Pedal bone fracture help!

[bellaboo91]

Hi everyone . I'll try to keep this short . In February my horse went lame , only slightly in trot but sound in walk . I boxed rested her for 2 weeks but this made no difference so I got the very out . He nerve blocked her right foot and she was sound ! So x rays got took and nothing was found. She was referred to herd and partners and had a full lameness work up and a mri scan . The results were that she has a hairline fracture to her pedal bone on the inside of her right foot .
So she has spent 2 months on box rest with a very large hoof cast on made of plaster cast . Once this was removed after the 2 months , she was allowed out her stable 3 times a day for 10 minutes to be walked in hand . After a week she could be turned out in a small paddock for a hour a day , still having walks in hand .
Now this is where I could do with some help . It's been over a month since she had her cast off . She's out 24/7 in a small area. She's allowed to be ridden only in walk so we just hack . She's 100% sound in walk in the school . Out hacking if she go downhill she head bobs as she lifts her right foot . The vets have told me to ask for a trot on the road and in the school . So when she trots if you were to just look at her feet you wouldn't think she was lame. It's the head bobbing . In trot she really bobs her head when she uses her right foot. I'm really disappointed. I thought she would have the cast on and it would fix it . I don't know what to do now . Just keep doing what I'm doing ? Forgot to mention she's only 7 , and she's been put in heartbar shoes. How long will this take to heal I can't tell you how special my mare is too me. She's my world and I just want her to get better ! Thanks guys xc

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I don't have any good advice but do hope you can get it sorted out.
I totally understand her being your world.

 

[Jessey]

I feel your pain, I'm currently dealing with a trot only lameness and just got Xrays done on Thursday last week and have shoes going on tonight and will be going back for MRI in a couple of weeks if no better in the shoes (we are crossing everything its bruising at this point, I have a thread on here http://www.newrider.com/community/threads/vets-wwyd.246095/page-3#post-2985492)

Has your vet deemed her sound at this point? have they done new Xrays to verify its healed? The head bobbing could just be that she learned to move a little funny with the pain and then the cast creating a habit. In the same breath she could still be in pain, perhaps it didn't fix as quickly as they had hoped? it may be that she needs several months just turned out to recuperate and fully heal before going back to being ridden.

Out hacking if she go downhill she head bobs as she lifts her right foot .

In trot she really bobs her head when she uses her right foot.

These two things indicate different things I think, normally the head bob's down on the sound foot hitting the ground (as they are putting more weight on the good leg), if she is bobbing at the point of break-over (just before she lifts the bad foot) of the bad foot I would def be avoiding hills if at all possible until she is happier.

Its such a worry isn't it whats your vets plan for re-habbing over the next few months?

 

[ponylover88]

One of mine broke her pedal bone 11 years ago. She couldn't be boxed, or paddock rested so she was just turned out to grass for 12 months, then slowly brought back into work. She's now retired (17/18, heavy cob) but pedal bone wasn't the causative factor resulting in her retirement. She had a bar shoe on for a few years after until we pulled her shoes (she no longer needed the support).

Let your horse dictate the speed of recovery. Go back to just inhand only, it might be that the weight of you and tack are too much for her to come with, equally it could be the whole thing. I've inc pics of us from post pedal bone #.

 

[newforest]

I would speak to your vet.
I wouldn't be trotting if she is looking lame, head bobbing is lame. Is this the case longreining without weight on a soft surface and flat hard surface?
She may have strained the tendon of the opposite leg while in the cast. Its taken all the odd weight with her shuffling around. That happened to friends who chipped the bone.

 

[bellaboo91]

Yes that's a good idea . I'll ring them tomorrow . She's due for a follow up soon anyways . I just don't know anyone else who it's happening to so I'd like to know ideas of how long it takes to heal ect x

 

[eml]

I know of two horses who have had fractures of foot/lower leg bones who are now sound.....your return to work programme seems fairly quick however,what physio has your horse had in the return to work period\?

 

[newforest]

Yes that's a good idea . I'll ring them tomorrow . She's due for a follow up soon anyways . I just don't know anyone else who it's happening to so I'd like to know ideas of how long it takes to heal ect x

The one I speak of spent a year recovering. Box rest I think for four months, then field rest for the rest. Light work inhand then followed for weeks before my friend got back on.

 

[bellaboo91]

It seems like what the vets have told me is quite rushed . She's definitely not right yet . They haven't mentioned any sort of physio for her either ! X

 

[ponylover88]

Physio is more just the general steady rehab - once the bone is healed you need to regain movement in the joints above, rebuild strength and endurance.

If she's not sound then go back to vets and turn out for a year. I wouldn't personally really try riding and certainly not on hard surfaces. Yes you do need a certain amount of movement at the fracture site, but I think it's too much too soon.

 

[chunky monkey]

My boy fractured his pedal bone 2 months after I brought him. The vet said that it wasnt horrendous and with careful management it could repair. That it did. He was on box rest for 4 months (stable door open with a concrete yard to walk in as he was not a stabled horse) and had a bar shoe on for a year. He was barefoot before the fracture. After removing bar shoe he went to normal shoes and has had them ever since. The back into work part was slow and steady. I would suggest that you go back to the vet and seek advice. It might be necessary to have more xrays to see if there is any healing showing. If I read right its only about 3 months since the initially injury diagnosed.
Mine was 4 months box rest, no turn out. Uneven field no matter how flat maybe causing the foot to twist, which may hinder heeling. Maybe stable door open with concrete yard to walk about on would be better. Dont rush to ride. Its possibly better to do inhand walks. I dont think I trotted for about 6 months.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more if I can put your mind at rest.