Check ligament rehab

[lucy_108]

After getting three events under our belt this season, the little monkey of a horse I have decided to have a hooley round the field and tweaked his check ligament so our season was cut short.
Although we’ve still got 6 weeks of complete field rest to go, I’m just thinking ahead to when he starts walking. We live in Scotland at the top of a hill - all of our hacking routes and our walk to the arena involves walking downhill (and not just a little slope, we’re talking gradient hills for a good 10mins). When reading, I’ve read that downhill is the worst for any ligament/tendon and vets confirmed when they said only turnout on flat ground, no hills. Luckily we have a very slight hill down to our flattest turnout field, but I’m wondering whether I need to organise for him to go somewhere else flatter for initial riding rehab…

 

[Starzaan]

Hello, long time rehab yard owner here. You're right, downhill is the WORST for rehabbing a tendon or ligament injury. If you can, I would definitely send him somewhere flatter to start off with.

 

[Birker2020]

When my old horse did her check ligament at 22 I used loads of ice therapy and ice vibe boots and used my physios LW ultrasound machine for ten minutes a day. The difference was amazing and she made a really good recovery in three months.

She had her shoes off as the vet felt it was better and she went out after three months in a very small paddock.

 

[Chestnut09]

After getting three events under our belt this season, the little monkey of a horse I have decided to have a hooley round the field and tweaked his check ligament so our season was cut short.
Although we’ve still got 6 weeks of complete field rest to go, I’m just thinking ahead to when he starts walking. We live in Scotland at the top of a hill - all of our hacking routes and our walk to the arena involves walking downhill (and not just a little slope, we’re talking gradient hills for a good 10mins). When reading, I’ve read that downhill is the worst for any ligament/tendon and vets confirmed when they said only turnout on flat ground, no hills. Luckily we have a very slight hill down to our flattest turnout field, but I’m wondering whether I need to organise for him to go somewhere else flatter for initial riding rehab…

Hi my girl has just done the same!! Box rest is not an option for her. I was just wondering if you went straight to field rest? Also, how swollen was his leg, did it go down quickly or did it take weeks? Sorry for the questions. This is a first check injury for me.
Vet is happy for me to field rest with the hope of starting walking out in 8 weeks.
It would be good to get peoples experiences that kept them in the field rather than box rested.

 

[pistolpete]

Small pen rest works but is a slow process ice boots are useful. Some movement prevents scar tissue but has to be slow. Good luck.

 

[SEL]

Hi my girl has just done the same!! Box rest is not an option for her. I was just wondering if you went straight to field rest? Also, how swollen was his leg, did it go down quickly or did it take weeks? Sorry for the questions. This is a first check injury for me.
Vet is happy for me to field rest with the hope of starting walking out in 8 weeks.
It would be good to get peoples experiences that kept them in the field rather than box rested.

I did box rest with twice daily walk outs when the weather was bad in Feb then made a small pen next to her friends. Moved the fence line daily so she'd eat grass rather than get bored and bounce around. Full turnout from April.

Leg was warm over the injury site but got to the stage where it was cool before we'd walk out and warm on return (it does need movement to not heal into a fibrous mess). She got out one day and had a gallop round and it was very warm after that so I gave Bute and it went down quickly.

I had some problems with the insurance claim so didn't get her to the vets for the rescan at 6 weeks but she's got a few other issues so has been in walk rehab work for a while anyway but no more heat in the leg now