saucer fracture

Question
QUESTION: Mr. Hess i have a fillie that just turn  three year old and she develop a backed shins three months ago. I rested her for three months and now we found that is a sauser fracture. I talk to 5 different vets and i got 5 different answers.
1 :pin firing
2 :scraping
3 :shock wave
4 :drilling
5 :3 months  off with five day blister.
I am really confused. Can you please advise me on what i should do?

Thank you. Michael

ANSWER: hi-- well a saucer fracture is a bad fracture for a horse to have. in the past years when i raced at the race tracks and we had a horse with a saucer fracture, we would cool out the leg for a month or 2 ,till the horse was walking sound ,then we would have the horse pin fired or the new method of freeze firing. the horse would have 6 months off  to heal properly. then another  x-ray to make sure the fracture was healed. then a slow 3 months back in training before we would even think of working the horse in it's first 3/8 mile work. like you said 5 diff opinions from 5 diff people. pin firing is a old method of curing bucked shins, they also will freeze fire a horse now, which i think is equal to pin firing, but not as caustic to the leg. then we would sweat the leg with furicin till it healed good.  rest afterwards is always a must. time heals all things. so now it is up to you and your vet to make your decision. i hope i helped you . i know that this sounds like a long time off for the horse, but if you do not give the horse the proper time to heal, then the horse will be lame all over again. thanks for your question ED HESS

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:  Ed the horse is actually walking with no problems or pain at all. I did found out about the sauser fracture when she was galloping (short stride) so the injury is miner. My qestion to you is: Why pin firing when is a fracture and not bucked shins? Please let me know about putting screws or pins in to the bone like one vet suggested. Thank you for taking the time to help everyone about their problems. It takes alot to be the wonderfull person you are.
Thank you
Michael

Answer
hi mike  thanks for your very generous kind response back to me. as for your new question----well the saucer fracture is actually in the shin bone, thus when a horse gets bucked shins, it is a inflammation of the surface of the bone , and sometimes they get tiny fractures or they buck the shin out and become very sore to the touch and they do have a very short stride. pin firing or freeze firing will bring blood to the injured area and heal the fracture with time off. now you can put screws in the fracture like your vet said. it is up to you to decide what you want to do for the horse. either way the horse will need the time off to heal up . YOUR VET WILL KNOW JUST HOW SERIOUS OF A PROBLEM THE HORSE HAS AND HE SHOULD LET YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE BEST THING TO DO FOR THE HORSE. thanks for your question. hope this info helps you  thanks ED HESS