Displaced palates in TBs

[Where_sMyWhite]

There was a bit of a discussion about Soup and Sandwich’s displaced palate in the KD and that he would be having surgery.

Now a bit curious as I was just reading of another horse that is young and still in training. During a recent half mile morning breeze, she didn’t run as expected. A post-work endoscope reveled a displaced palate.

Current plan is figure-8 noseband to keep mouth shut and jaw from crossing over and still allowing maximal airflow through the nose.

Curious now about ‘treatment’ for displaced palate in racing TBs.

During the endoscope, are there degrees of severity of the displacement?

Why a change in noseband vs surgery? Trainer strategy? Simply the noseband is less invasive? In that case (and I haven’t looked) was the figure-8 tried on Soup and Sandwich? (I truly don’t remember if he ran in a figure-8 or not).

Not questioning the strategy as heaven knows the trainer and vet would know far more than I what is best for the horse, but curious and I can’t ask said training or vet (smile)

[LaurieB]

Yes, there are degrees of displacement, which can range from mild to severe. Sometimes it moves a little but not much. Other times it flips over and then comes mostly back. Or it can really displace and get stuck. <Obviously total layman’s descriptions!>

For a mild displacement, less invasive fixes will be tried first. With a bad one (or a chronic displacer) you do the surgery and fix it.

[Where_sMyWhite]

Thanks!

If I was actually ‘there’, I would have been all over asking these kinds of questions.

What you said made perfect sense. Wasn’t sure if there were degrees of displacement (and that wasn’t specified).

Will be interesting to see if the figure-8 helps. I personally would prefer less invasive if possible but also seeing how fast and how badly Soup and Sandwich stopped in the KD, surgery for some would sure make sense.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@Where_sMyWhite

If I was actually ‘there’, I would have been all over asking these kinds of questions.

Probably one reason ‘we’ aren’t ‘real’ owners… can you imagine 10,000 owners (if I have my math correct) asking questions of trainers, vets, etc??? : lol :

[Laurierace]

You always start with the most basic/least invasive potential fixes no matter what we are trying to do so change in equipment would be a good first step. There are several procedures that can be attempted, some are simple like a myectomy and some pretty intensive like a tie forward. None of them work for very long if they work at all so pick your races carefully.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@Laurierace

You always start with the most basic/least invasive potential fixes no matter what we are trying to do so change in equipment would be a good first step. There are several procedures that can be attempted, some are simple like a myectomy and some pretty intensive like a tie forward. None of them work for very long if they work at all so pick your races carefully.

This I would agree with completely… less invasive to most invasive and yes, might not work.

But, at this point, I can’t ‘sell’ her and since I’m not a real ‘owner’ I have no say in her care, training, trainer, or future races. It’s all from the sidelines.

At least MRH is, IMO, pretty upfront with bad news. Sounds like during working in company it was the first time she’d been headed so they wanted to find out why (don’t know by how much she was headed or her behavior/breathing during the work). Did diagnostics. What I liked is MRH reported being headed and what they found. I guess they could have said nothing until trying he figure-8 and seeing how that worked out.

Like another horse I ‘own’. Already in race training, MRH training started working him and noticed lameness. Trainer thought bone bruising, sent to Kentucky Equine for workup with resulting diagnosis of bone bruising in both front ankles. 60 days off with re-evaluation at 45 days. Time off will include aqua tread work. Am I tickled that my small investment is sitting in a pasture being re-habbed. Not really but I do really appreciate the up-front openness of what’s going on.

Yeah, I get the whole risk part… I’d be thrilled if they’d all make it to the track and win all their races but I know that’s not going to happen!

[dressagetraks]

Hang in there. I have a couple of MRH shares, too, including the massive 14-yearling, now 2-year-old bundle. My first MRH was American Heiress, who has had quite a round of everything, including time on, time off, rehab, and hyperbaric treatments. But I haven’t given up on her yet, and I do appreciate the updates from MRH all the way. That one, I figure, should have broodmare value no matter what, being a Pharoah from a graded stakes winner. As for the 14-horse package, I figure statistically, there are probably a couple of winners in there. And as for this filly, I’ll trust Mandella. Hope the figure-8 does work and surgery isn’t needed.

Well, the 14-horse package is now a 13-horse package, with one having been killed in a truly freak training accident, one of those things nobody could have prevented. This game is a tough one sometimes. But so are horses in general.

[Where_sMyWhite]

I started with 4 individuals that where part of the Future Stars bundle and also the Future Stars (hedging my bets).

Since then I’ve bought a few horses actually racing and a few that were from the 2YO in training sales.

Horses are a cr*p shoot. Might hit it big and might not. But fun to sit on the couch and cheer something one. So far, one of the already racing horses got nosed out of first in an Allowance race. Happy as a clam over that.

Going to Vegas. My thought was maybe the distance was more than what she would like along with a classy field. Unberto said she just didn’t have it when asked but before the stretch, he was happy with how she can. It will be interesting to see where they run her next.

I mentally picked Smooth Like Strait in the Shoemaker Mile today and Crazy Beautiful in the Summertime Oaks yesterday at Santa Anita.

I know, thanks to many of the people here who know so much about the racing industry, I learned more about the industry and about the horses !

[Willesdon]

I had half a 904th share, with my father, in a band of 6 brood mares at the National Stud in Newmarket. Commercial pedigrees, good stallions, professional management and a five year cycle before they were sold. In those 5 years we had one winner - in Turkey! However, the annual meeting was hilarious and we met such extraordinary people in the membership.