DDFT INJURY - HELP WANTED

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wjgfred

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Following MRI my horse has been diagnosed with a core lession to DDFT in hoof, just below navicular bone, this having split down to where the DDFT joins the pedal bone, and also evidence of damage to collateral ligament of coffin joint.

The outlook for return to exercise was given as poor by the MRI vet and a neurectomy was recommended. However having researched this I have decided not to go down this route as I believe that with the DDFT already comprimised it will just break down and the possible complications seemed to out weigh the positives.

I then met with my vet who also did not think the neurectomy was a good idea. We have decided to give him 12 months field rest. He has already had 4 x weekly cartrophen injections and is sound on the straight (and untested on lunge). This obvioulsy being on field rest. He is shod with heel wedges and bar shoes and we are going to continue with cartrophen on a monthly basis.

I am interested in any experiences - good or bad - that anyone has had with this type of injury. I am desperate to try my best to keep my boy sound and able to work in 12 months time. I understand I dont have much of a chance and 12 months seems like an eternity at the moment, but I just want to try the best I can for him.
 
I have a 15.2hh mare who had bi-lateral ddft core lesions in her front feet as a five year old. Initially mis-diagnosed as navicular and then scanned to reveal true problem. We 'box rested' her in stable sized pens during the day for two months and she was kept in at night! Gradually we increased the pen size over a further six months until she was able to be turned out properly. After 8 months we started riding her out in walk for a month and then started trot work on good going gradually increasing the workload and after a year she was back in normal work. She was shod in 10mm wedges for three months and 5mm wedges for another three months followed by standard stromsholm pads for another six months. She started eventing again during the latter part of her 7th year, and showjumped on a surface through the winter and this year as an 8yo she has continued eventing and is currently jumping 1.30 showjumping tracks. She is not competed on hard ground and touch wood she has remained sound.
 
My horse was diagnosed with DDFT and collateral ligament damage on an MRI scan. She also had a long list of navicular changes. Although her list of problems was probably longer than yours as you only mention the two, she may have been better off as the damage to the DDFT was only a small lesion to one side of the medial lobe.

The DDFT is an important tendon and very slow to heal. The prognosis is generally poor, one study showed just 1 in 5 returned to competition.

We were recommended 4 months box rest. My horse had already been in for 4 months. I'm afraid I ignored all the recommendations, as I would rather have had her PTS than suffer any more. We took a chance and went barefoot with a DAEP. It was a turning point and she recovered completely over a 6-month period.

I suppose there is more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak. Barefoot worked for us but it wasn't just a case of taking the shoes off, we had to follow a structured rehabilitation programme.

I'm not saying pads, wedges, bar shoes etc can't work as clearly they can and people have success stories to prove it. Foot balance is critical whatever path you take.

I do think the field rest is a good idea, and I wish you luck.
 
Thank you very much for sharing your experiences. My horse has already had 2 months box rest with 20 minute walks in hand twice a day, prior to the MRI.

I was particularly interested in how you managed the return to work (assuming that mine is sound enough in 12 months to commence work!!).

My horse has wedges (I'm not sure how high), but he is due to be x-rayed again in 3 months with his shoes on so we can see the angles of his feet with his shoes on. He has flat pedal bones and the vet want to see if the angle of the wedges needs to change as his heel depth gets better. I know that Stromsholm is the make but what are the standard pads that you currently use.

Thank you so much for your reply, its good to know that there is some hope and I think the more knowledge I get from others experiences the better decisions I can make
 
Thank you very much for your advice, everyone is so supportive. My horse has completely flat pedal bones so I have to have the wedges etc otherwise too much pressure will be put on the ddft.

I know that I have a real struggle ahead of me and I have been given a 30% chance of getting him back in work. Thats why I am trying to get as much information as possible. The only plus for me is that my horse has been sound for a week, obviously this is on field rest, but he is out for 16 hours so I am just trying to stay positive.

Thanks again for your help
 
Oh, I have just PMed you but I forgot to mention (probably best to mention it here instead anyway or you may have actually fainted at the length of my PM!) - do NOT under any circumstances be tempted to start walk work eariler than the 365 days. Half the reason firing and blistering used to be popular treatments for tendons "back in the days" was because tendon injuries are not visible to the owner, who would assume that if the horse is sound it is healed. It takes one to two YEARS for the tendon to completely heal (especially for DDFTs) and even if the horse is sound within two days of injury, it will only break down again if the rest period is rushed. TIME is the key here. Blistering and firing was popular partly because it gave the owner a visible injury to deal with and put them off trying to work the horse too soon. Another old horseman's tale (no pun intended...) was to cut the horse's tail off at the dock as soon as the injury occurred. The horse would be turned away in a field and would not return to work until the tail has re-grown right down to the floor. I was tempted to do this, believe me!
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The second, just as important point that I have learnt over the last 16 months is to never ever ever EVER plan anything with an injured horse. If you don't expect your horse to come back into work after 12 months, but rather have a faint and distant hope that he may, just possibly manage walking out next year, you won't be as bitterly disappointed as I was to learn that actually it's more likely that you may never get to that stage. Don't get me wrong, never give up *hope*, just don't *expect* and certainly don't plan!! So put all thought of a rehab plan out of your mind. I'm not a person who really believes in superstition or anything much un-scientifically proven or unproven, butI have learnt that horses can read minds and will do anything in their power to make sure they go hopping lame an hour before you arrive at the yard with your tack!
 
I wish you all the luck in the world, and hope that after the 12 months field rest you can slowly bring him back to work.

Sadly for my boy, it was not a happy ending.
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Good luck and Best Wishes.x
 
You sound like someone who's had similar luck to me over the years, lol. I always say to people "if you make plans they only go t*ts up and leave you disappointed". Have pm'd OP. Good Luck everyone!!!!!!
 
My horse went lame July last year, diagnosed in August. Kept in stable and pen until October when he was Turned out normally with large 3rd Millenium pads on. Vet wanted us to do 'controlled excercise' so back into box rest and hacked in walk daily for an hour. One very fit horse who is absolutely lethal obviously not being allowed to burn off excess energy!
Turned away 3 weeks ago, shoeless as the pads would just fall off so I have compromised him recently due to that but Id rather he was a horse again, chilled out and see how his feet grow at the mo.
Had cartrophen too. Natural Balance shoes also.
 
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