DDFT/box rest/walking in hand

One of mine has been diagnosed with this. He had his MRI 3 weeks ago and he's been box rested since. My vet has given me a comprehensive rehab schedule to follow and I'm currently hand walking for 5 minutes once a day, which will increase by 5 minutes per week.

He's to be rechecked at 12 weeks, and if sound I'll be able to continue his walking under saddle. He is a model patient (I know this as he had a stress fracture a few years ago and had 4 months box rest, 3 of them on cross ties!)

The rehab schedule takes me to 6 months, when, if all goes well, he'll be back to "normal", although I'm acutely aware that the injury may reoccur, unlike his fracture which is possibly stronger than before.

For the record, my vet recommended egg bars in front for the time being.

Fingers crossed he'll remain his saintly self for the duration, otherwise I shall happily eat my words!
 
Another Matt Smith patient here!

My girl is doing well, I'm hacking her for about 30 mins a few times a week and so far she seems really sound.
 
furrycat said:
Another Matt Smith patient here!

My girl is doing well, I'm hacking her for about 30 mins a few times a week and so far she seems really sound.
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Welcome to the club! Can I ask, do you have to ride twice a day or are you less frequent than that? My reason for asking is that I've been told I can start ridden work to introduce some trot but they said twice a day which isn't going to be very easy for me to do given my work/time constraints.
 
Hi, no I ride about 3 or 4 times per week (hacking in walk -well there is the odd leap etc too, the joys of box rested horses) the rest of her sessions are on the walker. So for example I rode her this morning and this afternoon she went on the walker. I wouldn't be able to fit in anymore riding than that due to work commitments.
 
I had to do the walking out for the same injury and it wasn't the best time! As my horse was on a livery yard they walked him in the morning and I did it in the evening. He was as good as I could have hoped for but we still had the odd fly bucks at the end of the lunge line. If it was a windy day/there was a lot going on outside I would walk him in the barn which had a square that I could walk him around - obviously not ideal but was the safest option. If I was walking him outside I kept within sight of the barn and stayed on hard ground (best for this injury) always wore a hat/gloves and had a lunge line rather than a lead rope so I could get myself away if need be. Could you put a string of electric fence across the bottom of the drive so you can walk up and down safely? :-)
 
furrycat said:
Hi, no I ride about 3 or 4 times per week (hacking in walk -well there is the odd leap etc too, the joys of box rested horses) the rest of her sessions are on the walker. So for example I rode her this morning and this afternoon she went on the walker. I wouldn't be able to fit in anymore riding than that due to work commitments.
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Thanks for replying, so she is still exercised twice a day but not all of that is ridden exercise, makes sense
 
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