Fetlock OCD

I’m looking at a young mare for sale currently doing Training level dressage who has fantastic, super lofty movement and a great brain, has clear potential for the FEI levels. She does have a fetlock OCD outside the joint, but hocks and stifles are clean. I am hoping to get my bronze medal with my next horse. Is this something I should walk away from, or should I consider since it’s not in the joint?

I’d consult with a surgeon. My mare had a coffin joint OCD and both my vet (who ultimately removed it) and PPE vet agreed that it was a good candidate for removal and full recovery. A vet reviewing the X-rays can give you a better opinion that BB members who have not seen the images. Better if it’s the vet you would ultimately be working with on any needed treatment.

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Ditto checking with a surgeon and also your primary DVM if you have a good relationship and they understand the demands of your chosen discipline.

I also looked at, and ultimately purchased, a young mare that had an OCD chip outside the joint in the fetlock. Her intended use was upper level (1.60m) jumpers. For that horse and that specific chip, my vet said not to worry about it at all and if it ever caused her an issue going forward it would be easy to remove. Just to show that it isn’t always a pass when you see a chip. :blush:

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My FEI dressage horse had a bone fragment near his fetlock which they called an OCD removed three years ago. It was close enough to the joint space to cause pain and lameness. Had it removed and he showed Grand Prix this year. Had the local university do the surgery - the doctor removed them all the time. I think he had two or three horses on the table that day for OCD removal.
Definitely refer to a surgeon - some OCDs just hang out and don’t cause problems so they leave them as is. Mine was close enough to the joint space the surgeon wasn’t sure till he got in there how much damage there was. Luckily, joint was still clean and the removal 100% successful.

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echoing everyone else. You can get a second opinion, possibly from your regional vet school team where a radiologist and an equine surgeon can weigh in on the lesion and the prospect.

I bought a four year old with an OCD in his fetlock. It was removed prior to the sale being finalized. Never caused an issue.

I should add I’ve already sent the radiographs to my vet for review - this post is more looking for personal experiences with fetlock OCDs, particularly those outside the joint. I have not had great luck with soundness issues - if you read prior posts I had two go permanently unsound in about 3 months in early 2023.

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