Oaklawn's statement said, in part: “Studies have shown the fetlock joint contributes to a larger portion of equine injuries and this rule will give veterinarians more tools to diagnose potential injuries. If the connections believe a Covered Horse should have an intra-articular corticosteroid injection of a fetlock joint within 60 days of a previous injection, the connections are required to have specific digital imaging (radiographs) taken by the attending veterinarian. The attending veterinarian will then assess the fetlock joint radiograph for potentially dangerous findings before the repeated injection is administered.”

Oaklawn, in partnership with the Arkansas HBPA, will pay up to $250 for each required set of radiographs to assist with the costs. The program will continue through May 4, when the current Oaklawn meet draws to a close.

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Beckett said, “He ran very well at Glorious Goodwood, finishing a running-on fifth in the Sussex S. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury to his fetlock that needs surgery. This means that he is not going to run again in 2022. However, the injury is pretty minor and he should be back next year.”

A winner of the G2 Vintage S. at Goodwood last July, the colt scooped a pair of French Group 1s in October of 2021–the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the Criterium International. He resumed with a third in the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury on Apr. 16, and, although off the board in the June 14 G1 St James's Palace S., he was rounding back into form when fifth to Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Sussex.

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A study funded by the Oak Tree Charitable Foundation will be launched in Southern California to help racetrack veterinarians who use MRIs decipher what the images are telling them. The study will use 23 Thoroughbreds Dr. Tim Grande, the chief official veterinarian of the California Horse Racing Board, has deemed lame in their fetlock. The lame horses will be chosen from a pool of horses that are a morning-of or race-day scratch; those that are lame in the test barn or after a scheduled work or race; or those that have a voided claim.

A group of 23 control horses that show no signs of lameness will also be used; these horses will be similar in age, sex, and class to the lame horses. Researchers will be looking for changes in density within the proximal sesamoid bones and distal cannon bone, swelling in the cannon bone, and bone bruising. Each of these relates to fetlock failure and condylar fracture.

Though the MRI is not new, there is still skepticism about what it can “tell” veterinarians. Researchers hope the study will increase belief in the machine's ability to assist horses and their owners.

Read more at TDN.

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A bone bruise is an injury to subchondral bone, which is the bone layer that abuts cartilage in weight-bearing joints. Subchondral bone is rife with blood vessels, which not only ferry oxygen and nutrients to the bone but also to the underlying cartilage. Bone bruises are usually brought on by repetitive trauma and subsequent insult during racing or training. Inflammation associated with the injury causes degeneration of healthy subchondral bone, thus compromising its strength and integrity.

“In response to traumatic insult, the skeleton repairs itself by removing damaged bone and replacing it with more bone. Changes in bone are expected in response to training, but the difficulty lies in the fact that bones can only repair, and thus strengthen, themselves so quickly,” explained Laura Petroski, B.V.M.S., veterinarian at Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

“If insufficient time is afforded for healing, the remodeling process is disturbed, and over time the subchondral bone thickens and becomes less flexible. Repeated overloading of diseased bone results in bone bruises and pain. Damage may also occur to corresponding joint cartilage, which may compound soundness issues. As most horse owners know, destruction of cartilage leads to the development of degenerative joint disease, or arthritis,” she continued.

Bone bruises are most often diagnosed in horses trained at high intensity, such as Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, and problems manifest primarily in the fetlocks. High-impact work exposes the horse to the traumatic forces needed for a bone to become denser and then subsequently bruise. In Thoroughbreds, bone bruises usually occur in the front fetlocks, while in Standardbreds they affect hind fetlocks more frequently. Bone bruises are observed occasionally in knees. Subchondral bone disease at any site can put horses at risk for fracture.

Horses usually present as unsound, though the lameness might range from mild to severe. “Complaints of poor performance, where the horse is suddenly not performing at the same level, are also typical and alert owners and veterinarians of a problem. The pain is localized to the affected site by using nerve blocks, flexion tests, and palpation. At that point, we recommend radiography or advanced imaging,” said Petroski.

“In the past, veterinarians have diagnosed this disease using radiography; however, we've learned changes noted on radiograph tend to be permanent changes and the disease is quite advanced at that stage,” she remarked.

Today, veterinarians rely on nuclear bone scintigraphy and MRI to reveal early signs of this disease. “This technology has been revolutionary when it comes to diagnosing, treating, and managing these horses properly. The earlier the treatment begins, the better our prognosis for returning the horse to full work.”

Treatment of bone bruises involves primarily rest and recovery. Unlike certain soft tissue injuries, veterinarians often suggest that horses with bone bruises be turned out into a small field for several months and allowed to move.

Blood flow to this area is important for tissue healing, and free-choice exercise in a small paddock is encouraged. Any forced exercise is discouraged. Other treatments include anti-inflammatory drugs, intra-articular injection of steroids, pharmaceuticals to promote bone repair, and surgery. These treatments are not universal to all horses with bone bruises, so treatment plans are devised on a case-by-case basis.

Nutrition of horses with bone bruises begins with a well-fortified diet. Many horses with skeletal damage are involved in intense athletic pursuits, so they are likely fed high-quality forages and concentrates. Calcium is a critical nutrient in any well-fortified diet, but especially those of young athletes.

“While we cannot prevent bones from laying down more calcium, it would be wise to protect other bones from becoming weaker due to insufficient calcium intakes. The body tends to take calcium from other bones if there is not enough calcium available in the blood. The loss of calcium from other bones changes the structure of that bone and weakens it,” said Petroski.

Because young, growing racehorses are often affected by bone bruises, demand for calcium within the body is high. Once a bone bruise is diagnosed and rest instituted, the diet should be adjusted appropriately to reflect the change in workload, though a well-balanced diet is important at all times. Further, targeted nutritional supplementation may help these horses.

“Triacton, a triple-action supplement designed by equine nutritionists, may be useful in these situations,” said Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist for KER. Triacton contains a novel source of highly digestible calcium and other bone-building nutrients to increase bone quality. “In addition to its skeletal benefits, Triacton also provides buffering for gastric and hindgut health,” she continued.

In addition to promoting bone health, young horses in training benefit from receiving Synovate HA, a high-molecular weight sodium hyaluronate that has anti-inflammatory, lubricating, and shock absorbing properties for optimal joint health.

Injuries cause stress in horses, which predisposes them to gastric ulcers and possibly hindgut upset, explained Petroski. This may be further exacerbated by a change in routine as treatment protocols are established. “I believe in preventing problems rather than treating them, if possible. Because we know that changes in routine will often lead to distress and compromise to the gastrointestinal tract, especially in young horses, it is best to be proactive in protecting the stomach and hindgut.”

Article reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research (KER). Visit equinews.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to The Weekly Feed to receive these articles directly (equinews.com/newsletters).   

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The fix could be as simple as occasionally using a bell boot on the weaker leg; the boot uses proprioception to remind the horse that the weaker leg is still there. Proprioception is the awareness of body parts, and knowing and remembering where they are and what they are doing. The bell boot helps a horse “remember” his leg is there.

This correction could resolve issues relating to an old injury or dominant limb. Old injuries can sometimes cause horses to be unwilling to fully engage a limb for fear of pain; the bell boot trick helps them realize they are pain free.

Harrison created a study using eight sound dressage horses that had slightly weaker left hind limbs when measured using acoustic myography (AMG). AMG measures how muscle and ligament fibers move, and how much power the central nervous system must exert to get a muscle to contract.

Riders of the horses placed a cob-sized bell boot on the horse's weaker limb when the horse was ridden for 60 minutes every three days for six weeks. At the end of the study, AMG shows that the asymmetries had resolved.

Read more at The Horse.

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A 10-year-old Warmblood had two round, thick masses nearly 1 inch in diameter on the back of his left front fetlock; his treating veterinarian biopsied them, thinking they were sarcoids, which would have been difficult to treat in that area.

The biopsy results showed that the growths were actually warts, which typically go away by themselves. There are multiple types of papillomaviruses; they are divided into categories based on what type of lesion they cause. The papillomavirus that caused these warts, however, was new. The type of papillomavirus it is most similar to causes self-resolving warts.

The horse was treated with a topical chemotherapy drug and the lesions disappeared within a month. The veterinarians on the case noted that the cream may not have been the cure for the warts and that they may have gone away on their own.

Though not every lesion caused by the equine papillomavirus needs to be biopsied, in this case it was the correct approach as the masses were not recognized as warts. It's important for vets to remember that warts can sometimes present with an unusual appearance, the treating vet noted.

Read more at EQUUS magazine.

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