Collateral ligament strain (lateral), adjacent to coffin joint.....

[L&M]

My partners mare came in slightly lame last week, no improvement this week so vet called.

He found a thickening of the above ligament via ultrasound and pretty sure this is what is causing the lameness - no sign off any hole or tears luckily.

She does not 'do' box rest so advised 2 weeks worth of bute, 6-8 weeks field rest in a tennis court sized area, then to start in hand walk work, progressing to ridden. In my mind 6-8 weeks doesn't sound much time off, but our vet did also explain that the modern way of approaching ligament/tendon type injuries is to not have too much time off and to use gentle exercise to help with blood flow to the affected area, therefore promoting healing.

He did also mention shockwave therapy, but also feels walk work on a hard surface is of as much benefit, for the reasons stated as above.

So my questions are:

- Has anyone else had experience of the same injury?
- Would you say 6-8 weeks rest sound about right? Or did you turn away for longer (which we are more than happy to do)?
- Did your horse come sound again, and return to its normal level of work?

Many thanks for reading.

 

[Michen]

So I agree with your vet but I’d also question him or her “what would you do”. I doubled the recommended walk time for my horse with a ligament injury. Totally agree with keeping them moving for decent healing with minimal adhesions but I think the longer you can do walk work for the better. I think I did a full year almost when in theory he could have been back within about 6 months.

 

[L&M]

Thanks Michen, funnily enough my partner and I have just been discussing the situation and came up with a similar conclusion - get her started in walk work by autumn but limit it to just that until at least next spring.

We can do plenty of stretching and schooling work at walk on a hack, which hopefully will strengthen the ligament without over doing it.

Did yours come back to full work after?

 

[Equi]

My old lads ligaments were not great. Poor conformation and probable hard work in his life with bad care/poor farrier work. I was advised by vet that the absolute worst thing i could do for him is to stop working him. He was kept ticking over with very light work and in the 3 years only got better and better. When covid hit everyone at the yard took the "we don't want to fall off and cause NHS more stress" stance and i somewhat felt pressured into doing the same - 4 weeks later i felt fuggit, im willing to risk it because my horse is a saint and i have never even nearly fell off him. He was not great, and it took weeks to get him back to being anyway decent but he never really came back. I wish i had never stopped working him now.

As for me, i have had a few ligament issues myself, and always feel worse when im laid up doing nothing. Easy gentle movement helps me the most. Think of it the same way as when you have had a hard ride and your legs are sore - sitting about makes them even worse. Slow gentle walking makes them feel better.

 

[Michen]

Thanks Michen, funnily enough my partner and I have just been discussing the situation and came up with a similar conclusion - get her started in walk work by autumn but limit it to just that until at least next spring.

We can do plenty of stretching and schooling work at walk on a hack, which hopefully will strengthen the ligament without over doing it.

Did yours come back to full work after?

He did a straight sesamoid ligament which is an unusual one. I think it was 2 years before he was back eventing as covid also put a stop in things. Sound as a pound (touch wood), being placed at BE90 and about to step up to 100. His did heal with some adhesions but they seem to have stretched out.

 

[L&M]

He did a straight sesamoid ligament which is an unusual one. I think it was 2 years before he was back eventing as covid also put a stop in things. Sound as a pound (touch wood), being placed at BE90 and about to step up to 100. His did heal with some adhesions but they seem to have stretched out.

Thanks, and good news re your lad.

The prognosis for our mare is good, my vet sees no reason she won't recover. But just want to make sure we do everything right to ensure a positive outcome.

 

[Michen]

Thanks, and good news re your lad.

The prognosis for our mare is good, my vet sees no reason she won't recover. But just want to make sure we do everything right to ensure a positive outcome.

Time and more time. If you’ve ever done a ligament yourself you’ll know how long it can twinge for.

 

[ycbm]

Is she shod?
.

 

[L&M]

Normally, but partner is a farrier so shoes taken off and dressed according to the vets instructions, with a 'rocker' style trim to avoid direct concussion to the ligament....

 

[scats]

I had a horse in 2005 with a tear in the collateral ligament. It was box rest advice back then, which was very difficult with him. Vets made a bit of a mess of the diagnosis (long story), it was pre-MRI in our particular hospital. He was eventually diagnosed with it in the October (having gone lame in May and done 6 trips to hospital) and he’d had a dreadful few months of box rest and had pretty much lost his head so we turned him away for the winter with the thought that what will be will be.
He developed ringbone in the end and never fully came sound. He did have a rather substantial tear to the ligament, however.

 

[ycbm]

Normally, but partner is a farrier so shoes taken off and dressed according to the vets instructions, with a 'rocker' style trim to avoid direct concussion to the ligament....

Sounds good and hopeful. There have certainly been plenty of recoveries to that particular injury. I sold a horse to a friend and it went lame after a hooley in the field. The MRI showed healed damage to a collateral ligament. I had evented him to BE90 without knowing that I bought him like that. He recovered from the second injury very quickly and was still hacking happily last I heard. Always barefoot, though.

I hope you get a good result.
.

 

[L&M]

Sounds good and hopeful. There have certainly been plenty of recoveries to that particular injury. I sold a horse to a friend and it went lame after a hooley in the field. The MRI showed healed damage to a collateral ligament. I had evented him to BE90 without knowing that I bought him like that. He recovered from the second injury very quickly and was still hacking happily last I heard. Always barefoot, though.

I hope you get a good result.
.

Thanks - If we get her sound I am rather hoping this would be a good excuse to keep her barefoot, but my partner (farrier) may have his own opinion!!!!!

 

[L&M]

I had a horse in 2005 with a tear in the collateral ligament. It was box rest advice back then, which was very difficult with him. Vets made a bit of a mess of the diagnosis (long story), it was pre-MRI in our particular hospital. He was eventually diagnosed with it in the October (having gone lame in May and done 6 trips to hospital) and he’d had a dreadful few months of box rest and had pretty much lost his head so we turned him away for the winter with the thought that what will be will be.
He developed ringbone in the end and never fully came sound. He did have a rather substantial tear to the ligament, however.

Sorry to hear this, sounds a nightmare for all involved......

 

[L&M]

My old lads ligaments were not great. Poor conformation and probable hard work in his life with bad care/poor farrier work. I was advised by vet that the absolute worst thing i could do for him is to stop working him. He was kept ticking over with very light work and in the 3 years only got better and better. When covid hit everyone at the yard took the "we don't want to fall off and cause NHS more stress" stance and i somewhat felt pressured into doing the same - 4 weeks later i felt fuggit, im willing to risk it because my horse is a saint and i have never even nearly fell off him. He was not great, and it took weeks to get him back to being anyway decent but he never really came back. I wish i had never stopped working him now.

As for me, i have had a few ligament issues myself, and always feel worse when im laid up doing nothing. Easy gentle movement helps me the most. Think of it the same way as when you have had a hard ride and your legs are sore - sitting about makes them even worse. Slow gentle walking makes them feel better.

Blooming covid - it has a lot to answer for......