Fused Ankle

Postby **Roguelet** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:04 pm

We have a mare with a fused ankle. It is what it is and it's not going to "get better" or "go away" and I understand that.

She's a broodie, and each year when her time to foal gets close and the baby is big and heavy, the poor mare can barely walk. Each year I feel SO sorry for her but, being about to deliver a foal, I'm not excited about pumping her full of pain killers. I'm not even 100% sure it's pain that's causing the problem walking, it may just be the inability to use that joint that makes her limp and hobble and look like she's miserable.

Once she has the foal, she does better, although she always has a pronounced limp and moves around pretty slowly, even when she's not bred or in the early stages of pregnancy; I can't remember the last time I saw her go along at more than a slow walk. We keep her in a smaller area instead of out in our big field, so she doesn't have to travel much, her hay/water/shelter is all in one place.

This is a really nice mare and I struggle with this all the time... I've discussed it with our vet repeatedly, and the concensus there is that it's probably more lack of motion than actual pain which causes her to look so pathetic as she tries to get around. You can't "unfuse" an ankle... so, does anyone have any brilliant ideas on how I can make her life any more pleasant?

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:09 pm

Roguelet, I sympathize; we have a boarder here, an old stakes winner that just, I guess, will have his bills paid till he dies. His ankles are fused and he can't bend them, but we keep him sound enough to pony the youngsters! We keep his heels pretty long and keep shoes on him and voila! No breakover, no soreness. We have another fairly aged broodie, same problem, same solution. Never sore. Sort of like pumps on a horse.

brooke · Postby **brooke** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:07 pm

i have a gelding that is in the first stages of this problem. he has been diagnosed and i just hate it so bad. i really wanted to pony on him at the track but i have been afraid of him being in pain. ( he's a special guy to me) gets around pretty well still, no probs galloping but you can tell he walks a bit gimpy that side. i was told the nerves could be cut but that would ruin him as a riding horse. but the vet did say its not so much the pain as just the inablility to flex it.