22 year old horse check/suspension hind leg injury

Flyingsolo

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My 22 year old ex riding school horse (so done quite a few miles in life) is 5 weeks in on a right hind leg check and suspensory ligament injury sadly.

Initial symptoms were localised swelling around his fetlock, back of canon area and down through the pastern. I kept him in as soon as I noticed the swelling and can likely pinpoint when he did the damage. I cold hosed and rested for 2 weeks and then got the leg scanned and X-rays which confirmed the check and suspensory damage. Check ligament shows damage part way down so not a branch injury(?)

When the vet scanned, I’d been cold hosing and buting for the full 2-2.5 weeks and swelling seemed to have gone down. I was advised to do controlled walking exercise 20-30 mins a few times per week. Over the last couple of weeks I have slowly built up to 20 ish minutes and all has been well. However, a few days ago, after a 20-30 minute very slow controlled in hand walk, he looked sore and by the next morning his leg had swelled again.

He has been rested again with no hand walking. I’m so disappointed. I’ve liased with vet and I now have to put him back to no exercise whatsoever for the next month 🙁

Can I hear experiences, good and bad just so I can get a good idea of perhaps what future I am looking at with an older horse. I love him dearly and he is my only riding horse so I’m feeling pretty down about things 😞

Thanks for your help
 
Has he been tested for Cushing’s? Recurring soft tissue injuries seem to be more common in untreated/uncontrolled PPID.

I retired mine at 21 due to check and sdft damage. Redid the check - twice - but was happy in retirement and died at 32 of unrelated issues.
 
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