damaged annular ligament sound for 18 months

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Ruftys mum

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Rufty damaged his annular ligament about 19 months ago. Unfortunately not diagnosed correctly by original vet who thought it was navicular. Once diagnosed correctly I rested him for 8 weeks and brought him back into work slowly over 3 months. He has now been sound for 16 months. He is hacked out 4 or 5 times weekly. walking trotting for short periods and cantering where ground is level. He is out for up to 1 and a half hours. I would like to do a bit more but he is 19 and I do not want him to break down again. Has anyone any experience of a horse that has had this and recovered? How much work could he do, or is it just try and see? I would love to do a short, say 10 miles, pleasure ride.

Rufty's mum
 
I suppose it depends on what sort of damage occured.

I have a gelding who has a thickened annular ligament. It is about 4mm thick and was causing problems with the movement of the tendons through the 'tunnel' which the annular ligament forms. The flexibility of the foot was compromised and so the horse was going intermittently lame.

We had him scanned, and the vet's advice was to bute him and ride him 5 or 6 days per week. I couldn't do that, on principle, so he has been turned out on an area with steep banks and rough pasture. He seems to have remained sound now for about three months, although there is no discernable change in the leg.

Long term it doesn't look promising, but for the moment...
 
The best thing to do is ride him as often as possible. Every day if you can! My boy did his at the end of the hunting season and was hunting the following season. The more you use him the better it will be. If you need a bit of bute to start with just use it. If you do not keep him working then he will lose flexion in the fetlock. He will trip/stumble a little until it gets progressively worse.

My fellow hunted for several seasons after damaging his and was sound. In later years he started to trip a little..but as long as I worked him every day more or less he was fine. I hunted him this last season for a couple of times, but no longer felt safe. I could no longer give him the work, and the trips had become major stumbles almost coming down. At 17.2 and being a Percheron X the outcome if he came down with me would not be good. He is 20 and despite the fetlock being huge he is completely sound.

So my advice would be IF he is reasonable sound to ride, ride and ride again. A bit of bute to get him going does no harm.
 
He is 100% sound without any drugs.There is no swelling but ever since I had him his sesamoid bone has been slightly enlarged.

My vet advised that he would only be suitable for light riding and in his opinion would not be able to do pleasure rides. He knew that previously I was in to Endurance and was cautioning me not to be too ambitious. However as there is no sign of any problems dare I increase his work slowly, step by step, or be thankful that he fit and well on the work that he is doing.
 
My mare did hers 3 years ago in November. The vets talked about surgery initially so I decided that I would turn her away if she didn't come right after the 3 or 4 months of box rest and walking out which was prescribed. She did come right and I spent the following summer being ultra careful with her but I treat her as normal now. I have done 10 mile pleasure rides with her but generally she is only in light work, dressage / showing - not sure how it would hold up if I was hunting on exmoor! (she is now 11)
 
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