Collateral medial ligament injury

[hgce]

Morning all,
Hoping for any advice, stories etc!
My horse is at the middle of the long road to recovery of injuring his collateral medial ligament. So far he is on 35 mins twice a day of treadmill walking (introduced water to this routine a month ago). He injured it in feb and since then was put on box rest for 2 months then worked up from 5 mins once a day to his current work load over the past 8 months. As he is only 7 the vets advised he was kept confined during this time as re injury risk was high (looking back I possibly wouldn’t have done this). He’s still somehow in good spirits and he goes to the vets next month to see if he is ok to get back on and maybe even start trotting.
I was wondering if anyone had any positive/ negative stories , how you now try to prevent re injury? Also welcome any not so positive ending stories, we’re they ok to retire? Also, how long does it take to get a horse back to fill fitness after 8 months of basically nothing ?

Thank you in advance!!!

 

[ycbm]

I think that injury is possible in several places, where did he injure it?

If inside the foot, is he shod?
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[hgce]

I think that injury is possible in several places, where did he injure it?

If inside the foot, is he shod?
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Hi there. It is in the foot. He’s shod by a vet farrier now to keep the foot from twisting which is possibly what caused a weakness resulting in injury

 

[ycbm]

OK, that's an injury which I believe has a poor prognosis for sustained recovery in shoes.

I have personal experience of two horses who stayed long term sound after that injury with a barefoot rehab.

In your position I would be taking him out of shoes to let him grow the shape of foot which will best support whatever is causing his foot to twist. If that's a route you want to explore plenty of us on the forum can help.
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[hgce]

Hi there
Thanks for the reply
From vet and farrier Advice I have been told the opposite. That the best and only treatment is good shoeing. The tendency to twist the foot as he walked has been corrected with shoeing.
Could I ask how you brought your horses back into work after injury and did you get back to normal work with them?

 

[ycbm]

Hi there
Thanks for the reply
From vet and farrier Advice I have been told the opposite. That the best and only treatment is good shoeing. The tendency to twist the foot as he walked has been corrected with shoeing.
Could I ask how you brought your horses back into work after injury and did you get back to normal work with them?

Both horses returned to full work.

Have a look at this blog first. The rehab yard has shut now but there is a photographic record here of many horses with the injury yours had.

Rockleyfarm.blogspot.com

Then start a thread about barefoot rehab and you will find that there are quite a few people on the forum who can advise you.
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