Anyone had the same tendon injury experience?

[Overthemoon93]

Hi All,

I'm a little new to this so bare with me!

I own a beautiful 15 year old tb x coloured mare who is my complete world! I have owned her for 6 years now, she has had a great jumping career, produced a beautiful foal just before I brought her and I can honestly she is a dream do just about anything with.

However she has been diagnosed with a strain to her deep flexor tendon just behind the pastern about 4 weeks ago, I have had her nerve blocked, ultra sounded, x-rays you name it! The vet has advice lots of rest and patience. She has been on very strict box rest for 2 months now and I am due to take her back to be re-scanned at the end on this month.

I am just looking for others out there who have suffered the same fate as me on this one and the outcome? have horses ever come right from this type of injury? should i be staying optimistic? does anyone know the recovery chances?

Many thanks, hopefully someone can show me a light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[Izzwizz]

My mare had a tear to her DDFT within her hoof 4yrs ago, she came sound from it although it was a bad tear and the prognosis was poor. It was found by MRI scan as she had been on/off lame and it was hard to find. She was referred to Horsepital and the problem was found there, she had the top Vet treating her and we followed his advice to the letter. She had her navicular bursa medicated as it was inflamed too. Strict box rest followed then lots of hand walking, then it was ridden work whilst confined to her stable, it was Winter and the fields were muddy, it would have undone all the healing that had taken place.

She is still sound now though I dont ride her in the school anymore neither do I jump her. The tear was bad so we dont tempt fate and she is 18yrs old so owes me nothing. I owe her lots as she has taught me a lot over the last 8yrs.

Good luck with your horse and all I would say is do lots of research yourself and follow the Vets advice.

 

[d_morrow]

My mare has damaged her sdft, but I would say that the following advice holds true: lots of rest , combined with controlled exercise (as determined by your vet) and lots and lots of patience. Good luck!

 

[Hoof_Prints]

yes ! my mare tore her ddft behind the pastern at the 'distal-medial margin' which the vet told me was an unusual place. We opted for surgery to shave down the fibres, but as the scar tissue was so bad, the vet couldn't reach the tendon sheath and nothing could be done it was looking very bad.

She was put on 7 weeks box rest with 5 minutes walking a day in hand, plus raised bar shoes. That didn't really work out because the stabling sent her crazy and 9 times out of 10 she galloped off on the solid icy ground bucking
So in the end we decided to ignore the vet and put her out! she went loopy for half and hour but then settled.

We were told she'd never jump again and only be used for light work, but a year on she does 6 hour hacks with lots of galloping and jumping, competed at 3ft jumping and went XC for 2 hours ! she has never had a set back since and really does a lot of work.

Before...

After !

I kept her on MSM supplements for a while but she is just on grass and nothing else now, there are lots of horror stories and vets are all doom and gloom at tendon injuries ! but I decided to just carry on in full work and if her tendon went again, i'd have her PTS. 3 years on and she's never been better.