Mort and I trucked along this summer and continued our training having good days and bad. He was really struggling with tension just right before a transition. I'd ask, he'd get tense, he'd trot (or whatever I asked) and immediately relax. Weird and something that seemed to not be improving despite trying to keep everything easy-going and relaxed in our training.
A few weeks ago the vet was coming out to get radiographs on two other horses at the barn, so I decided to sign Mort up. The plan was to keep an eye on those front fetlocks so that I could monitor his changes over time and just be proactive with injections when the time came. His radiographs came back with very angry bones. His sesamoid had prolific bone growth that looked like it was going right near his suspensory ligament. Our vet was very concerned. She was going to MU (University of Missouri Vet School) to do an in-depth lameness exam on another horse and said that she would consult with one of the specialists there. I really appreciate a vet who knows their limits and recommends another vet when the situation calls for it.
We've got some real serious angry bones
I decided to take Mort in to MU to get an ultrasound on his leg. I wanted to know what the extent of the damage to the suspensory was and make management decisions from there. I was worried about the damage adding up slowly over time to create one catastrophic event with a bad step one day. I didn't want it to get to that point, so I wanted to know what his soft tissue looked like right now to at the least get a reference point.
Yesterday was Mort's appointment and it went much, much better than expected. The specialist had seen much worse and has worked with a lot with OTTBs (including her own). The ultrasound was very helpful in getting a much better idea of what was happening to him and it was overall full of good news.
I'll start with the bad news: He is showing signs of synovitis in his fetlock that we didn't see on the radiographs. However, the good news with this is that it would most likely be manageable with injections. The very good news was that his suspensory isn't currently being affected poorly by his angry bones (at least not to the extent I was expecting). The area where it is connected seems to be fairly smooth and happy (unlike the rest of the bone surface). This news means that I am not only able to continue riding him, but progress in his training.
Obviously this isn't an "all-clear" to ride him like he doesn't have previous injuries or the potential for a lot of problems in the future. I will have to start injecting the fetlocks to see if that helps his tension and makes him more comfortable. He cannot be worked in deep footing or be turned out when it's muddy. I have to watch and monitor him carefully and progress very slowly making sure to not push him too much physically at a time.
Overall great news for Mort and me and our future training toward being a dressage team. Tonight I get to ride my horse for the first time in several weeks.
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