Annular ligament surgery turnout?

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KINDMARE

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One of our full liveries' horses is due to go in for annular ligament surgery to both hinds. She has been told 2 weeks box rest then in hand walking with turnout in a pen. We will be supplying a pen with plenty of grass for the 4 weeks. But i wondered what happens after that?? Full size pen turn out? 23/7 turn out? - how many weeks of in hand walking? Can anyone with re hab experience with this please advise so i can plan ahead. obviously when the vet comes out for check up they will advise but i like to plan ahead slightly. i realise it all depends on different factors but what are your experiences please?
 
From my vet discharge report:
Box rest for two weeks with the sterile surgical dressing changed twice weekly or as necessary for the first two weeks. The stitches should be removed 10-14 days after surgery.
Two weeks after surgery the horse can have in hand walking exercise and in a further two weeks can be turned into a restricted area such as a barn or ménage. Six weeks after surgery, reassessed with a view to commencing walking under rider exercise. If there is significant swelling of the tendon sheath at this stage, it should be medicated with cortisone such as 5mg triamcinolone.
Three months after surgery the horse can be turned into a full sized paddock, and the plane of ridden exercise can be increased.

I was allowed to hand graze in the first 2 weeks as he only had to walk 25m to get to grass.
He was actually turned out in the restricted area at 3.5wks cause he broke my ribs hand walking and then I couldn't ride until 11 weeks post surgery.
He also went in proper turnout at 8 weeks as he had completely lost the plot by then in the stable and restricted turnout despite giving him danillon (with vets approval as the lseer of 2 evils).
 
My late gelding had the op on one hind in 2018. He had 2 weeks box rest until stiches were out. Then he went into a pen and was allowed to start hand walking, 5 mins a day building up to 30mins by week 6. He also had a sesamoidian ligament injury (had PRP at the time of the op) so he then went out in the field for 2 months rest. Vet said if it was just the annular, then we would have continued to build up the work over several months.
 
KINDMARE said:
One of our full liveries' horses is due to go in for annular ligament surgery to both hinds. She has been told 2 weeks box rest then in hand walking with turnout in a pen. We will be supplying a pen with plenty of grass for the 4 weeks. But i wondered what happens after that?? Full size pen turn out? 23/7 turn out? - how many weeks of in hand walking? Can anyone with re hab experience with this please advise so i can plan ahead. obviously when the vet comes out for check up they will advise but i like to plan ahead slightly. i realise it all depends on different factors but what are your experiences please?
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My first mare did her annular ligament in the 80's, no surgery but I retired her more or less after, slow turnout and support boots.
 
Surprised some allowed arena sized turn out. One I was helping with last year was box rest for eight weeks with one in hand walk a day. Should have been two ideally. He is difficult to handle so walked him ridden from about week five.
 
Mine hasn't had surgery so a bit different but has had 6 weeks of yard rest (medium arena size) and today has started 2 weeks of walking work for up to 30 mins with the hope that turnout in the field, under sedation might be possible in 3-4 weeks. It's early days of course...
 
Mine was some years ago, but I don't have good memories. Mine was a saint to box rest, but the in hand walking, which is essential, was the killer. Mine just lost his mind, whereas he was fine on pure box rest. He needed sedation every day just to keep us both safe. I think I turned him out in a small pen earlier than was recommended and then he just went back to normal turnout after that.
 
AandK said:
My late gelding had the op on one hind in 2018. He had 2 weeks box rest until stiches were out. Then he went into a pen and was allowed to start hand walking, 5 mins a day building up to 30mins by week 6. He also had a sesamoidian ligament injury (had PRP at the time of the op) so he then went out in the field for 2 months rest. Vet said if it was just the annular, then we would have continued to build up the work over several months.
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Mine had the same pair of injuries and treatment on one leg but was operated on both hinds for AL at age 19. Mine had two weeks box rest with hand-grazing only then 4 weeks box rest with hand-walking increasing by 5 minutes a week. Then he was turned out in his normal individual paddock. I started riding again 3 months after surgery. He stayed sound enough to hack and don occasional veteran showing until pts from a fractured pastern at age 27.
 
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