Coffin Bone Wing Remodeling

Does anyone have experiences, positive or negative, on a horse that has had coffin bone wing remodeling? In this situation, the horse is a 10 year old. Based on his history, the damage came from being worked (eventing) in ill-fitting shoes and a horribly balanced foot before I purchased him. The vet estimated from the x rays that the damage seems to be many years old, which fits the horses timeline. Currently, his feet are balanced again and he’s come sound but I’d like to hear any stories about horses working with this damage, especially as an event horse!

X rays : https://imgur.com/a/8V15GD4

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My jumper mare fractured her coffin bone as a 3-4 year old. She has been sound ever since it healed. (she was properly cared for). She’s been going around regularly in the jumpers from 3’-3’6". The location of the fracture and its remodeling is most important. If the horse is sound, has been sound then there’s no reason to assume it will suddenly become unsound. Listen to your vet and farrier, be aware of the old injury, but assume that past performance will continue.

That’s encouraging! However, my vet explained that this remodeling damage happened over a period of months or years, and not in an acute event like a true coffin fracture. I’ve known two horses personally that have recovered very well from acute P3 fractures.

Did your mare have any remodeling around the fracture site?

I don’t know, as the vet who treated her initially was also the vet, coincidentally, that did her PPE. He accessed his records to confirm that the fracture did happen as a youngster-- double checking his memory. She has been sound as a button for 7 years since the fracture so I didn’t worry too much. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help. She is club footed on that hoof and we are religious about trimming/shoeing on a schedule with her. We do not mess with her angles–she’s happy and sound the way she is. I hope you get a good outcome.

Bump - anyone have a horse with P3 remodeling?

Potato I have one with significant side bone protruding up from the wings (worse than yours), and broke a coffin bone 4 years ago. Neither cause issues. He’s turned out and base wide up front though stays in balanced shoes; I have not had X-rays up front but you can see the knot from side bone at his cornet band on one front. His hinds are the ones that I’v had X-rays on (and one hind was broken). He’s perfectly sound, jumps 3’ and moving up, granted mine is a hunter so not quite the impact that an eventer will have. I say keep him balanced and see where he goes.

Do you have regular pictures of your horse’s foot? My horse seems to have a bump on his pastern (I have pics in the Help-Ringbone post of what his foot looks like). Wondering if it could be the same thing?

I had a client take a horse on trial that turned out to have a lot of remodeling on the coffin bone, likely due to inconsistent farrier care. Ski jump tip and poor quality coffin bone in general (weak). The horse appeared sound until we blocked a foot, and then it become clear the horse was actually bilaterally mildly lame, but just quite stoic. The horse was only 7 or so. We opted to pass, as we felt there was too much risk for us. The person who did buy the horse kept it going about 12- 18 months before they had to retire her permanently. (She was a show jumper)

That type of damage doesn’t happen overnight, so a risk is that there is also soft tissue damage and/or damage higher up that just isn’t showing yet on x-rays.

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