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  Discussion on Corrective Shoeing For Grade 1 Pedal Fracture
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Member:
Aannk

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 - 2:19 pm:

Dr. O.,
The gelding I bought from Canada turned out to have a fracture on his left hind coffin bone. It is non articular. He was put on pasture rest for three months and a bar shoe.
I was told today by the vet who just re x rayed him that he will need bar shoes for life. I was not told that by the hospital that found it (he was nuclear imaged to find it).
So, my question is, should I get another opinion? I really don't want to damage his feet by having to keep shoes, much less bar shoes!, on his back feet. I really don't know this vet well, she is used by the trainer my horse is in training with currently. She apparently says that these types of fractures never calcify. The horse is 3 years and 4 months old.
Alicia
Member:
Dres

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 - 3:20 pm:

Alicia, could you explain about where the fracture is .. where in relationship with the hoof is the pedal bone fracture? Grade 1, means its not displaced?

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

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 - 3:38 pm:

The release papers say "left rear medial non-articular wing fracture of the coffin bone." "The fracture is not displaced but has some resorption of the edges of the fracture indicating a duration of at least 3 weeks or longer" He had been with me for about 3 months when they finally found this, and had an abscess right before he came to me, for which he was rested for about a month. Apparently, it wasn't just an abscess!
Alicia
Member:
Dres

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 - 4:07 pm:

ahhh, I have heard of the wing fractures.. and what I have been told, they can go on with a productive life, BUT do need support depending on the kind of riding you are doing.. I have also been told that they can actually be born with these kind of fractures.. DR.O ??

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

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 - 9:30 pm:

Hello Alicia,
Following the recommendations in the article I have always got uncomplicated coffin bone fractures sound and back doing what they were doing before the fracture without problems.
DrO
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 4, 2006 - 9:52 am:

Dr. O.,
But, do they have to continue to wear bar shoes? It is on his hind foot, which, although I would love to have the majority of his weight or even half of it on the hind end, they say only bears 40 percent of the weight. He was not used before the fracture, as he was just starting training. I intend on him being a 3'6" or 4' hunter. Again, the main pressure will be on the front feet. I do have a call in to the vet who originally diagnosed him, Dr. White at Leesburg, to see what he thinks about the shoes. He told me originally that the shoes could be replaced at three months with regular shoes, then could be removed eventually, but the vet who re x-rayed him says he will always have to wear bar shoes. I believe they are bad for the feet? I would prefer to have no shoes at all on all four, but with his job, I imagine that won't be possible. I never like back shoes, and would be unhappy if I could never get him out of them.
Alicia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2006 - 8:04 am:

"Doing what they were doing before the fracture" that would include shoeing (or not shoeing). The important question here should be why does the second veterinarian feel bar shoes are always needed?
DrO
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2006 - 12:37 pm:

I agree that is the question, and I don't know the answer to that. He is at a training facility now, as he went there before they found he had the fracture, and they agreed to keep him there until his training was to resume. I have never met this vet, and have heard a lot of good things, and some not so good things (from another vet, so I can't say it is an unbiased opinion).
Anyway, I have a call in to Leesburg, and have not heard back yet, so I agreed to let them put bar shoes on again this shoeing. I will then reevaluate at the next shoeing whether to continue with them. He had no back shoes before the diagnosis.
Alicia
Member:
Shanson

Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2006 - 6:19 pm:

I hadn't heard of any problems with using bar shoes long-term. Are there any, assuming they're done properly by a competent farrier?
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 10:25 am:

I thought they caused contracted heels. The foot can't expand and contract the way a bare foot would. I prefer to keep my horses as close to barefoot as possible. If their feet need shoes, they get them, but if I can keep them off, I do.
Maybe I am wrong in this? Dr O?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Oct 7, 2006 - 9:42 am:

There are different kinds of bar shoes with different effects. In general a properly applied bar shoe is no worse than a regular shoe. I think the ones with bars that cross underneath the sole trap dirt and moisture so may predispose to thrush but a well applied eggbar should be OK.
DrO
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 - 10:10 am:

Ahh, OK, thanks for that. I guess having them on won't hurt him, then.
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 - 10:25 am:

OK, got a call back from the vet who did the radiographs last week. She said it looked like a fibrous union instead of solid bone and that if he stepped on a rock or something, she thinks it will just re-separate. I wonder if this means it hasn't healed yet? She also said that she always recommends leaving a bar shoe on the rest of the horse's life when they have this injury. Not necessarily the 7 clip one he has on now, but a bar shoe. It was just a voice message, I didn't get to talk to her, but I intend on asking her what her experience has been.
She is sending the x rays via e mail or cd to the original doctor. The message was from yesterday.
Alicia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 6:08 am:

The way I understand the above is that this may be a relatively recent (less than a month) event, so this may improve. However sometimes a radiolucent line that could be interpreted as a fibrous union remains (see the forum discussion in the article). I have not seen that as a sign of increased instability but it does delay turn out to insure healing is complete.
DrO
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 10:17 am:

Actually, it happened before I bought him. They thought it was an abscess. It happened in December. I got him in February. I didn't put him in work immediately. He was sent off for training the 1st of March. They noticed the nqr shortly thereafter. He was examined and sent to Leesburg in July where they found the break. They put the shoe on and prescribed pasture rest. So, it has now been 10 months since the break, and three months since the shoeing.
His prognosis for return to work and soundess was "good".
I plan on calling Dr White again in a few days to see if he got the x rays.
Alicia
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