I've had two different vets tell me that once you de-nerve a horse the clock starts ticking. That there is a window of about 1 1/2 years before the horse starts having other foot issues due to the nerve removal (abcesses, etc.) They both were not talking about the nerve growing back, specifically they were talking about all the other issues de-nerving causes.
Has anyone else got this information from their vet when looking at the future of a horse? Has anyone experienced this?
Posted 2014-07-28 8:22 AM Subject: RE: Another....different......de-nerving question
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest
I have not heard this... I would think it would depend upon how the radiographs look and if anything else is going on.
A friend had her barrel horse done years ago and kept running her. She later retired her, but it was years later and due to her hocks, not the front feet.
I think I need to talk to some other vets then. One was a general vet that does equine and cattle, the other was an equine only sports med vet.
My horse has navicular with bone spurs on the suspensories. However, both made it very clear that that was their opionion of de-nerving period, it didn't matter what the issues were. I had never heard that before and to have two vets in the span of a few weeks tell me the exact same thing made me wonder why it had never been talked about on here.
Posted 2014-07-29 12:17 AM Subject: RE: Another....different......de-nerving question
Pig-Bear Dog Lover
I would never nerve something with spurs...maybe this is what they're talking about in the case for your horse? Nevering is a case by case procedure..if that's the case they shouldn't be recommending this procedure.
We had a TB stud that was nerved as either a two or three year old while at the track. We stood him for five or six years and had no problems with his legs or hooves in that time period. He wasn't doing anything more strenuous than playing in the pasture, however.
Another....different......de-nerving question
