Check ligament injury. Stories, treatment etc please

charlie76

charlie76

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My dressage horse was diagnosed with a check ligament injury four weeks ago when I found a swelling on leg. He has never been lame on it and is not lame now. Vet scanned it four weeks ago and advised two months with no turn out.
First two weeks in completely
Then start walking him out either in hand or under saddle starting at ten minutes a day building up each week until we are road walking for an hour and a half. He said it will be about Christmas before we look at trotting.
He was doing well and it had gone down a lot, then yesterday morning when I took off the bandage it was swollen again. He still isn't lame however.
I've decided to get the vet back tomorrow and not walk him over the weekend.

I've had so many different treatments suggested, some say total box rest for six weeks ,some say turn away.
Just wondered if anyone had any experience.
 
Yes, mine has done both front legs :( currently resting the latest one.

She did the first one on the gallops last February (2014), put her foot down a hole and the adrenalin took her up to the top so I had no idea that she'd injured herself until a lot of damage was done :( :( :(
That leg was a real mess on the scan, she was immediately very lame but quickly returned to soundness over the space of about 2 days.
Because she was insured I had PRP so 6 weeks box rest in total, then began in hand walking and then started turnout in a small pen. By August I was allowed to start ridden walk exercise building to 30mins in walk quite quickly and I was back in the school by Christmas.

It took ages because it really was a traumatic injury and the fibres looked so messy for such a long time. The leg went up and down several times and I was advised just to back off a bit with the walking if that happened.

She returned to full work and was going better than ever (qualified for summer regionals at Medium in one outing) and was ready to go AM

then came in from the field with a big leg on the other foreleg. The scan on this one is much more organised, a small 6mm tear on the outer edge of the CL so vets are optimistic. I've done no box rest as we both went crazy with it, so she's been in a pen in the field since it happened. She is 18 this year so we are all expecting it to take a while for the scans to be good enough to start ridden work, but it's going the right way and she has been sound throughout. I'm confident that with time, she will come back 100%

My physio friend has supported the no box rest approach, she told me about some research that suggested keeping it moving gently helped to get the fibres to align properly, though it will probably take longer to fill in.

I have taken her shoes off this time and will keep her barefoot from now on. I am hoping she will be able to feel what she's doing in the field a bit more etc and hopefully avoid reoccurrance. As both were obviously injuries I don't think it's specifically an ageing degenerative thing, though clearly as she's older the structures are weaker.

I think you're probably doing the right thing with the recent swelling - maybe just a little potter out and a cold hose would help.
 
Oh,and re different treatments being suggested, I don't think there is definitively a *right* way, and all the vets at my practice have their own take on it. I couldn't tell you whether the PRP was worth it or not, but it was a case of having the insurance available, so we threw everything at it. This time there's no money so I'm just going with time and patience, and then a long, slow rehab. And I told the vets on day 1 that I wasn't going to put her in the box, so they agreed as I could manage her outdoors.

ETA forgot to mention. I found ice vibe boots very effective at taking swelling down in the initial phase, might be worth a look.
 
Thanks so much! He is insured so I think I will throw the kitchen sink at it. Will look at the ice vibe boots too. All really good info. Thanks. I was really fed up as it came up again but feel a but better from reading this. X
 
My old horse did a foreleg years ago. he wasn't particularly lame but was box rested with cold hosing twice a day for 6 weeks, both forelegs bandaged at night.

After that the vet advised short walks in hand, but after he almost flattened me he said to sedate him, bandage his legs and turn him out in a small paddock. He got 10-15 mins turnout twice a day for another 6 weeks, then was brought back into work slowly. He recovered fully and was back jumping and galloping within a few months.
 
I'm sure it will be OK, don't lose hope. My vets kept telling me that if she was going to injure anything soft tissue-wise, then the check lig was the bit you wanted to do as the prognosis is good. It just takes a long time.

It if really blows up then I'd ask for some bute to try and get it down, you won't mask anything significant in terms of discomfort but should help to get rid of the inflammation.

BTW re PRP. the vet that came to see that leg thought it was worth a bash, he said stem cell was 10x more expensive and no more successful on CL so not worth it. The vet that saw this leg told me she wouldn't have bothered with PRP because CLs heal well anyway... so don't be discouraged if yours aren't dead keen on the idea. It seems to be another area where opinions differ!
 
my mare (24) did her check ligament last year and I decided not to box rest and just turn out daily as she also has cushings so may not make older bones so quality of life was important........ I did use an ice boot for the first 10 days or so just for about an hour before turning out. wasn't expecting to ride her again but she came right in about 3 months and has been fine on that leg , i am just hacking but she has recovered quite well considering her age..
 
Thanks everyone. And milliepops, thank you for making me feel a little more hopeful. I'll get some bute for him and have done whatever they think will work. Looked at the ice vibe boots..look great!
 
My mare has had 2 check ligament injuries. The first one she did 2 years ago now, she had 2 tears in it. She had pen rest for the whole summer, she didn't cope well on box rest as everything was out! We started with 10 minutes walking (ridden) and gradually Built that up over 4 weeks, with lots of cold hosing, ice vibe boots, ice tight etc. After 4 weeks, she had it rescanned and it had healed really well, so we started introducing some trot work, another scan 4 weeks later and she was cleared to start canter work. The physio also gave me some advice and massage techniques to reduce the adhesions and I have kt say, it healed really well (touch wood). She does get filling sometimes, when she has been standing a lot or when it is hot, but touch wood I haven't had any issues with that one.

Last winter, she tweaked her right fore check ligament (other leg), so she did 4 weeks walking, 4 weeks trot and then add the canter, unfortunately, it was in winter and due to weather and lack of daylight, the rehab was mainly done in the ménage when I couldn't get out hacking. She did tweak that one again a couple of months ago, and before that she had some fluid around it which was a warning sign, so I rehabbed it again and did nothing but hack for 2 months and touch wood, it seems to be ok and you wouldn't know she had done anything.

I'm careful when the ground is wet and slippery, as that is when she seems to do it! I would say, rehab properly and lots of hacking and you shouldn't have any more problems.

She does have cold boots on after work, and when I rehabbed my vet advised exercise bandages or sports boots, which she does still wear for schooling as I find they help her more, especially of the ménage is a bit deeper than normal.

We are back, competing in dressage, she went to the beach for a few days and didn't have any issues and we are doing the burghley ride next week! She doesn't jump anymore, but she has arthritis in her hocks, hind fetlocks and also her SI.

Good luck and I'm sure everything will be fine.
 
My dressage horse damaged his check ligament June/ July 2014. Wasn't lame. I was advised to turn him away for 3 months which meant bringing him back into work near winter so I decided to leave him till this spring. He was brought back into work slowly and has been hacking out this summer, no school work. Will see how he is in the spring and he may compete again if he remains sound. He is 19 and I have a youngster that I'm bringing on so if he only hacks in the future that's fine. Good luck with your horse x
 
milliepops said:
Yes, mine has done both front legs :( currently resting the latest one.

She did the first one on the gallops last February (2014), put her foot down a hole and the adrenalin took her up to the top so I had no idea that she'd injured herself until a lot of damage was done :( :( :(
That leg was a real mess on the scan, she was immediately very lame but quickly returned to soundness over the space of about 2 days.
Because she was insured I had PRP so 6 weeks box rest in total, then began in hand walking and then started turnout in a small pen. By August I was allowed to start ridden walk exercise building to 30mins in walk quite quickly and I was back in the school by Christmas.

It took ages because it really was a traumatic injury and the fibres looked so messy for such a long time. The leg went up and down several times and I was advised just to back off a bit with the walking if that happened.

She returned to full work and was going better than ever (qualified for summer regionals at Medium in one outing) and was ready to go AM

then came in from the field with a big leg on the other foreleg. The scan on this one is much more organised, a small 6mm tear on the outer edge of the CL so vets are optimistic. I've done no box rest as we both went crazy with it, so she's been in a pen in the field since it happened. She is 18 this year so we are all expecting it to take a while for the scans to be good enough to start ridden work, but it's going the right way and she has been sound throughout. I'm confident that with time, she will come back 100%

My physio friend has supported the no box rest approach, she told me about some research that suggested keeping it moving gently helped to get the fibres to align properly, though it will probably take longer to fill in.

I have taken her shoes off this time and will keep her barefoot from now on. I am hoping she will be able to feel what she's doing in the field a bit more etc and hopefully avoid reoccurrance. As both were obviously injuries I don't think it's specifically an ageing degenerative thing, though clearly as she's older the structures are weaker.

I think you're probably doing the right thing with the recent swelling - maybe just a little potter out and a cold hose would help.
Click to expand...

Hello! My horse tore both front legs as well I need to chat with you!! Please email
Me I need some hope �� taweelka@Hotmail.com
 
My 29yo pony damaged his check ligament when he fell racing round a field last summer and was very lame at first. He won't eat if stabled, hates being in. Turned him into a small paddock with his old buddy for the summer thinking to just see how he went. He got 80% sound in a few weeks but then didn't seem to get any better for quite a while. Was considering having his PTS before winter but then he started trotting sound. He is back to occasional light hacking and being used for leading kids round on and the leg is no longer giving problems.
 
charlie76 said:
Thanks so much! He is insured so I think I will throw the kitchen sink at it. Will look at the ice vibe boots too. All really good info. Thanks. I was really fed up as it came up again but feel a but better from reading this. X
Click to expand...

The ice vibe boots really helped my friends horse who had a ligament injury as did copious amounts of ice therapy immediately on discovering the injury mostly once but sometimes two or three times a day when possible for about four weeks.
 
Friend's horse completely snapped it, huge swollen leg and very lame! I don't think she had any special treatment, but is now back eventing at 80cms and in a decent level of work. She'll never hunt, team chase, do higher dressage or jump above 80 again, but is happy with her job and sound :)
 
Just seen this thread. I can let you know that said horse is back in full work, competing at advanced, training at psg. He is also having the odd jump and hacks regularly. Hes also been xc a few times .
 
charlie76 said:
Just seen this thread. I can let you know that said horse is back in full work, competing at advanced, training at psg. He is also having the odd jump and hacks regularly. Hes also been xc a few times .
Click to expand...

That’s great to hear! Can I ask you what your rehab schedule was like? Example as in how long you walked under saddle for how many weeks and then how much trot etc. Of course I’ll be following the vets orders when the time comes just curious in how others did it.
 
Hi, I'd just posted a thread but seen this had been posted on a short time ago and missed it. I am currently six months on from a pretty bad check ligament injury in my 5 year old's right front leg and losing the will to live. Originally he was also lame on his left hind but this disappeared after six weeks of initial box rest however half way through his in hand walking program he now appears lame behind again :( He walked sound around three weeks ago at the vets and trotted 2/5 lame however during the walking he seems to have taken a few steps backwards. I was also looking for experiences of bad injuries as I mainly see posts about milder injuries!
 
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