Pin fire

Cary · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 142

Can someone tell me what this procedure is & why it's used? Thanks!

cspecosse · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:10 pm Post subject: Firing

Hi Cary,

This is a very old procedure and I am not sure if it is still used, it may have been banned or it has gone out of fashion in the U.K. It is used on the lower leg in a horse which has suffered serious and repetitive strains, usually Hunters and N.H horse. The instrument used is called a firing iron. The idea is that the heated iron is applied to the lower leg causing burns which result in the formation of fibrous tissues, which should support the injured part.
Horses that have been fired have distictive lines or rows of puncture marks on the lower legs. It was used in cases of Spavin, Curb and Ringbone. It was often thought to be effective, but this could have been due to the horse being rested before and after treatment.

Chris

Cary · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 142

Chris - thanks for the info. I've got a 24 year old QH that was raced and i've been told he was pin fired as a two year old. By the way, he does have the marks on his legs.

Appreciate your help.

Cary

Inyureye · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:01 am Post subject:

I think this is still done on TB tracks, at least I have seen youngsters offered on Canter with description "does have pinfiring left fore". I also remember trainers describing 'preventitive' pinfiring, sometimes done with the idea of preventing future strains. I don't think its common nowdays, but still is done.

My mare had pinfiring (63 model TB) She had a front, lets see, might have been left, splint, and that was the leg pinfired. As mentioned, it was supposed to creat scar tissue and strengthen supportive tissues. Not deep, but superficial over the cannon bone. From what I understand.
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Inyureye · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:01 am Post subject:

I think this is still done on TB tracks, at least I have seen youngsters offered on Canter with description "does have pinfiring left fore". I also remember trainers describing 'preventitive' pinfiring, sometimes done with the idea of preventing future strains. I don't think its common nowdays, but still is done.

My mare had pinfiring (63 model TB) She had a front, lets see, might have been left, splint, and that was the leg pinfired. As mentioned, it was supposed to creat scar tissue and strengthen supportive tissues. Not deep, but superficial over the cannon bone. From what I understand.
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summerhorse · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:59 am Post subject:

Unfortunately this barbaric procedure (as well as blisters) are still used on the track despite studies which show not only no improvement in healing time over turnout alone but often an increase in healing time due to complications. Shocked

It leaves a row of white pinpoint scars in a grid pattern, size varies, can be smaller or cover the whole leg. I was shocked to see that Easy Goer had been pin fired, I had thought this had finally died back then but nope.
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surprisewind · Active Member Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 246

It's been fairly well proven that this procedure does not do anything beneficial. The idea was that the inflammation caused by the "firing" increased blood flow, thereby speeding the healing process blah blah blah. There were some other "reasons" for doing it... google it, you'll find a wealth of info out there in a more articulate fashion.
I will say, however, that it is still sometimes used to coerce a trainer/owner/whoever to give the horse lay-up time. Sometimes, if an injury is not VISIBLE to the naked eye, and soundness can be induced pharmeceutically, the horse is not given the rest it needs to heal. Thus further injury, etc. If you fire the horse - and I am not endorsing this, just regurgitating some info for you- there is a VISIBLE injury, and the horse will be put on lay-up until it heals.
A roundabout way of making someone do the right thing.... as always, $$$ is a terribly motivating factor...

Cary · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 142

Cary · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 142

summerhorse · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 8:40 am Post subject:

Try searching for "pin firing", helps cut out the junk. Here is one post from somewhere that tells it like it is: http://www.horse-sense.org/archives/20031028043247.phtml

There were other pages below that when I googled it.
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WithAnticipation · Weanling Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 8

Cigar, who in the mid-90's strung together 16 wins actually was pin fired in a rear leg. I was very surprised to hear this when I went to the Kentucky Horse Park. Apparently it was an injury that happened when he was a foal or a yearling, can't remember. They said he'd never make it to the track with it. Regardless I disagree with the whole pinfiring thing.

haleyg · Member Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 164 Location: alberta

As far as I know it is still done, but it accompanies a time off , and turn out period. I can only say what happens in our barn. I am not aware of the ins and outs of though, or what happens in other barns.My other half is the trainer. It really comes down to the owner of the horses call in regards to what happens to a horse, and treatments. You can just suggest , and have the vet suggest time off. Unfortuntely in racing in north america the major stakes and major money is still geared to 2 and three year old races. Thus the need to try to get the horses back to the races quickly. Unfortunately money talks to the people that want to make it. On a brighter note the four year old stakes are now becoming big and hopefully gain momentum. My retired race horse now riding horse has pin fire up both legs , and it doesn't seem to bother him , but he was and still being given time off to readjust from not racing. Another thing you may want to look into is if he or she was given hormones. Those can take up to a year to get out of the system. I would not just suggest a ultra sound, but also digital x-rays for a ex-race horse. They are very acurate. Not to sound anti-race horse rebilitation. I would take them all home if I could , but it is good to know what getting into. I have two ex-race horses for pleasure and wouldn't train them for the world. Good luck with your pre-purchase, and hopefully you have a lot of fun with your new horse.
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Hunterseat · Weanling Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Posts: 1

I have a former harness racer who won over $700K by the time he finally broke down at 12 years. He has so many pin fire marks on his rt front, my farrier couldn't believe it. Okay, I just pulled up a picture and I count 27 on the inside of the rt front and about 7 on the outside of the left front. There is more on the other side, plus a few on the back of each hock. His hoof is deformed now, maybe from circulation problems. My farrier said he's heard of their feet falling off, which sounds like where this boy was heading. He's been off the track for about a1 1/2 yrs and his ankle is SO much stronger than when I got him a year ago. It looks like it's gone down..it was enlarged but when xrayed didn't show any structural damage...calcification? I've been on him but will let him rest some more. Retirement's not in his vocabulary, he wants to be employed. He will be great to take easy strolls around the neighborhood. Of course he's an extreme case but I wanted to let you know about him. I got him knowing he needed a forever home and if I can't ride him ever, he's still my hero-horse. (He's 17.2hh) (USA)

Inyureye · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:49 am Post subject:

Wow, that's a big 'un, he sounds like a great guy. I wonder if the feet issue he's talking about is founder. Do you think his coffin bone is rotated? Poor old guy, but lucky he found you.
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summerhorse · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:42 am Post subject:

You can still see pin firing scars on stallion ads, Awesome Again is one off the top of my head but not the only one. Once it is healed it just leaves surface scars but DURING it just causes the horse so much more pain and risk of complications for something that does nothing anyway (but leave scars...)
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