Pin firing and bar firing

Trewsers

Trewsers

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Oct 13, 2004
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Did anybody read the article in Horse and Rider mag and if so what do you think? Personally, I don't have a problem with it so long as the vets can give a decent level of medication / painkiller. If it is your last option or the vets feel that it can work for your horse then I personally would try it. Is it really any more barbaric than a lot of the other things we do with them in the name of medicine? I think (this is just my idea) that maybe it's long association with tb's and the racing world may be something to do with it, in the past race horses have had bad press (well, the yards and stuff that goes on). It isn't pleasant seeing or reading about a lot of vet operations, so why does this hit such a raw nerve with folks if it is ultimately leading to a sound or even paddock sound horse again?
 
Just wanted to add; my views on this have changed over the years, I used to be of the mind that it was cruel and needless. That is until I was told that it may have helped Joe at one point. Then everything changed, because I was faced with the slight hope that he may live (he was beyond repair so it didn't matter in the end but if there had been a slight ray of hope I'd have trusted my vet on it).
 
Most racehorses who have broken down are either pin or bar fired. Quite often they are blistered as well. This apparently makes all the healing antibodies go to this area.

I know it was banned for a little while in UK, however, people just went to Ireland to have it done, so they re-introduced it.

Dunno - a very respected vet I had said that it is the rest that they have that sorts it - a year off. Maybe people try to get them back into training quicker without being fired.

Or maybe, it does work better than anything else.
 
Pin and bar firing is the same thing. Its when a horse has broken down and damaged the tendons.
Hot rods are used to burn the tendons, its very painful and seen as barbaric. It was banned and i hadn't heard it had been introduced again, it is only permitted if all other methods have failed.
I didn't think it was actually being taught to new vets either.
We have a horse on our yard with white dots down both legs where she done.

I have heard of acid being used and cold firing.

Racehorses are more common to have been fired as they have run and had weight on their limbs too young. Its hard to say if it works because if the horse is so bad to consider this, then they need a year off, they still do with firing, so why fire?
 
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There was a very valid point of view from a vet who was for it - he said that because it was proved to be effective in some cases etc, then why should it be banned if adequate sedation / painkiller was administered.
And he also raised the point that if it were banned in the UK then people would only go abroad and have it done if it were their desire to do so.
 
What studies have they done to know how effective it is?
The horse still needs a year off, so against a horse who has a year off without it. Where is the evidence?
 
Quote from 2007 H&H article

"The practice was banned in the UK briefly by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the early 1990s. But advocates of firing were vociferous in its defence and after protracted discussion, the Royal College agreed that firing could be used "but only when other methods have failed".
 
I guess there might be a lot of doubt as even though it is supposed to be a last resort there will usually always be somebody who does not appy this ideology and horses could end up having the treatment applied either incorrectly or unecessarily.

But then I guess that's a risk with lots of things.
 
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