Anything else I can do

ILuvCowparsely

ILuvCowparsely

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Horse went lame 1 1/2 years ago after a sponsored ride.


vet called Feb 2013

scanned showed damage to the tendon at the back of fetlock in off hind. (not ddft)

rested a while brought back into walk work from 10 mins - 1 hr over time

Then 1 minute - 2 x 1 min - 3 x 1 min trots gradually introduced

mad time in field caused horse to be lame again so rested again but injury not as bad as first time. Steroid done Aug 2013


5 months past same thing another steroid Nov 2014


Then again horse 1 /1o lame heat in tendon - scan done- shows dark area in DDFT. I am to rest a month then put on low bute and start riding again.

Now we had new livery horses arrive recently so a lot of charging around so I am delaying the riding as still heat in tendon.

Horse is happy and charges around sometimes.


No knuckling over recently which was the main factor before.

Missing riding so much and have not cantered (any) horse for 1 1/2 years which is hard when I am used to sponsored rides and hacking.

Anyone else who has dealt with similar got any tips???
 
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Ice and other cold therapy is always beneficial in the early stages of a tendon injury. I would consult the vet and ask their opinion. If the horse is on bute then any heat in the tendon or any swelling may not be so obvious.

I'm currently bringing my horse back from a very slight strain of his suspensory branch and am three weeks into treatment of icing/bandaging/hacking short distances and walking straight lines in the school. His injury occurred (we think) four weeks ago. I've delayed him going back for another follow up appointment and given him a few extra weeks. Fortunately this is a relatively straight forward type of injury and has a good prognosis according to the vet who says that three months off jumping is a likely outcome but we will see- there is no rush. But I am still icing and bandaging and will do so until he goes back at the end of the month and he is turned out for two hours a day in a 'sandpit' so he can have a roll and a walk around but can't really charge about much - my vet wanted him out so he can keep as mobile as possible as he has arthritis which has been treated.

Is there anywhere where you can keep your horse so he can be with another quiet horse instead of charging around with the new ones? Do you have a small paddock you can put him in or can you buy some electric fencing and fence off a small area so he is unable to run around much?

There are various arguments about the merits of bandaging/booting horses and about five years ago I bought the premier equine air flow boots because my physio friend told me about tendons overheating. These would maybe give your horse some support when he is ridden again - I prefer bandaging myself - however I've never bandaged my horses back legs in the 11 years I've owned him and then on the day I did he went lame with the branch injury! Does make me wonder. Vet said this wasn't linked.

Did your vet suggest you stable bandage your horse overnight? This is what my vet has suggested and what I am doing as it gives the necessary support, especially to the opposite leg which will be taking more weight.

When you say there is no knuckling over did you mean that the fetlocks were sinking? As in PSD - image on this link http://www.horseshoes.com/anatomy/esad/articles/tendoninjuries3/tendoninjuries3.htm
 
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attachment.php


These are the boots I was telling you about. They have small air flows in them and are brilliant for XC and fun rides. Intend to start using them again for jumping when my horse is back up and running again.
 
I tried for over two years to get my mare sound with a ddft injury hers was near side front in the pastern area just above the hoof, she would be fine for months then suddenly look lame and each time the lameness was worse, so I pulled her shoes off and turned her out in November and I was just going to leave her out for at least a year and see what happens, the last scan was worse than the one before and she now has quite a bit of scar tissue in that area so most of the treatments are not suitable, she cant have steriod as she has cushings and tested positive for ems, so I dont think she will ever be ridden again, my vet told me that unfortunately injury in the ddft area have a tendancy to repair then go again which is what happend to my horse.

One thing I will say I was under a different vet when this all started and my current vet said if other more up to date treatments had been carried out in the start the injury may have had a better chance, but I was only offered bute and rest the same as you so it may be worth getting a referal to one of the big equine hospitals where your horse will be seen with a more specialised vet, I wish I had done this at the start of all the lameness it may have been a different story as she was only 13 when it happend.
 
^^ this above is what I mean by knuckling over

He is not insured

Unfortunately he will not stay out of the group, he is the leader and paces up and down till he goes in with them, he did this while we did a split introduction with the new horses
 
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Have you discussed shoeing/trimming options with your farrier? Am just wondering if there is anything that can be done to the hoof balance to better support that tendon and ease some strain. Bit left field, but thought it worth a mention.
 
Just watched the video. Would one of those pastern ring things help with the knuckling over? When my friends horse severed a tendon in its hind leg I did some research and remember seeing them used to help prevent knuckling over as the rubber ring hits the ground earlier so that the "knuckle over" isnt so big if you see what I mean.
 
Wow so many ideas


firstly yes the farrier and vet have chatted and, as I asked about raised heels and they thought the idea would make him more prone to knuckling over so that idea scrapped.


His back feet tend to grow more on the inside so he walks like a cowboy if he is barefoot so we shod him. This was down to a bad farrier who damage his feet in the past. I did ask about natural balance and this still may be a possibility.........

Never thought about the ring I think I have one somewhere definitely worth a try ty for that idea.

Applecart no he is not and has not been on bute for quite a few months.
 
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No they have not mentioned bandaging at night might be worth doing so

these were the first boots I brought http://www.premierequine.co.uk/PBSCCatalog.asp?CatID=2015797

were fine at the beginning but then stretched to big so sold them.

these were the second pair which I still have but velcro not so sticky

but good http://www.equilibriumproducts.com/leg_protection/stretch_amp_flexreg_training_wraps/

now we have these

http://www.equilibriumproducts.com/leg_protection/equi_chapsreg_hardy_chaps/


but these below for hacking

http://www.premierequine.co.uk/PBSCCatalog.asp?CatID=2015804

This is where the problem is I just took these photos in his dark stable but I think they are ok
IMG_0132%20-%20Copy_zpsfuoyyy3a.jpg

IMG_0130%20-%20Copy_zpsfn4iflwt.jpg
 
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Have you looked into those icevibe boots or similar to help reduce heat and inflammation? Not something I have ever researched but may be beneficial. The other thing is the arc equine unit but I know even less about them. I know they are stupidly expensive but think you can hire them nowadays.

Finally (phew) I have heard mention of treatments like PRP and ARAP, albeit in the context of suspensory injury rather than tendons. Possibly not viable if not insured but worth discussing with the vet if you haven't already perhaps.
 
Fun Times said:
Oh perfect, they look good. Hope you manage to get him comfortable and back in work, I know how heart breaking and frustrating it is when they are "up and down".
Click to expand...

Thank You FT yes it is, had such a bad run over the last 2 years and for this to happen only 4 months after loosing his mum to lami was gut wrenching - now 1 /12 years later it still not right.

I see all my liveries hacking out through the weeks and I am stuck on the ground - When a livery could not ride I offered my boy but that has not been reciprocated in my case.

I have though been offered a ride on horse but it is a grey and it is still hard to think I will be looking down at a grey neck and it is not my beloved girly. So I am trying to work up the strength to ride another grey.

In the meantime I need to get my mare's son well but things keep going sour, just when we think we get him onto two 1 minutes trots he goes and does the tendon again.
 
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HGA-12 said:
^^ this above is what I mean by knuckling over

He is not insured

Unfortunately he will not stay out of the group, he is the leader and paces up and down till he goes in with them, he did this while we did a split introduction with the new horses
Click to expand...

Never seen that before on my horse, thank goodness. How awful.
 
Fun Times said:
Have you looked into those icevibe boots or similar to help reduce heat and inflammation? Not something I have ever researched but may be beneficial. The other thing is the arc equine unit but I know even less about them. I know they are stupidly expensive but think you can hire them nowadays.

Finally (phew) I have heard mention of treatments like PRP and ARAP, albeit in the context of suspensory injury rather than tendons. Possibly not viable if not insured but worth discussing with the vet if you haven't already perhaps.
Click to expand...

My horse had to have PRP in his near fore suspensory branch as he aggravated it a year or so after his initial injury and undid all the hard work - he got caught up with the leg in a wheelbarrow whilst I was at work, it was horrendous accident and he was incredibly lucky not to break his leg. The PRP was about £700 as was done through my insurance. It was really useful and the horse came back into full work again. As all horses do he was overcompensating on that leg as he had arthritis in his hock on the opposite diagonal leg and he had fusion with ethanol which was a quick and painless twenty minute procedure to assist in the fusion of the hock joint. That way taking the weight of the injured near fore leg. It a very useful thing to do, and you might find that will be useful if your horse has spavin and is overcompensating by putting weight on the injured hind leg.

As for PRP it depends on how willing your vet is to do it. My vet has been treating my boy on and off for eleven years, and he is very up on rehabbing horses where possible and is very open minded. He goes all out to get your horse back into full work again if its possible and obviously if its in the best interests of the horse. I would discuss with your vet for sure.

Hope you get it sorted. Shame that you have nothing to ride, I've been in that situation many, many times yet have always offered my horse to people that haven't been able to ride - I'm not precious about my boy as long as I know he will be treated well if they do ride (and only in my presence and not on the roads) x
 
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