I am about to purchase a gelding who is off the track. I notice he has lines of scars on his cannons that the owner says are from something called pin firing. What is pin firing, what is its purpose, and how often is it performed? Is there any long-term damage as a result?
Thanks!
Pin Firing
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I remembered this topic being discussed a while back. Two differing viewpoints in the thread, but you will have an understanding of the proceedure done to your prospect.
JonR
I remembered this topic being discussed a while back. Two differing viewpoints in the thread, but you will have an understanding of the proceedure done to your prospect.
JonR
Hi, Foxie. I've been a racehorse owner for many years, and have had several horses with sore shins. This is the main reason pin firing is done in the US. When the horse repeatedly "shinbucks" or gets such sore shins with training that he is compromised physically or psychologically, it's time to assess the risks and benefits of rest alone, change in training regimen, blistering (using a chemical skin irritant to increase blood flow to the area), or pinfiring (using a physical bone surface irritant to increase bone formation and repair).
There is no one answer that universally works, and the choice also depends on the age and maturity level of the horse, finances, business plan, and experiences of the owner and trainer. I've had several trainers over the years that have had good results with pinfiring, after other methods have failed to relieve the problem. In general, the older the horse, the fewer options are satisfactory. With 2yo's, time off is the best choice.
In my stable, young or rapidly growing horses get time off. Many horses can be worked through the sore shins with variation of the training regimen, although the training bills go up with protracted training. Often the blister is applied as an aid to the reduced exercise.
Ignoring sore shins is a recipe for disaster. I've had two horses develop stress fractures in the shins, and each required eventual surgery for resolution and long layoffs. The pinfired horses all got to the races with fewer delays and training expenses.
You, your vet, and your trainer should all be in agreement, and experience is key for the procedure and aftercare.
There is no one answer that universally works, and the choice also depends on the age and maturity level of the horse, finances, business plan, and experiences of the owner and trainer. I've had several trainers over the years that have had good results with pinfiring, after other methods have failed to relieve the problem. In general, the older the horse, the fewer options are satisfactory. With 2yo's, time off is the best choice.
In my stable, young or rapidly growing horses get time off. Many horses can be worked through the sore shins with variation of the training regimen, although the training bills go up with protracted training. Often the blister is applied as an aid to the reduced exercise.
Ignoring sore shins is a recipe for disaster. I've had two horses develop stress fractures in the shins, and each required eventual surgery for resolution and long layoffs. The pinfired horses all got to the races with fewer delays and training expenses.
You, your vet, and your trainer should all be in agreement, and experience is key for the procedure and aftercare.
Rocking H