X-Ray Day

Nox had his one year x-ray today.  He fractured the coffin bone in his left front hoof last November during a race and I've been anxious to have him x-rayed so I can get a new rehab plan going for him.  Nox runs around the ring on his own just fine, but when he trots in a circle to the left, he is still a little off.  I've been trying to figure out if his hoof hurts him, or if it's just muscle stiffness, or something else.

My vet came out to the barn with her portable x-ray and Nox stood very nicely for her while she took the pictures.  The farrier was also at the barn so they could talk about his hoof and what we should do next.

Here are a few of the x-rays:

Nox's hoof.  You can't see the fracture from this angle, but it's a cool picture. 
(The nails you see are in the wood board that his hoof his resting on, not in his hoof.)

The fracture is visible in this photo. 
The crack runs along the tip of the bone almost straight up. 
The multiple thinner cracks in the bone are normal channels for blood vessels. 

We are waiting for the New Jersey vet to email Nox's original x-rays so we can compare the fracture and see how far he is in the healing process. After a year, the fracture should be healed, and it's not unusual to still be able to see the fracture in an x-ray.  

Nox has been wearing an "eggbar" shoe on his injured hoof for a year.  An eggbar shoe is a therapeutic shoe that offers more support for the foot.  It is shaped like a complete oval, instead of being open on the bottom like a normal horse shoe.  Over the past year, the eggbar shoe has caused Nox's left hoof to grow in a compact oval shape, like the shoe, instead of a round shape like his right hoof.  The compaction on his heels may be putting pressure on the tendons in his leg, perhaps causing the lameness when he trots to the left.  The vet and the farrier agreed that we should leave him barefoot for a few weeks to allow his foot to spread out and relieve the pressure on his heels.  As long as I continue to walk him and only lightly trot in straight lines, he should be fine without the shoes for a while.  If my vet looks at the original x-rays and feels that the hoof needs more support, we'll put the shoe back on for a while longer. 

I'm very pleased with the results.  So far, I've been doing things right and I just need to continue to be patient and takes things slow.  I've been reluctant to push Nox too much in fear that he might be sore, and I'm happy to continue with the program.  I have faith that with enough time and gentleness, he'll be sound and ready for anything!

Nox and I, taking it slow.