Check Ligment Injruies - success stories please

T

TEEPOT

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Hi

Just wondered if anyone actually has any good outcomes from the above injury. Having looked on the internet which I now wish I hadn't it was all doom and gloom.

Horse has torn the check ligament and is now on her 4th week of box rest and in hand waking.

Has anyone else been through this and did the horse make a full recovery to go back to eventing?

Thanks

T
 
Yep! My mums old horse tore his check ligament, it totally went and he was non weight bearing on that leg. He had 6 weeks box rest and a year chucked out in a field (this was in the late 80's before the treatment options they have today). He was 7 when he did it. He recovered fully and went on for another 20yrs without a lame day. BsJA, eventing, pony club, horseball, dressage, hunting all day. He did it all. I think it was the year off that made the difference.
 
I guess it depends how bad she's done it. Has it been scanned and what did your Vet say? They should give a reasonable prognosis.
My previous horse did his and within a year went on to do his DDFT. But had really good results with magnotherapy. He carried on jumping and competing until he passed away from old age at 27.
My current older horse did his check ligament last year. But was very minor - not even lame. I was advised to carry on, mainly hack and not jump for 6 weeks. He seems absolutely fine now and it's completely cold and hard.
Fingers crossed for yours x
 
My sympathies with you. My mare did her ddft - only a minor tear thank god - and the internet is littered with bad stories, really depressing. I've spoken to alot of people with success stories and my vet thinks mine should be back eventing next year - although I think it will be the end of the season.

I'm on week four and forget about the horse - it's driving me up the wall.

Best of luck
 
Mini currently has a ride on a very sharp and talented little man, around 14hh, who did his check ligament a couple of years ago. The owner did the box rest, inhand walking, low level work last summer and then turned away for the winter, bringing him back into work this spring. He is now seven, mini was asked to compete him and has been riding him since May. They have happily completed a two day and two ODE's at 90cms. His leg will always be a little filled, but never shown any heat or lameness. As a precaution we cold hose after every work session and ice after every competition, he has stayed as sound as a pound. The vet has checked him over again recently and is delighted with how well he has come back and told us and owner to carry on competing and managing as we are.

Good luck with yours, I hope he/she has a successful recovery.
 
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Fronts have a better future than hinds. My horse put a huge hole in a hind in 2011. 11 months box rest, started rehab but became sore, turned out in barn/small paddock July 2012 and is 99% sound today. He was 17 when he broke down and high mileage. He remains in a small paddock to prevent him injuring himself again and is unlikely to be ridden again.
 
My 3yo has strained her check ligament in her right fore. She is having egg bar shoe on for support, and re scan in 6 weeks. Due to her age, and having lived out all her life we decided (with the vet) to leave her out in a small paddock, as she would be calmer and she isn't the type to gallop round madly anyway. The vet was very positive with the prognosis and doesn't think it should limit her in the future (plan is for her to be an event horse), although she will probable always have a thickened ligament. Fingers crossed!
 
Hi - many thanks to you all for replying.

no she has not had it scanned, they advised to not to as she is only minor lame in trot. so I am hoping that can only be a good thing.

They were very positive about it and said no reason why she wouldn't compete but like I say reading upon the internet got rid being positive about it.
 
I think for the cost of scanning, which is not that high, I would get it done, my friends horse was barely lame but the scan showed more damage to her check ligament than expected, it was scanned several times and enabled monitoring to be done to show how well it was healed before turning away, she actually then did the other leg and has retired but was late teens at the time.
I have just had a horse scanned to see how his tendon had healed and it looks good, he is going to do 2 months walking then trot for a month we will scan before he starts cantering just to make sure all is well, it is all on his file so easy to compare if there is a setback we will know rather than guessing.
 
TEEPOT said:
Hi - many thanks to you all for replying.

no she has not had it scanned, they advised to not to as she is only minor lame in trot. so I am hoping that can only be a good thing.

They were very positive about it and said no reason why she wouldn't compete but like I say reading upon the internet got rid being positive about it.
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You should deffo get it scanned! May not even be that bad at all!!! My horse was quite lame however the scanned showed the injury to his check wasn't that bad!! He was scanned every 4 weeks after... I am very surprised at your vets advice about not scanning, I think you definitely need to know what your dealing with so you can plan her return back to work properly .
 
I would echo what someone else said and definitely have it scanned. You need to know accurately what the extent of the damage is so that improvement can be assessed on subsequent scans.

We have a jumping pony who did a check ligament not long after we bought her. She jumped four clear rounds BS this morning for two placings. We managed her recovery very carefully and there is no reason with a dash of luck that your horse shouldn't come sound and have a useful athletic career.

Best of luck :)
 
My friends 4* event horse has done this and the vet said its not actually that bad a injury compared to what they thought before scanning (tendon). They think he will be out competing again next year, not enough time to get him fit now!
 
My now 20 year old pony ruptured her check ligament approx 3 years ago. She had a few months box rest/controlled walking and then a year in the field, but she has had no further problems (touch wood!). I understood from the vet that they have to cut the check ligament on some foals, and they go on to have normal working lives, ie they dont absolutely need it. So its a case of giving it plenty of time to heal and then being realistic about what they can do.
 
my 19 year old who did his check early last year had 2 top 10 places in his BD regionals last week :) 6th in the Elem Open and 8th in the Medium Restricted :) :)
 
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