DDFT work rehab

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BlueFire710

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My mare has an injury to her DDFT in the foot. She is 2 days away from entering the final month of box rest (out of 6 months total). I have spoken to my vet about a programme of bringing her back into work and it will all be happening much faster than i'd expected. The vet said that she would have my mare on the walker for the first month building up to as much as we can and then out under saddle in the next month - walking and trotting, again building up to as much as poss. After this (so month 3) if all well then fast work can be introduced.
I wondered if anyone could offer any experience of whether this is similar to what they did or if it sounds right. I just want to make sure i'm doing the right thing for my mare.

Many Thanks
 
I would be tempted to do 6-8 weeks walking, and preferably in straight lines, not on a walker. I won't use a walker for the early stages of rehab for this reason.

When were you thinking of introducing turnout for the horse?

ETA my ginger horse did his sdft in Sept and was walking out in hand from week 3 for 5 minutes twice a day building to 20 minutes twice a day. After 3 months he started being turned out in the school during the day and this week he has started being turned out properly. He is being rescanned in March but even if it is healed well he will have the summer at grass before I build up the work. From what I've heard, for a fairly serious tendon injury you are looking at 12 - 18 months before you would expect the horse to be fully fit.

Hope your mare heals well :)
 
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My horse also tore his DDFT about 2yrs ago,had a programme of gradually increased walking out in hand whilst on box rest.Then i was instructed to start riding him out on the road in walk & slowly building up to trot but as Rhino says all straight line work.He made a full recovery & i have had no problems with him since.Good luck with your mares recovery.
 
Thanks for the replies -
Rhino: i have been recommended that she have 6 months on exercise from the stable - so she'd be back in full work by that point, but i feel that that is too much - a year of no turnout would be terrible for her. My thoughts would be that once she's cantering okay she could go out in a not too big field but i will see how she gets on and check with vet.

Toystory: very glad to hear yours has made a full recovery and no further problems as i have heard that similar cases to mine never make it fully back which i found very depressing! One person who i know well told me i should never jump her again yet vet said if all well then should be no problem so good to hear that full recoveries are made!
 
How old is your mare OP? With my boy I believe that his age (21) had a part to play in his injury as there is some degree of degeneration in soft tissues with age. Therefore it is more likely that a younger horse will heal better and come back into a higher level of work than an oldie like mine :)
 
My mare tore her DDFT 3yrs ago. It was within the hoof and found via MRI scan. We did the hand walking 3 times daily whilst she was on box rest, started out with 5 mins daily (x3) and we built this up to 30mins. This was on flat ground around the stable block. We then did handwalking on different terrain and around the nearby roads. After a couple of weeks I started riding her in walk, building up the time as in the hand walking phase. We were then told to introduce trot work (the walking was done for about 6 weeks). Trot work was only up hill and short bursts in the bridle and controlled. Canter work wasnt introduced until about 3 months later.

My mare was turned out in May after the winter months in a fairly flat field, not a lot of grass so she was constantly busy foraging. She was slightly sedated the first time turned out and she stayed out. I had always brought her in during summer previously but decided against this so there was no "yeeha" factor when she was turned out on a morning.

Happily she has stayed sound from this injury and went on to do Dressage again. I have since turned her away for a year, partly due to the lameness she went on to suffer on the opposite front leg due to compensating for the DDFT injury. The DDFT tear has healed and she will be brought back into work again in the Spring this year. She will never do much anymore apart from hacking out, I dont want to take any further risks with her, she is very special and will be 17 this year.

Good luck with yours. Dont rush it, time is the key and patience..x
 
Thanks for those again!
Rhino: My mare is 10 so i am hopeful of a good recovery as she has much left to give and i fear would very much dislike to do little for the rest of her days - she's one that always blooms at shows and knows exactly when she's in the ring/start box and the bell has rung! Best of luck with your fellow - brilliant that he has someone who loves him enough to put in all the effort still. Unfortunately, i know plenty who wouldn't.

Izzwizz: That's very useful information given the injury sounds identical. I do feel that a programme more similar to this would be best as i'd always been committed to giving it as much time as it needed for the long term benefit. I may well end up doing as you've done and will certainly spend a while doing dressage before, if i ever, considering bringing her back to jumping.
 
Its funny but Izzy had been on/off lame for about 6 months before it was found properly. I felt guilty as hell at having lessons on her and all the time she wasnt right. The MRI scan revealed a fairly bad tear, bad enough that the treating Vet (who was absolutely brilliant at Horsepital) said if she didnt come right the only option was pts. She had to have wedge shoes with 2 plastic wedges inserted which were lowered gradually. She then had egg bar shoes on for support. I know some people say that barefoot is the way etc, but for my horse this plan worked with the wedges, egg bars. I completely trusted the treating Vet and my Farrier is excellent.

It is a long job and people said to me that they coudnt have dealt with it, wouldnt have the patience etc. Thankfully my lovely mare is ok now. She just has front shoes on, her back ones are off until she comes back into work. I may leave her with them off and see how it goes, I will follow my Farriers advice. Izzy is a big girl, 16.1 Hanoverian/TB and owes me nothing. She will be with me for the rest of her days.

If you want anymore info just pm me x
 
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