“she has a broken knee.”…

I had a friend bring me a 12 year old gentle kids horse, however she has a broken knee. Her knee break went undetected and now has re-fused itself and has calcified. It’s in a bent postion and I wondered if it’s possible to re-break it and set it in a cast since she is so quiet. I don’t have the money and am hoping Texas A&M might be able to use her as a teaching case. She is very attentive and bright, she looks great and keeping her a little trim so there won’t be extra weight to carry around. Her other leg is kept wrapped for a tad of extra support as it seems to be bowing. We have not put her on any meds as of yet. I will take any advice, good or bad. Everything I have herd so far has been bad. Thank you for your time.

Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:

Hi Kim,

I wish I had better news, but unfortunately there is no operation that could correct the fused knee joint and it is very unlikely that the horse will ever be able to be used for riding without causing him considerable pain and a worsening of his condition. Use of pain medicine, such as Bute, may be helpful for him to get around better and it is not too expensive. I hope this helps and good luck.