Boy this makes me feel like a terrible owner. I recently acquired a young mare with hopes of running her next year. She was stiff but I thought that was just from possibly from the colt starter not showing her how to flex laterally or give her body. Never seemed too sore or off per sea.  It got to the point when I flexed to the left, she would pop up a little in the front end and when I would trot/lop to the left she would shoulder terribly. If I tried to use the inside left to bend her rib cage, she would shake her head in frustration. So…we went to the vet! We did a full exam and ended up taking x-rays showing she has a chip in her front left coffin bone. I FEEL TERRIBLE. I kept pushing her because I thought it was an attitude or training problem. The vet did not seem too concerned. He said some corrective shoeing and a little time off and we will be right back out it. However, I am nervous to go back to the arena. How to I present the drills, flexing etc without her getting nervous about pain and now having to re-learn essentially how to give to the left? Anyone have any tips on this – tips on how a coffin bone healed up – tips on how to get a sore horse to not get tense?

I had one fracture a coffin bone in a front foot. She healed completely with just time off, six months if I remember correctly. She went back to running 1D times after that. 

Bump

I went through this exactly one year ago.  I had my gelding shod with an egg bar shoe with clips and pad.  I kept him on a 5-6 week shoeing schedule to not allow too much growth and to not put extra pressure of the bone itself.  I also fed Platinum Performance Osteon regiliously.  He was diagnosed at the end of August 2018.  I was able to start light riding him at the end of November 2018 and back to competition by Feb/March 2019. 

When starting back in the arena, just take it slow.  Walk alot, then move to a trot, etc.  Don't go straight into drills.  My vet told me not to do any small circles for a while - keep forward movement and if I do need to circle then make it a larger circle. 

I was told by a lameness vet to feed (feed lime) for Spurs,fractures or any bone issues.  You can get it at a feed mill.  They use it for calcium in feed