Anyone w/experience with sesamoid issues??

[Rancho_del_Marr]

I took my two year old gelding to a PPE today. The woman wanted to buy him as an eventing prospect. Everything went fine, up until the xrays. He was 100% sound, but the sesamoids on both fronts showed irregularities. The vet doing the PPE told me that he could grow out of it and they could turn out fine, causing no problems, he just doesn’t know. He recommended just turning him out for a year and then taking more xrays to see if it had resolved.

He did say that he had the best temperament he’d seen in a two year old warmblood, so I did get that bit of positive news.

Anyone else have a similar experience, and if so, what was the outcome?

[EqTrainer]

Get a second opinion.

[Rancho_del_Marr]

The vet actually told me and the potential buyer that he encouraged a second opinion and offered (with the buyer’s permission and approval as she paid for the xrays) to email copies of those two shots to my vet, which I happily took him up on. I’m anxious to talk to my vet tomorrow after he’s had a chance to look at them.

[Rancho_del_Marr]

I neglected to mention that the potential buyer is no longer the potential buyer as she declined to buy the gelding. The vet did say that he would probably be fine on the flat… it’s the jumping that could cause problems. But then again, he said he may be totally fine. He obviously isn’t showing any lameness now and never has.

[fibbermaggee]

I had an OTTB with an old sesamoid fracture. The whole pastern was kind of deformed looking…he was one of my favorite horses. I evented him. Never took a lame step and I sold him to a big name trainer for a good profit!

[Molly_Malone]

Get a second opinion from an epert radiologist at eg Rood and Riddle or CSU etc. It would be highly unusual place for presentation of OCD. You also would want to have a few more xrays done by your vet of different views.

[EqTrainer]

I am thinking, since it is both, it might be just “him”. You need a second opinion from someone who has seen lots and lots of young horse PPE rads.

[BaroquePony]

I, too, had an OTTB that had had an old, healed sesamoid fracture with a tiny chip (not floating). I used him for dressage and long distance riding in the mountains. He was awesome in the lateral gaits (suspensories were fine). He was fine.

But, that is very different than “irregularities” in a young growing horse.

[Rancho_del_Marr]

[QUOTE=EqTrainer;6239987]
I am thinking, since it is both, it might be just “him”. You need a second opinion from someone who has seen lots and lots of young horse PPE rads.[/QUOTE]

You are absolutely right. This vet even said he didn’t have a lot of experience with xrays of young warmbloods.

[clint]

Years ago I was looking at horses, and was taken to a farm with several Hanoverians. The owner had a lovely gelding who had failed a PPE because he had a fractured hind sesamoid as a young horse. She was very surprised, as she had no idea he had injured himself. The buyer departed and subsequently she had sent the horse out for training (he was a jumper), and he had never had any issues.

[honeylips]

Does he mean that the sesamoid bones are not smooth edged and round - but irregular edges (that would be my interpretation if he said they were ‘irregular’)? If so that can be a problem. I will not buy horses with irregular edged sesamoid bones. Think of the sesamoid bones like the navicular bone. It works in the same way that a major soft tissue apparatus is in motion over the bone. It is also a bone, like the navicular, that is prone to demineralization due to concussion and stress of work and jumping.

The suspensory ligament runs over and around those bones and is in contact with the edges of the bone - like a pulley system. If the bone is irregular then poor vascularization then can lead to sesamoiditis,or you can get big soft tissue injury as the suspensory gets “frayed” by constantly passing in motion over the irregular edges.

This not OCD or anything like OCD. This is the bone itself is irregularly formed with unsmooth edges. Could easily be a pastern bone or a hock bone.
I’m no vet but I think it is unlikely to “grow out of” it. But send to Rood and Riddle for a second opinion for sure. And perhaps U/S of the suspensory there as well to see if the fibers are strong, undamaged and straight.

[Rancho_del_Marr]

Not irregularities around the edges. There are lesions on the sesamoids, dark areas. My vet spoke with some vets from A&M. They told him of a study that was done on racehorses with this issue. The study showed no conclusive evidence that this issue affected the horses’ performance. Many went on to have successful racing careers.

[EqTrainer]

What is the film quality? Digital?

[Rancho_del_Marr]

Yes, digital.

The potential buyer texted me this evening. Said she has shown the xrays to two vets at her practice at home and they gave her some hope. She said she still wants him. I don’t know if she actually wants to buy him. Probably just fretting over the fact that she really likes him and can’t decide for sure whether the risk is worth it.

My thought is that I can totally understand that for an eventing prospect, these xrays would be a concern.

I’m trying to find some more information by googling. Finding some studies, etc., but not necessarily anything that is exactly what I’m going through.

My vet told me the tough part is that nowadays, vets doing a pre-purchase are really inclined to “CYA” when everything isn’t perfect.

ETA: I want to reiterate that he passed all his flexions and has never shown any unsoundness. He has been raised in a large pasture with another colt his age, as well as an older gelding. They do run and play a lot, and this gelding is usually the instigator. He has a lot of energy, appears happy and healthy and has never acted as if he’s in pain.

[honeylips]

Dark spots/lucencies on the films (like OC?) rather than irregular edges.
Try reading this - it’s a pretty good vet opinion on these types of situations

http://www.salesintegrity.org/pdf/cba_ocd_book.pdf

[Rancho_del_Marr]

Thank you honeylips!! I have seen this vet’s name (Dr. McIlwraith) in my searches. This is exactly what I was looking for.

I wish someone would send the potential buyer this link. haha

It does give me hope that someone will come along and take a chance with this guy. He’s such a nice horse. I am hoping for the best for him.

[Rancho_del_Marr]

Also, thank you to all of you who have posted your sesamoid experiences. And they are all postitive… YAY!!!

[risingstarfarm]

Hey Carol, would you pm me the name of the PPE vet. I just had a bad PPE experience with a perfectly normal youngster. Salvaged the sale but spent thousands in additional diagnostics