Osselets in OTTBs

[sellington]

I tried to find some info on osselets in this forum but didn't find anything - which surprised me a little, given that they seem to be so common in racehorses? Anyway, I just picked up a 7year old OTTB who has an osselet on his right front, and which doesn't seem to bother him at all. So far. Does anyone has experience with them? Should I expect them to become an issue for him later? From what I've read, some people are adamant about staying away from horses with osselets, others say it's purely cosmetic. He was vetted at the track as sound, and has raced with them. Any experience you could share with me is greatly appreciated! He's a really nice kid, with a great personality, and I'd love to keep him around.

[jenarby]

Usually an Osselet does not effect a horse's soundness after it has set and become cold. However they can become a problem if their range of motion has diminished a lot. It all depends on what you want to do with your horse. My personal mare has them in both front ankles. It has not stopped her from doing anything I ask of her. She raced soundly on them until age 8 and retired for other reasons. She's done hunter paces and jumps with no issues. If you were looking to event at the upper levels then yes, they'd probably come into play. How big is his ankle? Have you had any films done on it? If the joint space is clean you will probably be just fine for most things.

[sellington]

He only seems to have it on one front ankle, but it's fairly large. I did not have him xrayed - he kind of fell into my lap rather unexpected;y... :-) But from what I understand he raced with them as well. He looks like he might make a nice Hunter, although i was hoping to event him at the lower levels. Thanks for making me feel better about the osselet - it had me freaked out for a minute!

[fancyhorse]

My racer retired from the track at age 7 with osselets on both front ankles. I've done everything with him including jumping, he has never once had an issue with him and he is now 12.