Annular Ligament Syndrome

[HanoverianHorses]

Has anyone had any experience of annular ligament syndrome? Horse is under veterinary treatment but would like others experiences good or bad.

Trying to attach photos but apparently too large... any ideas welcome 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

[Ladythewelshy1995]

Hi Darbs, and anybody who might be frantically searching the internet for information on this injury at the moment. I wanted to put my story somewhere, because I thought that if it helps one person then it can only be a good thing, having spent the first few weeks after our diagnosis frantically researching, reading stories on the internet and generally scaring myself silly.

My 24 (almost 25) welsh D mare went lame just before Christmas, as many did with the bogging wet ground. We didn’t think too much of it, thought she might have tweaked something a bit out in the field (was barely noticeable) and continued as we were really, she’s retired, so we just kept her steady with less turn out, kept an eye on it etc. She came sound, only to do it again in January. This time, she was in more pain so we gave her some danelon, she came sound again and we eased her off of it, with no problems. Then came late January, she did it again. This time, vet was called and a work up was done. Within 10 minutes we had a suspected diagnoses. The vet came back two days later to scan, and confirmed that there was a partial tear in her near side annular ligament. My heart felt like it had fallen straight out of my body, we were beyond gutted. Options given by the vet were operate, or inject. Straight away, I was on the internet, googling and searching, finding lots of unfinished stories about the injury where people have put questions up and never said an outcome and becoming more and more upset and worried.

So, I have decided to put this up in order to show people that it isn’t always bad, and to get off of google and look at what is in front of you! If I hadn’t taken a step back from the situation I know it would have sent me stir crazy. Lady was sound, although on Danelon (1 Sachet morning, 1/2 at night). She was totally normal and to someone who didn’t know her you would never know the issue was there.

After the initial diagnoses on 6th Feb, we were told to continue with short periods of turn out in a small paddock (size of two 12x12 stables) for an hour or so, it’s been tricky as we have very little grass and she gets bored very easily!! Plus a 5 minute walk in the evening before bed. After 4 weeks, she went down to 1/2 sachet morning, half in evening. We iced her leg twice a day with some frozen peas (lol) and the hose. We saw the swelling very slowly come down, less heat, and gradual improvements each day. We did have two occasions where she managed to get her heals up in the air in her paddock!! Extra icing and danelon those nights. We confined with her normal diet which is thunderbrooks chaff, thunderbrooks daily essentials and micronise linseed. She also has a pinch of black salt in morn!!

We’ve been 3 days off the danelon now, (since Saturday 14th) and she’s doing great.

Well, vet came out yesterday (16th) our hearts have been in our mouths for 6 weeks just hoping we are going in the right direction with it. So pleased to say that she trotted up sound, even after the flexion! So sound that the vet didn’t feel the need to scan. So now we are up to 1 hour turn out in morning, 1 in evening at 20 mins walking in hand split morning and night. We are over the moon that we are moving on the right direction. For us, the operation is a no go. Not at 24, the injection seems to come with risks and she’s an EMS candidate, sweet itch, allergic to her own sweat type pony so we will continue as we are. It’s going to be a very long road to recovery and we have to accept that she might never be 100% again but she’s still here and happy!

Our little Lady is our world, she’s been a mother daughter share for almost 15 years (bar a few years where she was sold and subsequently came back to us!!!)

I hope that this gives some hope to maybe even just one person who’s going through what we are and have been. It is a long old road and I’m sure we will have set backs, we are certainly not out of the woods yet, but for now we are progressing well and she is looking brilliant for coming out of winter.

I hope this gives someone a little bit of light in a dark time.