Congenital Digital Cushion Problems - OTTB

[ncsuequine]

Hello

My 2007 OTTB gelding has had chronic hoof issues, specifically with chronic abscessing, thin soles, long underrun heels, etc… He is receiving excellent hoof care at this point (has been for the last year) and is still blowing abscesses left and right. When the last abscess popped up, his trimmer and I started doing some research and have had several vets wonder if he has some sort of congenital problem with his digital cushion.

For all you TB experts out there - anyone know if this sort of problem exists in the following pedigree?

http://www.pedigreequery.com/in+cold+storage

Any information from people that have horses from this lineage and/or from people that have researched the correlation of digital cushion problems in TB’s would be greatly appreciated. Or if you know of a vet or farrier that might have the information I am looking for, that would be helpful as well.

[JB]

How did some weird congenital digital cushion issue come up, over the more common “young OTTBs are often kept with too little turnout during more of their hooves’ formative years, which means the DC does not get the movement or stimulation required to allow it to develop to its genetic ability”?

It’s fairly well documented that feet with too little movement, and/or on too soft footing, do not develop the DC that will be healthy enough to properly support the horse above it as an adult. At some point, there is no rehabbing the DC, since it’s cartilage in nature. Once it’s developmental years are done, they are done. there’s some rehab that can be done, but you can’t take a sickly DC and make it healthy. HeathIER, but not healthy according to genetics.

[Texarkana]

How are you managing the horse now? One person’s “excellent hoof care” may be unacceptable in another’s eyes.

I’m not sure how to answer your question about congenital digital cushion issues. Many TBs have poor digital cushion, as well as poor hoof quality when compared to other breeds. The issues you describe are not limited to one line. But in my experience, they can always be managed through trimming, diet, and lifestyle.

[NancyM]

I agree with Texarkana, above. Have this horse’s feet been xrayed?

[Second_Star_To_The_R]

Yes, X-rays would be good if you haven’t gotten them recently and would be helpful if you could post pictures of the hoofs as well.

Is he barefoot? What kind of footing is he usually ridden on?

[JB]

@Texarkana

Many TBs have poor digital cushion, as well as poor hoof quality when compared to other breeds. .

The DC issue of poor quality goes for any horse who doesn’t get enough turnout on firm enough footing in the formative years of the hoof, which is about 5 years. There are sooooo many horses like that. They either don’t get enough turnout, period, or they are turned out in really soft sandy footing that doesn’t provide the push-back the DC needs to develop to its fullest.

I don’t know that TBs as a breed have genetically weak(er) DCs. I think they do get the bad rap for that because of how so many of the track horses are housed from 18 months until they are retired

[csaper58]

Looking at the pedigree you linked to, the horse’s sire Outofthebox, (right hind) and grand sire Montbrook (almost looks like early DSLD) both show some less than stellar pastern angles.

Pastern angles can effect hoof angle.

This is a wonderful lecture on the hoof/digital cushion and how it can change and adapt, and how what many vets and farriers think is normal…is not.

http://www.thehorse.com/videos/34609…he-equine-foot

[beowulf]

Are you sure it is a congenital issue and not something that is causing the continued abscess, IE an unresolved abscess deep in the hoof? X-rays?

And are you 100% positive it is not a series of hotnails?

That is a very, very good and old style pedigree with lots of racing and sport success in it… I would not leap to it being genetic. However, congenital does not always mean hereditary-- it’s possible for whatever reason, he did not develop the DC he needed and ti was acquired.

[ncsuequine]

@beowulf

Are you sure it is a congenital issue and not something that is causing the continued abscess, IE an unresolved abscess deep in the hoof? X-rays?

And are you 100% positive it is not a series of hotnails?

That is a very, very good and old style pedigree with lots of racing and sport success in it… I would not leap to it being genetic. However, congenital does not always mean hereditary-- it’s possible for whatever reason, he did not develop the DC he needed and ti was acquired.

We have xrays from Sept 2016, April 2017 and a solar shot from this last abscess issue. Sole depth greatly improving and nothing remarkable found on the most recent xray.

We are not positive its congenital, just a theory. We are absolutely entertaining the theory that it could have been a deep seated abscess that came out in stages, with this final abscess being its hopefully final blowout.

beowulf - do you know a lot about the top line of this pedigree?Specifically “Outofthebox” and “Montbrook”? Any idea how i could find out how many babies “Outofthebox” sired and a list of their names?

[ncsuequine]

@beowulf

Are you sure it is a congenital issue and not something that is causing the continued abscess, IE an unresolved abscess deep in the hoof? X-rays?

And are you 100% positive it is not a series of hotnails?

That is a very, very good and old style pedigree with lots of racing and sport success in it… I would not leap to it being genetic. However, congenital does not always mean hereditary-- it’s possible for whatever reason, he did not develop the DC he needed and ti was acquired.

Also - can’t be a bunch of hotnails - the horse has been barefoot for a year until two weeks ago.

[Simkie]

@ncsuequine

beowulf - do you know a lot about the top line of this pedigree?Specifically “Outofthebox” and “Montbrook”? Any idea how i could find out how many babies “Outofthebox” sired and a list of their names?

He’s sired 246 foals in the US, and presumably more in Colombia. Here’s a partial list. If you want a complete and accurate list of his US get, then purchase report #33 from Equineline. Montbrook sired nearly 1000 foals.

Your horse has a lovely pedigree and it’s a shame his sire was exported. I would have loved to see him and would consider him for a mare from pedigree alone.