Annular ligament - surgery/rest?

Nichola_BEquestrian

Nichola_BEquestrian

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My boy has been diagnosed with some inflammation (sdft), vet noted as annular ligament swelling. No tears, just inflammation.

I’m currently in to week 3 of box rest and bandaging. He’s coping surprisingly well! As he has buddies in the barn with him so is happy eating and avoiding the bad weather!

He’s on complete box rest with the plan to start walking him in hand for 10 mins on week 5 (that may be fun…..🤦🏻‍♀️) and build up from there.

My vet is pushing for annular ligament surgery to relieve the pressure/swelling but this is quite expensive (quoted 2-3k) as he’s no longer insured for it.

He’s 16 (16.3hh WB) and was a show jumper most of his life. Now he’s a dressage horse with me (lower level). He does have other niggles going on that we manage with remedial shoeing (slight navicular changes). But was sound until this happened. Vet thinks he’s over extended his fetlock down a hole in a rutted field (I kept asking and asking for the field to be rolled) earlier in the year.

I’m trying to avoid surgery if I can ( not for the cost, I’ll pay for it if need be), as I feel it’s a lot to put him through.

Has anyone had any success with rest and then ultimately small paddock turnout?

Weighing up all options as surgery would involve more box rest, and no guarantee. He’s 16 and not the easiest horse to manage so I really have to think about how music I want to put him through.

It would be lovely for us to return to our lower level competing, but I mostly want him to be happy. He does enjoy having a job.

Any advice is much appreciated!
 
Me.

The vet also pushed for surgery but she has wonky bones in her feet so I felt the annular ligament issues were secondary to stuff elsewhere in her body and I wasn't convinced the surgery would help - or indeed make her worse if the ligaments were thickening due to needed compensation.

I was planning small paddock turnout but it was Feb 22 and we had storms so she did box rest for a few weeks but I walked her out every day. Once it dried up she went into a pen for a few weeks. We had a very hot, dry summer that year so once she was back under saddle we did increasing mileage hacking but just at walk and I think that helped. It was September before she did anything faster under saddle.

The pony has some breathing issues as well so happy hacking is her life, but she can now do 9 miles at all paces but if the ground is slippery she does back off and ask to walk. She'll pop the odd log but I don't ask for anything more because I want to keep her ticking along happily for as long as possible. If she does over exert herself then she gets a shot of devil's claw just to bring down any inflammation.

The vets told me she would be unrideable without surgery so I was prepared for that - but so long as she's worked within her physical limits she does just fine
 
Age 24 iirc, chronic thickening - worse side the opposite to spavin.
Injected with steroid, did improve on 2nd scan no real box rest, moved somewhere flat (was previously in the rolling hills of wilts) and hacked for the next 2 years. Then retired for being NQR/happy off bute.
 
I have one...
Came in with big leg (?Fireworks) mid Oct 23. Scanned, annular ligament. injected and box rest, then small paddock turnout. Walking early new year.
Sound, hacking properly mid April 24, Mid May went crackers at seeing a sj fence, leaped about, undid everything.
Shoes off, out in field.
Early Oct 24 was dragged in properly, trotted up and vet said to start walking on 1 x danilon a day. we are now trotting, leg is still down and pony enjoying life hacking.
She came off the Danilon end Nov and vet came 5 days later & said he was impressed about how leg was and 10/10 sound in walk & trot in straight lines

Vet 1 did suggest surgery (like you, £2,700) but would need to add on after care as dressing changes at least 4 times in next 10 days at home. then box rest for 6 weeks, then pen to follow for another 4 weeks with in hand walking. So, costs i projected were going to top another 1k for additional vet visits/bedding/hay etc.
I decided it wasn't fair to B to put her through the op as she was 14, owed me nothing and was 10/10 sound in walk out in field.

If she can stay hacking then fine, lovely. if not, then she isn't going to be a field ornament for the rest of her life as she needs a bit of mental occupation....
 
Thank you all. Yes, vet has mentioned additional costs with the aftercare and meds.

I didn’t know whether it was worth travelling him to get a second opinion. Or to continue with rest and hope for the best
Such a difficult time
 
A friend of mine had her 18yr old cob operated on and he never came sound and was pts after about 6 months of box rest post surgery.
She said afterwards she wishes she just turned him out for 6-12 months first. He was fairly arthritic aswell so that could have been a big factor in the recovery.
 
I had great success with using a Bonner Bandage, which is an ice bandage. It made a big difference to the swelling around the Annular Ligament, and the healing. The vet was very impressed when she came back to rescan.

ETA. Another horse, we took him up to Rossdales in Newmarket for the A/L surgery, but they didn't feel it was necessary, he was retired at that point anyway so difficult to know if he's have stood up to being brought back into work.
 
Northern Hare said:
I had great success with using a Bonner Bandage, which is an ice bandage. It made a big difference to the swelling around the Annular Ligament, and the healing. The vet was very impressed when she came back to rescan.

ETA. Another horse, we took him up to Rossdales in Newmarket for the A/L surgery, but they didn't feel it was necessary, he was retired at that point anyway so difficult to know if he's have stood up to being brought back into work.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I’ll have a look at these now
 
My coblet was operated on in May bilaterally on both hinds. Despite the prescribed box test and following his 6 month rehab to the letter he hasn’t come sound enough even to hack at walk and trot a few times a week. We could keep him on bute for this purpose but I’m not prepared to and we’re retiring him to a companion home. Sorry it’s not more positive but he is 17 and also arthritic so I think that hasn’t helped either.
 
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