Bliss became intermittently lame in May 2011. In June 2011 she was diagnosed with medial collateral ligament damage in both front feet, bone spavin in her off hind and changes to her near fore navicular bone (which the vets said weren't affecting her yet).
She had to have 6-8 weeks (if I remember correctly) box rest followed by controlled ridden exercise, still no turnout (I still call this box rest!). In October we had got up to 40 mins walking with short trots, obviously Bliss, having been confined for 4 months, was feeling very fresh and I was loosing my nerve riding her. With winter approaching and my final school placement looming, meaning I would be riding in the dark on my own, I decided it was too dangerous and that I would turn Bliss away and let nature do its thing. I had her hind shoes removed and turned her out...1 week later she fractured her pedal bone!
It was a mystery to us how she had managed to do this in the middle of a field, I was thinking that it was because I had taken off her hind shoes and had she still had them on they would have taken the stress.
I have just read
Bone Remodeling of the Equine Distal Limb and p
art of the article got me thinking about Bliss.
Quote:
"One example of a negative influence to bone would be the lack of mechanical stimulation imposed by rest, or immobilization. When one extremity or a part of the extremity is immobilized (such as in a cast), it is deprived of the normal weight-bearing and muscle-pull influences which preserve bone integrity. Therefore, bone loss occurs in the extremity or bone which is immobilized. This extremity is then vulnerable to fracture once the immobilization or protected weight-bearing is removed. It is important to gradually reintroduce weight-bearing, and stress to this particular bone, so that it is allowed to regain bone mass prior to the application of full stresses."
I was right!
The shoes had been stress shearing, resulting in loss of bone strength, which was made worse by the box rest. Although she had spent a little time being ridden in walk, this was nowhere near enough to allow the bones to strengthen themselves. I then removed the shoes (unknowingly) leaving her weakened bones to cope with her weight and movement and they couldn't.
Very long story made short...
After 3 months box rest with a plaster cast on her foot, the x rays showed that the bones had moved out of alignment and that she would not be sound enough even to retire in the field. The x rays looked awful, I had to make
that decision. I was going to give her the weekend, get her out in hand to let her see some sun and eat some grass and then say good bye :-(
I returned to the yard, after many tears, to a horse who was looking the picture of health and was weight bearing, it broke my heart.
I lead her our for grass over the weekend and she was walking relatively well, I couldn't do it to her. I called the vet the next week and he said that all I could do was gradually build up the time she was walking out for and she will either cope or she won't, he suspected that the increase in movement would make her extremely lame. I had to try, I fully expected that she would become horrendously lame and that would take the decision away from me. SHE COPPED!!!
I had her front shoes removed and in June 2012 she was turned out with her girls again. I left her hind shoes on as they were restricting her hoof from expanding which would have allowed the bone to move.
After 3 years she is in work...w,t,c, gallop and jumps, still bare foot in front, and stomps over any type of ground. She has not been lame in front once! I would be really interested to have the navicular bone re x-rayed to see how it compares to 4 years ago.
I would love to try her bare foot all round but am nervous to change anything while she is doing so well.
I love her so much and am so glad I gave her the chance.
