ddft update all help greatfull :)

[Jo_Archie]

Hi all i have a tb x 14yr old gelding, life has been pretty hard on us in the time i have had him hes an ex event horse and has had a hard life it seems!
he has a few old injurys like most but has learnt to live with them amd lead a normal life,one being an old barbed wire injury to his front hoof so he has a constant crack in it and in a xray it shows changes in the hoof but he does very wel and it dosent cause him any bother.
the other one bein that his tendon has always been slightly bigger in his back right leg then the other leg, you would have to really look to see.hes always been a horse that likes to rest but when he sometimes does the first steps he hobbels then walks right out of it and is fine!
in march he came in from the field very lame hes been sound for 12months i thort we was on to something good!he went to the vets has xrays,scans,nerve blocks. They came back with that it was his DDFT it has a v shape tear in it n was double its size but he also has atheritis in that leg to WITCH she said dese not bother him at all yet!So for 8weeks hes been in a tiny paddock grazing and coming in at night hes not been lame snice coming home from the vets so today the vet came to rescan, tendon is still same size i dont think it wil ever go down its been that size always, the tear is filling in tho and hes still 1 10th lame when u do a flexcton test. the first few steps he hops then hes fine soooo hes having another 8weeks off then she wil be back to rescan him again.you would not think anything was wrong with him hes happy,the other day decieded he had had enough of been in a small space jumpd a 4ft fence n was galloping about witch wont of helpd the silly boy!

so what am really asking is does any one have any experenice in this tendon injurys??what should i expect??it feels like this is really just our luck
hes a beautiful horse inside and out spite the few problems we have had he never has any lenght of time off and comes back stronger n fitter everytime.i only want to do hacking,pleasure rides,showing classes,maybe dressage as i dont really think jumping is a option for him anymore altho hes very good at it!

the vet said the sheath is not lying as close to the tendon ???its probably been waiting to go for a long time! do theses thing reacure??

is there boots that can help him??should i be riding him in boots when i start back riding him??the vet said today theres been big imporvements but if i got back on him now it might break him amd i really dont want that!

hes on tendoneaze is there any other supplements that wil help? i know some of theses questions are for vets but its also nice to have people who have been thru the same thing as you to help

Much appreciation to thoses who find the time to read this

 

[debsflo]

my horse did her ddft in aug 2010, only a small tear but needed 8 months off in a tiny fenced off square at which point scan showed it had healed and we started the long process of rehab. now up to i hr walk and increasing trot work. she has been on glucosaminre throughout. time is the key,dont be tempted to rush. their are lots of threads on here you will find helpfull.

 

[Jo_Archie]

hi thanks for your reply
yea am def not going to rush it.his tear is not very big like a little v shape??vet said its prob been waitin to go for ages they dont just go for no reason!hes had a hard life before i got him eventing most weeks etc!
as long as he makes a full recovery i dont mind how long we have to wait hes worth the wait is your horse weak in that area now??my main worrys are my boy already has a few other things up but vet said hes lived with them most his life n there prob normal to him!have u been told theres things you wont be able to do??do magnectic boots work or help??i have just pickd up from the vets corta vet so hes on that now x

 

[Izzwizz]

My mare had a tear to her DDFT in 2009. She had the box rest, handwalking, ridden work- most of it in walk. She came sound from this injury but unfortunately she put extra stress on her other front leg and injured that one in March this year. Nothing serious, just tearing round the field on a lovely spring day. A bit more box rest followed and shes now having a year off. From the knee down the horse has a poor blood supply so thats why it takes a long time for them to come right. I did use magnetic boots and do feel that they helped, the Premier Equine ones.

What I would say is follow your vets advice, dont rush it and do plenty of strengthening road work in walk for a long time. My mare is on NAF Msm which is for tendons and soft tissue/joints. Seems to help her and I read a lot of positive info about it so I will keep her on it for life. As for riding out in boots, I personally wouldnt bother, you need to keep the tendons as cool as possible.

 

[Jo_Archie]

thanks for your advice think il get some magnectic boots hes just been put on corta vet the rite ups seem good and also hes on tendoneze.i saw the scan today the tear dosent not seem to big and is filling in but none the less i wont be riding till its right.the vet also said the sheath dose not sit as close to his tendon as it sud but not sure if this is coz he has injured his tendon!hes had 2months of as yet an she is not coming back out for another 2months to rescan so geuss wil take it from there.a long road ahead of us it looks like but hes worth it!think his jumpin days are over to il save him for showing n nice hacks x