Surgically placed pin for windswept foal?

[bubxjade]

Unfortunately ![]( do not know Jackie Blue, I browse here a lot, but maybe not enough to know anyone.

I think in severity, I would say she is somewhere in the middle. First the vet described her as mild, plus we put the shoe on right away, and it hasn’t even been on for a total of ten days. When he called back yesterday about pics/video, I felt a little disappointed because I thought she wasn’t that bad and had made enough progress in this short time that we wouldn’t even have to think surgery would be an option. Better safe than sorry I guess.

Day one, right hind was very much a ‘c’ shape - front photo: [IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/ogz62x.jpg) and back [IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/2w4y4o6.jpg) When she ran it looked like legs were flying in every direction.

Glue on shoe was put on first 1 week ago. Off for one day. Today [IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/eg7dip.jpg) Legs stay much more straight when she runs, but her backs legs move together at times.

[Beentheredonethat]

She looks better than mine. Today’s picture of yours looks MUCH better! Mine was MUCH more on the side of her outside foot and we had to put on those glue shoes every week or so for maybe 6 weeks. Yours looks almost even.

I don’t think there would be any reason to do surgery. Where would you put a pin in? Periostial stripping is not done any more, really.

I would not even consider surgery.

[VirginiaBred]

Don’t do surgery! It corrects itself! JackieBlue is Morgen Flynn. I have her cell if you message me,

[Cindy_s_Warmbloods]

I would not do surgery either, it is very mild. I think the tincture of time and good care (trimming/corrective shoes if and when needed) will resolve most issues.

[MysticOakRanch]

I had a pretty badly windswept foal - she almost scuttled sideways when she moved! I did talk to a surgeon who was very realistic. She said she COULD do surgery, but she recommended I give her time, have some corrective farrier work done, and she felt many people jumped on unnecessary corrective surgery for foals. I listened to her advice, and that filly turned out gorgeous - she is a successful mid-level jumper now. It took quite a few months - she showed steady progress, and we did corrective “shoes”, but I am always glad I didn’t put her through surgery.

[Foxtrot_s]

…Good luck…but I was admiring the view from the riding ring to see much of a problem.

[bubxjade]

All very helpful, thank you all so much, pretty much all responses that I wanted to hear I think my current course of action will be providing photos where the legs are looking their best. I wanted to be able to build myself up enough to say “no” if surgery is suggested, because I am a bit of a coward and tend to agree to everything. I still would like the input from the surgeon/specialist and believe this is what my vet wants too, and second specialised opinion so we both have peace of mind that we are doing all that is necessary.

I am curious to know though, for those that have used a hoof cuff/glue on shoe, which one you have used. Vet originally suggested the Ibex hoof cuff, but the one he brought is a black one that doesn’t provide much of an extension. I guess it seems to be doing it’s job, but it fell off again yesterday for the second time.

Even though the cuff makes the leg turn out towards a more correct angle, she still really spins on that one hoof and is not putting pressure or her weight to the inside of that one hoof. That is what is worrying me most at the moment because I don’t really want her to become accustomed to moving that way. And I think this is the reason surgery would be suggested. I don’t believe there would be any periostial stripping, just a pin put in that I think also would be eventually removed.

[Wits_End_Eventing]

our filly we thought was windswept initially…

We had a filly we thought was windswept, but her right hind just continued to not look good over the first days/week. We had her X-rayed, and she had actually been stepped on accidentally by her Mom.:no: We did do the procedure with placing the pin. I will ask my husband to post his opinion here, and we may have some pics at home. In my opinion, the pin helped a small amount. We have had an awesome farrier & vets, and our filly is sound, but will never hold up to being ridden. Because she by Primmore’s Pioneer and because she is the only filly we have left out of a TB mare we loved who competed Prix St George Dressage, we plan to breed her next year when she turns 4-years-old since the issue is not genetic, but accidental. I am sure as she ages, she will need extra care to keep her sound and happy, but we both feel she is worth it.

[tuckawayfarm]

I would definitely get an opinion from a specialist.

I can’t tell much from the pictures, but you probably have rads to see what’s really going on. It looks like there is a varus deformity at the fetlock. If that’s true, you need to be much more proactive than with problems stemming from the knee or hock. The lower growth plates close quite early and any corrections, surgical or not, need to be made sooner rather than later.

I had a filly who had an actual curve to her cannon bone that prevented her from weighting the inside of the hoof. She had surgery at two weeks and is perfect at two years.

This very rapid growth stage can be a huge bonus if you take advantage of it.

I have had much better luck taping the corrective shoes to the lower pastern with elastikon than just the glue alone.

Good luck!

[MysticOakRanch]

We used epoxy and formed a hoof extender with it rather then an actual shoe. My farrier is pretty good w/ epoxy, and it stays on better then shoes.

[Beentheredonethat]

If your vert insists on surgery, I would get a new vet. Nothing indicates you need it unless there is something bizarre on a rad.

We used the epoxy, too, and formed a hoof extender. PIA. Just sort of make a glue gob and shape it onto the hoof.

Show us newer pictures of her. I bet she looks even better.

[JB]

A woman on a FB WB breeder’s group had a VERY windswept foal, way, way worse than the OP’s. I sent her a link to this thread, and just posted this thread over there, in case any of them want to chime in here.

[Wits_End_Eventing]

If your vert insists on surgery, I would get a new vet. Nothing indicates you need it unless there is something bizarre on a rad.

I would just make sure you get a radiograph. Our filly was evaluated and treated at VA tech after she was referred there by our excellent repro vet. We would have had no idea of the underlying injury without the radiograph.

The lower growth plates close quite early and any corrections, surgical or not, need to be made sooner rather than later…This very rapid growth stage can be a huge bonus if you take advantage of it.

I would agree with an early evaluation. As a pediatrician, I can second that, once growth plates are closed, options are limited. Also, X-rays are more important when growth plates are open. For example, an adult human with a broken finger could likely just have it taped to the next finger to heal. For a kid, however, getting a radiograph is more important (depending on where the injury is) because, if the injury involves the growth plate, it can effect long term growth of the bone. With our filly, the growth plate WAS injured which is what caused the deformity. Important to know. Good luck!!

[JB]

Wits End - could you update your last post? I didn’t say what’s quoted - just some goof on how you did the quoting

[bubxjade]

It seems tuckaway farm is correct, it is a varus deformity of the fetlock. So, two weeks from tomorrow she will be having this worked on. The vet that will be performing the surgery is 3 hours away, so I really couldn’t have him look at her ahead of time, he has only been able to evaluate her through photos and video.

I will try to get a better photo of her fetlock today. Her windsweptness has straightened out, I think the glue on hoof extension helped, although it hasn’t spent much time staying on. I think now that her hock has straightened it is easier to see the problem with the fetlock. I have a youtube video, not the greatest, but it kind of shows where the fetlock looks like it is going to roll over almost. http://youtu.be/uE6m-Muqyi0

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=Appsolute;7672322]
How severe is the condition?

My horse was born windswept. In the first week she looked like THIS.

By about 3 weeks she was tightening up - looked like THIS.

By a month old she was straight (this picture is from 4 months).

And now she is a sound healthy 7 year old. She is “high low” as in stands in a scissor stance when she eats and grazes - causing one heel to grow tall, and the other to be under run. But frequent trims keep it in check.[/QUOTE]

Your filly wasn’t really “windswept” she was just down in the pasterns. That is pretty common and almost all foals grow out of that.

Windswept foals are usually effected higher up, in the knees & hocks:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTcXcP_tBTgCwAKi.JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIzZmk1cTAwBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZANhOGE4MGFhMDcwMDJiZjhhYTE2NjliYmRmZTJhYWFkMARncG9zAzQ2BGl0A2Jpbmc-?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DWindswept%2Bfoals%26fr%3Dmcafee%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D46&w=794&h=489&imgurl=www.dynasplint.com%2Fuploads%2FAngular_Limb_jack.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dynasplint.com%2Fangular-limb%2F&size=65.0KB&name=BEFORE%3A+4+day+old+<b>foal<%2Fb>+with+<b>windswept<%2Fb>+hind+limbs.+AFTER%3A+8+weeks+of+…&p=Windswept+foals&oid=a8a80aa07002bf8aa1669bbdfe2aaad0&fr2=piv-web&fr=mcafee&tt=BEFORE%3A+4+day+old+%3Cb%3Efoal%3C%2Fb%3E+with+%3Cb%3Ewindswept%3C%2Fb%3E+hind+limbs.+AFTER%3A+8+weeks+of+…&b=0&ni=21&no=46&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=117d80evp&sigb=136o13541&sigi=11gbgld81&sigt=12lqttu08&sign=12lqttu08&.crumb=u9zHHazF9Vs&fr=mcafee&fr2=piv-web

To the OP, I would say no one on this board can give advice without detailed pics & such.

I personally don’t care of surgery on foals simply because then you have to keep them locked up for 6 wks and I think that’s VERY unhealthy.

5 years ago I had a filly foal who had several different abnormalities in her legs. My local vet said she was the worst she’d seen that season. At 3 wks of age, I took her to the “leg expert” vet who told me point blank he was “90% sure” she would not straighten without surgery.

This was not my first rodeo in terms of leg/foal issues, so I opted to decline surgery.

Instead he applied “paint on” hoof extenders (work SO much better than glue ons) and instructed me to keep her on stall rest.

I took her home and did NOT keep her confined, but put her on highly monitored turn out in a flat paddock big enough for her to canter & buck. If she started to get wobbly, she & mom went in the stall for afew hours.

I also started her dam on a double dose of a product I REALLY like: OCD Pellets.

We continued that regime, replacing the hoof extensions as needed. I never told the vet I wasn’t confining her

By 3 months, she was close to straight…good enough for the vet to tell me I could now turn her out (she’d been on 24/7 T.O. for over a month already).

I kept her on the OCD Pellets for her first 18 mos. As 4 yr old, she was started and put in training (dressage). I JUST sold her and her PPE was done by a (retired) head of orthopedic surgery at a major vet teaching hospital.

He did a very indepth lameness eval with some 40 x-rays. The buyer gave me a copy of the vet report and told me to frame it. In the summation, the vet states:
“Although it is rare to not find any abnormalities in a horse upon exam, such is the case with this mare. I find nothing that would hinder her future performance ability…”

So very happy ending. BUT all cases are different. I’ve also had a foal who was so windswept front AND back he had to be put down at 5 wks despite our best efforts.

Sorry that’s not a more definite answer, but again, much depends on the severity of the condition and it’s tough to judge that on a BB.

[tuckawayfarm]

Thanks for sharing the video. She is gorgeous! I am glad you went forward with a specialist. She looks like she is well worth the investment.

My filly came through surgery great. The babies seem to bounce back quickly and I’m sure having their mom there for comfort helps.

I will be thinking of you and wishing you the best of luck!

[Wits_End_Eventing]

So cute! Please post how the surgery goes.

[Zuri]

Your foal is lovely and I love her friendliness. Wishing all of you much success with her surgery.

Please keep us updated. This has been very educational for many of us.

[bubxjade]

Thank you guys for the luck and well wishes, I appreciate it I’ll have an update in a few days, we will be taking her and her momma to the equine clinic on Thursday.

I should try to get more recent photo to show for a comparison because her legs have changed and straightened so much.