DDFT tear - anyones experiences with the healing time and methods.

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Izzwizz

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Hi all, just looking for some help and suggestions. My mare was diagnosed with a tear in her DDFT in her hoof last September via an MRI scan. Shes been on box rest ever since and has had double wedge shoes for a month, then single wedges and finally egg bars which she still has on now. We started hand walking which increased over time on a flat surface and progressed to riding at the beginning of Feb this year after a second MRI confirmed that some healing had taken place but to get things moving further, vet said to start ridden work. This has been hacking out at walk slowly building up the time to around 45-50 mins. Vet came back out on 14th March, was pleased with progress and recommended bringing in trot work, slowly building up over 3 wks to 10-15 mins per day. We never got to that time limit as nearly 2 wks ago horse had a bit of a mad frolic on road (quiet estate thank god!) and as horse in front decided to canter uphill so did mine, only around 4-5 strides and threw a buck in too. After this shes gone sore again so had a word with vet and we slowed things right down, rest, handwalking and just got back on her on Monday. Shes still a bit sore and reluctant to put her full weight on the front foreleg with the injury around corners to the left. Shes fine on straight lines. Im just wondering what other peoples experiences are of this type of injury. Im coming to the conclusion that my horse will be better in a field and allowing mother nature to do her stuff. Im starting to feel at a bit of a loss and I know its a long time healing. Just curious as to what other people would do or have done in my situation.

Thanks for getting this far and looking forward to any help anyone can offer.
 
My horse did exactly the same thing. She did however also have a massive sidebone, partly due to conformation and partly due to inappropriate shoeing. Diagnosed by an MRI scan, the lesion was right behind the navicular bone. After about six months of box rest, inhand walking, ridden walking, then trotting she went lame a few days after starting canter work. This was in 2005/6 and at this point, the Dick Vet School (Edinburgh) said give up as they don't know enough about how to treat this injury and newmarket were at that time reporting only a 10% return to work rate with this type of injury. This was due to the fact that MRI imaging for lameness diagnosis was fairly new and this type of injury was previously undiagnosable without MRI (only third or fourth of this injury Edinburgh had seen). This was around April/May time and I decided to put her in foal. Foaled the following May and was back in work by September. I wouldn't say she was 100% sound (prob lame at trot on circle on hard) but I hack, school and jump her with no problems, although not hard. Whether the slight residual lameness is due to the tendon or the sidebone - who knows! If your current method isn't working and you don't have loss of use insurance I'd be inclined to say chuck it in the field till next spring! I hope it works out for you.
 
Personally if it were me, i would definately take the shoes off, turn her away for a few months.

My belgium warmblood was diagnosed with Navicular last year, and suspected tissue damage prob ddft. I was advised to pts.

I never box rested him, allowed him to wander around. Took his shoes off and had him trimmed along the barefoot route, by my farrier.

10mths later he is still barefoot, back hacking, doing dressage and competing in showjumping competitions again, on absolutely no medication.

Never under estimate the power the body has to heal its self, especially when it allowed to function as it should.

And fwiw i had my horse in bar shoes etc. Good way to spend £80 a time when his natural hoof did a far superior job!

Good luck with your horse, all im saying in this instance is im so glad i followed my own instincts, other wise my gorgeous boy would have been long gone.
 
Thanks very much both of you for your replies. Should have also said that back in January after the MRI re-scan it was also discovered that she had inflammation around the navicular bursa and vet at that time gave her an injection into that area, steriod, cant remember its name. Im also wondering if that injection has worn off and she maybe needs another one and am currently trying to get in touch with vet today to ask his advice. I think that is whats causing the soreness more than anything as she is back to how she was before the injection. On a lighter note, shes had a bath today, been trimmed and looks abs gorgeous.

One of my possible options is to let her go to Wales with my friend who is moving there in the summer where she can live out there with her horses and properly recuperate. I did think about taking her shoes off too but will await the advice of the farrier and vet on that one. I lost my previous horse to a broken leg in the field nearly 5 yrs ago and I am determined not to lose this one. She is so special and I want whats best for her.
 
Managed to speak to vet today and hes wanting to see her again at Horsepital, does agree that it could be due to the injection wearing off. Doesnt think that her cavorting on the road would cause the pain, more likely due to the inflammation as before around the navicular bursa.
 
Hello, i am going through the exact same situation with my horse she had a tear in the foot of the DDFT, she is now on her way to recovery and believe me it is worth the wait! i just take everyday as it comes :) plenty of walking and exercise get them moving, its a long recovery period looking at around a good 18 months i pressume? but keep smiling and keep pushing foward, its worked for me! all the best.
 
Hi all, just seen my old post re-appear, had to look twice. Anyway, update is that Izzy is now doing really well, hacking out, turned out, back to just about ordinary shoes (Farrier modifies them a little), been to Dressage to do Walk & Trot and came back with some rosettes and not bad scores. Shes done lots and lots of walking out, we did a long ride last Thursday, must have been about 8-10miles, and Im very happy with her. Just hoping to get through the next 3 months or so out of the mud season, then she will be out in the summer fields again. Next challenge then is to watch her weight!!!
 
For everyone reading this thread and despairing at the thought of 18 months to recover from this type of injury, check out the typical recovery time for a barefoot rehab, which is around the 3 month mark. Of course you may not think that having a horse without shoes is the route for you, and if so don't shoot the messenger :) - this info is only for those who want to consider it. If you search for "barefoot" you will find a very large number of posts on the subject, and pointers to various websites you can get more information from.
 
Actually the time passed really quickly and if the condition had been identified correctly from the outset, then it would have been less. If only MRI scans were cheaper eh! Top marks to my Farrier John, he is an expert and looks after Izzys feet to perfection, she is the picture of health.
 
very happy to hear positive reports! youve replied on some of my posts about my girls ddft, shes 3months in now and hacking out for 20 minutes in walk introducing trot- apparently her ddft wasnt so bad, but wont jump until next october. i dont ride her much at the moment but she has been sound so far despite galloping twisting and jumping around the field twice daily *cringe*- doesnt seem to have aged since 4... i hope things turn out good for me too :) so happy its turned out good for you! i understand how devastating it is
 
charleysummer said:
very happy to hear positive reports! youve replied on some of my posts about my girls ddft, shes 3months in now and hacking out for 20 minutes in walk introducing trot- apparently her ddft wasnt so bad, but wont jump until next october. i dont ride her much at the moment but she has been sound so far despite galloping twisting and jumping around the field twice daily *cringe*- doesnt seem to have aged since 4... i hope things turn out good for me too :) so happy its turned out good for you! i understand how devastating it is
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I really hope it continues to be good for you. Take your time and dont rush anything, it will come good. I forgot to mention that I used magnetic boots to help Iz too whilst she was in. I think there were of benefit to her for sure. Shes a star!! Took her out today in all the wind and though a little nervous at times, was so good. We do a little trot work too when out but only uphill, she gets her head down and into an outline and shes off, knows what to do bless her. We have had canters thro the woods and a couple of gallops up fields, shes never felt so good.
 
Izzwizz said:
I really hope it continues to be good for you. Take your time and dont rush anything, it will come good. I forgot to mention that I used magnetic boots to help Iz too whilst she was in. I think there were of benefit to her for sure. Shes a star!! Took her out today in all the wind and though a little nervous at times, was so good. We do a little trot work too when out but only uphill, she gets her head down and into an outline and shes off, knows what to do bless her. We have had canters thro the woods and a couple of gallops up fields, shes never felt so good.
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How brilliant :) are you going to jump her again? and if so when are you planning to?
if its not too much trouble could you explain your rehab exercise to me briefly- and when you started introducing canter, how long for etc.. and if you schooled or hacking (although ofc can only hack in this weather and with the poor ground!)
 
charleysummer said:
How brilliant :) are you going to jump her again? and if so when are you planning to?
if its not too much trouble could you explain your rehab exercise to me briefly- and when you started introducing canter, how long for etc.. and if you schooled or hacking (although ofc can only hack in this weather and with the poor ground!)
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Hi there, dont plan to jump her or lunge anymore, shes 16 this year and I value her soundness from now on. Physio said not to lunge as would be too much weighting on her tendon so prefer to hack out more these days. Schooling - did a little but shes a spooky girl and our winter turnout regime at the mo means she spends one day in and the following day out. She therefore has quite a bit of energy to burn and will be silly in the school. I will wait to take her in there again when summer turnout begins and she and the others are calmer. We have done loads of roadwork, initially lots of walk, uphill trot (as advised by my vet) and we built this up over a period of 3/4 months starting last Feb. We didnt canter until summer time and I dont overdo this with her. We had our first gallop on a nice field at the back end of last year. Had another one last week. We actually do a bit of schooling whilst hacking out where we are able, she loves it. Iz had egg bars on all last year, probably for 1 or 2 shoeings more than necessary but vet was extra cautious and Im glad. She went into normal shoes with a slight modification at the last shoeing in Jan, and shes doing great. John, my Farrier is excellent and done a fab job with her feet, I completely trust him and hes worked with the vet to get it right.

Hope this helps you. PM me if you want any further help x
 
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