Birker2020
Well-Known Member
Sorry for long post, didn't want to leave anything out. So to cut a very long story short my horse was injured at retirement livery on his 5th day there (no blame whatsoever attributed to them, lady was brilliant with him). He's been barefoot since 23rd November, as the plan was to send him to retirement in the Spring. So around Feb time he was gradually getting a bit footy, glided through the grass effortlessly and sound and deliberately picked out softer surfaces himself when brought in but on concrete slow and a little ouchy at times. Anyway not footy enough to be a worry, just what you'd expect from a newly barefoot horse.
So at retirement when visiting he was found by us on 3 legs, obvious to me he'd blown his tendon. That was 13th April. He was assessed immediately by the vet, and I started icing, cold tubbing, bandaging. He went on Doxycycline antibiotics in case of overreach which we felt he'd done in mud to cause tendon injury. Vet mentioned pain in toes on pincer test due to very slight hoof wall separation, also thrush. Scanned 4 days later and has what the vet described as significant damage to sdft and ddft. Career ending for a ridden horse but retirement wise no reason why he couldn't continue to be retired back at the retirement place after a period of rehab, he had seen horses like this successfully retired before. No way was it necessary for pts as he said the improvement in his tendon in terms of swelling, heat and his walking four days after injury was incredible and most horses would just be turned away at this point by a lot of owners anyway. At this time he was on 4 bute a day - 2 morning and 2 evening. Vet did not attribute bute to the improvement, said what he was on was minimal for horse his size.
So declared fit to travel and so went home onto box rest where I could do his rehab more easily. I'm not working the moment so I can tend to him easily and we agreed (me and vet) that I'd rehab for 6 weeks minimum. So I proceeded to ice, bandage, hose etc, twice daily. Treated thrush aggressively, the dry condition of box rest and topical applications cleared it up beautifully. Reduced to 2 bute daily. Around 26th April after vets visit when I queried toe pointing at rest the vet felt it was due possibly due to very slight hoof wall separation which he'd found before, gave course of antibiotics again. Said the tendon was doing very well. Said he has thin toe, felt it was because he scrapes foot on concrete so when tied up outside stable he's stood on rubber mat to prevent him pawing on concrete. Agreed he could start going out sedated in 12m x 6m paddock. I put him in a tiny paddock approx 12m x 6m for 3 hrs.
Following day sedated he went out overnight, with the same sized pen in a different part of the paddock. The paddock was old grass, tall not short grass previously grazed by another horse (see images) so thought to be safe.
On the morning of the 4th day after being out overnight (4th May,) he was very footy next morning. Vet came out immediately as I was querying laminitis. Said no significant pulses, no leg swelling, no heat in feet, no weight shifting from limb to limb, the only symptom was rocking back on all four after standing still for length of time and asked to move forward and pointing and resting toe and gingerly putting back on floor. The shifting weight backwards may not have been a laminitis symptom (he has multiple issues) and we felt he may be getting a little seized up from box rest in the day. Thrush had completely gone.
As a precaution he's got a deep bed, hay soaked, EMS diet with sugar, starch cut out.
So we agreed to continue box rest with the addition of ten mins ultrasound daily which I've being doing for the past 10 days. Bute was two a day, 1 morning, one evening. So the foot pointing stopped.
Last night I reduced to 1/2 twice a day. Lari weighs in at 660kg. This morning I got him out, walked him in hand as the vet suggested I do (twice round yard) , tied him up and he's started toe pointing again. Only a couple of times but it's back again.
Everyone says seeing him walk, his stance, etc they don't think he has laminitis. He is walking very well on 2 bute a day but this is the 2nd time I've reduced down to one and toe pointing has started again. Not convinced its laminitis, I think he's sore on his toe. Vet said horses can get adhesions whilst tendon settling down and it can be that that is making him ouchy - the ultrasound therapy will hopefully reduce adhesion formation to a minimum.
Due to touch base with the vet on the 14th to book a day when he will come after Lari has been out at grass for one hour, he will then test insulin levels by taking a sample of blood. If he is EMS (which I doubt) then he will be pts either that week or we will give him a few weeks out at grass as testing for EMS and raised blood sugar would suggest it is laminitis and he will be more prone to get it again. We could xray feet but trying to keep costs down.
So after all that long history what do you think? Hoof wall separation or laminitis?
Anything else you can suggest?
Tendon is barely warm now, loads of definition, very pleased with it. Day 2 of bandages off during day. Photo of it now.
So at retirement when visiting he was found by us on 3 legs, obvious to me he'd blown his tendon. That was 13th April. He was assessed immediately by the vet, and I started icing, cold tubbing, bandaging. He went on Doxycycline antibiotics in case of overreach which we felt he'd done in mud to cause tendon injury. Vet mentioned pain in toes on pincer test due to very slight hoof wall separation, also thrush. Scanned 4 days later and has what the vet described as significant damage to sdft and ddft. Career ending for a ridden horse but retirement wise no reason why he couldn't continue to be retired back at the retirement place after a period of rehab, he had seen horses like this successfully retired before. No way was it necessary for pts as he said the improvement in his tendon in terms of swelling, heat and his walking four days after injury was incredible and most horses would just be turned away at this point by a lot of owners anyway. At this time he was on 4 bute a day - 2 morning and 2 evening. Vet did not attribute bute to the improvement, said what he was on was minimal for horse his size.
So declared fit to travel and so went home onto box rest where I could do his rehab more easily. I'm not working the moment so I can tend to him easily and we agreed (me and vet) that I'd rehab for 6 weeks minimum. So I proceeded to ice, bandage, hose etc, twice daily. Treated thrush aggressively, the dry condition of box rest and topical applications cleared it up beautifully. Reduced to 2 bute daily. Around 26th April after vets visit when I queried toe pointing at rest the vet felt it was due possibly due to very slight hoof wall separation which he'd found before, gave course of antibiotics again. Said the tendon was doing very well. Said he has thin toe, felt it was because he scrapes foot on concrete so when tied up outside stable he's stood on rubber mat to prevent him pawing on concrete. Agreed he could start going out sedated in 12m x 6m paddock. I put him in a tiny paddock approx 12m x 6m for 3 hrs.
Following day sedated he went out overnight, with the same sized pen in a different part of the paddock. The paddock was old grass, tall not short grass previously grazed by another horse (see images) so thought to be safe.
On the morning of the 4th day after being out overnight (4th May,) he was very footy next morning. Vet came out immediately as I was querying laminitis. Said no significant pulses, no leg swelling, no heat in feet, no weight shifting from limb to limb, the only symptom was rocking back on all four after standing still for length of time and asked to move forward and pointing and resting toe and gingerly putting back on floor. The shifting weight backwards may not have been a laminitis symptom (he has multiple issues) and we felt he may be getting a little seized up from box rest in the day. Thrush had completely gone.
As a precaution he's got a deep bed, hay soaked, EMS diet with sugar, starch cut out.
So we agreed to continue box rest with the addition of ten mins ultrasound daily which I've being doing for the past 10 days. Bute was two a day, 1 morning, one evening. So the foot pointing stopped.
Last night I reduced to 1/2 twice a day. Lari weighs in at 660kg. This morning I got him out, walked him in hand as the vet suggested I do (twice round yard) , tied him up and he's started toe pointing again. Only a couple of times but it's back again.
Everyone says seeing him walk, his stance, etc they don't think he has laminitis. He is walking very well on 2 bute a day but this is the 2nd time I've reduced down to one and toe pointing has started again. Not convinced its laminitis, I think he's sore on his toe. Vet said horses can get adhesions whilst tendon settling down and it can be that that is making him ouchy - the ultrasound therapy will hopefully reduce adhesion formation to a minimum.
Due to touch base with the vet on the 14th to book a day when he will come after Lari has been out at grass for one hour, he will then test insulin levels by taking a sample of blood. If he is EMS (which I doubt) then he will be pts either that week or we will give him a few weeks out at grass as testing for EMS and raised blood sugar would suggest it is laminitis and he will be more prone to get it again. We could xray feet but trying to keep costs down.
So after all that long history what do you think? Hoof wall separation or laminitis?
Anything else you can suggest?
Tendon is barely warm now, loads of definition, very pleased with it. Day 2 of bandages off during day. Photo of it now.
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and it shows in the love you give Lari. I would say last chance asking the vet realistically what you and Lari can expect from further tests. I know you wont want him hobbling about the paddock, Two bute a day will equate to about £120-£150 a month roughly. Will it be enough to keep him sound? Can you afford to keep him at retirement, on bute and have another horse too? 
