LA200- it’s what Rood & Riddle vets use for contracted tendons. I just went through something very similar.
I had a foal 3 years ago with tendons as contracted. Martin Vidal was the consulting vet at Davis.
I followed the same routine as you are describing. Pasterns would improve, then the foal would grow and things would get worse. It was a continual cycle, very frustrating. Plus the foal was confined the entire time, and we are talking months.
Toe extensions were pretty worthless, as they wouldn’t stay on for more than a day or two.
Finally the vets recommended surgery to cut the check ligaments which we did. Good outcome.
But I would never go through this again. In the end, we spent about $6-8K out of pocket which in this market will never be recouped. And we spent 6 months caring for this foal, day in and day out, wrapping, massaging, treating, shoeing, etc. In practical terms, cold hearted as it may sound, it would have been better to put him down right then and there, and breed the mare back.
I’ve had mildly contracted or extended foals, and treating this is really simple- give them a little help and a week or two and it resolves. But a contraction where the foal can’t stand, well, it’s a tough call.
HSS - I feel your disillusionment. I spent a horrible amount of money on my colt too.
What was the final outcome, after the check ligament release? How old is the horse now? Will he have a full performance future?
Prince has decided to remove his toe extensions. So helpful. He is actually a lot more active with them off. He is bucking and playing in the stall. He does a silly little move that makes him look like a cutting horse working a cow. I am the cow. Little punk.
His Dynasplints are scheduled to arrive at 10:30 tomorrow morning.
Jingles and good wishes 
Haha, glad to hear he is up to being naughty! Did you get those pics of my friend’s contracted foal? Feel free to post them here.
Hi Kerole - I will post those. Thank you.
Here are Karole’s friends filly. It is so nice to see happy endings!
A quick cell phone video of Prince. He is definitely more active with the toe extensions off.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200989988266346&set=vb.104671722907692&type=2&theater
He looks like he’s doing a good job working that hind end practicing sitting and rearing and capriolles. I love the skid out at the end where he kind of stayed there like, “I meant to do that.”
This is one good looking colt. That rowdy with splints on? Imagine him without them. Quite the handful. Love him. Keep up the good work. I believe much progress has been made and I have followed along from the first post. 
I watched a documentary on NOVA a few months ago about a herd of elephants in Africa. One of the babies was born knuckled over on both from carpus (at least that is what I think they would be called in an elephants!). He could barely walk and keep up with the herd. Because he could stretch his trunk he could nurse fairly well and thankfully the herd was not in an area that required a lot of migration. He would just drag himself around. Over the course of time even that baby elephant completely corrected with no intervention at all!! Here is a link to the documentary:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/echo-an-elephant-to-remember/introduction/5755/
Nature has an amazing way of correcting things with time…
What a good looking colt. I’m jingling that he will be on the road to recovery very soon. Last year our filly wouldn’t keep her toe extensions on, so we found an easy boot that worked for her. They make a boot small enough for a foal that comes up over the hoof. We put padding on the inside that worked as a small extension, and she kept the boot on. It worked really well, and I think contributed a lot to her correction.
If you would all make sure your horses have free choice minerals, and I don’t mean blocks, I mean the type of mineral that can be bought quite cheaply at Tractor Supply for cattle, then no one would have this problem.
[QUOTE=poniesinthenight;7093287]
If you would all make sure your horses have free choice minerals, and I don’t mean blocks, I mean the type of mineral that can be bought quite cheaply at Tractor Supply for cattle, then no one would have this problem.[/QUOTE]
No, not true.
This problem would still exist. My horses are fed high quality feed including ration balancer, and harvest salt (which has copper and selenium added since I live in a low copper and selenium area). I still battled a flexural deformity. It’s a very complex issue of which nutrition is a portion. But, the nutrition element is not out of ignorance of the owner, it’s just something that needs to be addressed when treating the problem. Copper has been shown to help these issues, but not all mineral supplements contain copper.
[QUOTE=poniesinthenight;7093287]
If you would all make sure your horses have free choice minerals, and I don’t mean blocks, I mean the type of mineral that can be bought quite cheaply at Tractor Supply for cattle, then no one would have this problem.[/QUOTE]
What a horribly cruel thing to say. Not to mention it isn’t the slightest bit accurate.
[QUOTE=poniesinthenight;7093287]
If you would all make sure your horses have free choice minerals, and I don’t mean blocks, I mean the type of mineral that can be bought quite cheaply at Tractor Supply for cattle, then no one would have this problem.[/QUOTE]
Thank you so much. I feed my mares and foals just the bare minimum to keep Animal Control off my back. I don’t believe in supplements or vet care. It is survival of the fittest around here. This foal is just lucky he knew how to make his own splints and his dam knew how to hook up the trailer and get her foal to UC Davis.
Just in case you don’t recognize sarcasm when you see it - that was sarcastic.
All of my mares and foals get supplements. I have my hay analysed and supplement accordingly. I really appreciate you telling me that it is my fault and could have been avoided. Thank goodness I am officially retired so I do not make another innocent foal suffer this torture.
Hehehe
And I’m laughing at the thought of my horses out there hooking up the trailer! I can just see it now!!! Banging their butts on the gooseneck trying to get it to settle on the ball!
