Q: What are These Spots on My Horse's Legs?

Posted by Laura Thompson Sep 14, 2009

A Suite101 reader asks:

"Hi Laura. I just purchased a Thoroughbred as a jumper prospect and I've noticed he has these dotted lines up and down his front legs. They don't hurt him but I don't think he was born with them. Do you know what they could be?"

Without a picture I can only offer conjecture, but I'm guessing the dots you are seeing are the result of a procedure called pin firing. It has been used on race horses for decades but is now considered mostly obsolete because better techniques have been devised.

Pin firing is a therapeutic treatment used to help horses recover more quickly (and more thoroughly) from certain leg injuries, such as bowed tendons. It involves sticking red-hot metal pins into the horse's tissues, which causes cauterization of the area. It is usually done under mild sedation and is considered safe by the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners).

Although the pin firing itself should not cause you to worry with regard to your new horse, I'm surprised his medical history was not divulged prior to purchase. If he has suffered an injury in the past that required pin firing, you should have been made aware of it.

My advice is to ask a veterinarian to confirm the pin firing history when he next comes to your barn for injections or other treatments. I would also contact the previous owner to request a detailed medical history and to learn the circumstances surrounding his prior injury.

Good luck!

Got a question? If you have a horse question you'd like Laura Thompson to answer, e-mail her at horses@suite101.com and she'll answer in an upcoming blog post.