressed, he had to have more and more room to turn yet would run like the wind out in the pasture.
Even with his limitations, he still loved trail blazing, often taking the lead position and wanting to make a trail where there wasn't one. We would often just let him lead the way as long as he didn't get us lost...again.
Personally, I would hesitate to buy one that had it, especially after seeing first hand how over the years it limited his body long before his mind was ready. My guess is that he may well have had it when I bought him but it didn't become noticeable until he was around 20 years old. Already being part of the family though, I just kept him comfortable and happy until cancer took him at the age of 35....and he literally did run circles around us in the pasture just 3 months before we lost him.
Horses seem to sometimes be very good at hiding their faults but a good pre-purchase exam can usually find them. Good luck in making the decision that is right for you.
PS: How old is this horse?
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Member:
pattyb
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Posted on Monday, Mar 16, 2009 - 11:17 am:
PS#2:
I made a phone call after posting the above to the person that went with me that day. The vet never differentiated between the two conditions, being diagnosed with both on the same visit. When he talked about this horse, he would say "this condition...bla, bla, will eventually limit his abilities. I never asked him to specify beyond the fact that he was talking only of what was going on with his front feet with ringbone and sidebone.
In the end, I would still hesitate to purchase one with either unless I knew that it would have no bearing on his future soundness. With mine, I had already owned him for 5 years and was not about to get rid of him because he had issues. Would I have bought him if I knew in the beginning? Probably not unless I was literally rescuing him.
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Member:
stevens
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Posted on Monday, Mar 16, 2009 - 3:54 pm:
Liz,
There is a very lively debate going on over on the Chronicles of the Horse forums about interpretation of xrays and pre-purchase exams (PPE)in general.
While I do not advocate ignoring any x-ray findings; you ride the horse not the x-rays. If this mare is sound now and working at essentially what you would plan to use her for, she may stay sound for years. If you are planning to step things up for her, well you'll have to decide what your personal tolerance for risk.
Alot does depend on the asking price; if you're talking 5 figures, I'd pass but that's me. If this horse is priced at something resembling a bargain, well, she's not going to be perfect.
Some folks will bargain further on price given any "deviations" found in a PPE.
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