deep digital flexor tendon injury

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Rachaelpink

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Was cantering my horse in a field last May (age 16 nearly 17 at that point) and she suddenly went dog lame. She was initially box rested and basically was off work/ walk work only from then on. She was initiallly 3/10 lame. She was x rayed, nothing revealed. Eventually MRI scan revealed in right front leg swelling of the ligaments of the coffin joint and back of the pastern. Left leg swelling of the ligaments of the coffin joint and an old intro injury of the insertion of the deep digital flexor tendon in the foot. The abnormalities are considered mild (mid February this year 1/10 lame).

Just over a month ago she has had coritisone injections and is currently sound, being brought slowly back into work. Obviously all injuries are slighlty different but is there anyone with similar injuries and what can they do with their horse now? Vet said I can jump her again but it will slightly shorten her life span and if I jump her over a metre it will significantly shorten. I previously used to compete her up to about 95cm in jump off, very occassionally jumping up to 1.15-20 at home as a one off fence. Hoping to compete her in unaffiliated smaller classes again.
 
Can't help as mine (25 yrs) is still being brought back into work after small tears found in both front feet and has had cortisone injections in both. Second one was done in August 2012 but gave her the winter off, so only up to 20 minutes walk!

Will be interested to see other answers as not sure mine will fully recover due to complications of arthritis and cushings.
 
Happened to my mare 4yrs ago now, she was box rested, egg bars on, injections and is currently sound. She lives out now which is better for her. She unfortunately injured her SDFT on her opposite leg a year later due to putting pressure on that leg when the the DDFT injury occurred. She is only used for hacking now and has had last winter off. Easier life for her as her DDFT tear was bad, it was within her hoof and found by MRI as she was on off lame and we were going round in circles trying to work out what was wrong with her.

So far so good but she will never have any pressure put on her now. I did a little jumping with her but no more now. She was 14 when it happened.
 
Rachaelpink said:
Was cantering my horse in a field last May (age 16 nearly 17 at that point) and she suddenly went dog lame. She was initially box rested and basically was off work/ walk work only from then on. She was initiallly 3/10 lame. She was x rayed, nothing revealed. Eventually MRI scan revealed in right front leg swelling of the ligaments of the coffin joint and back of the pastern. Left leg swelling of the ligaments of the coffin joint and an old intro injury of the insertion of the deep digital flexor tendon in the foot. The abnormalities are considered mild (mid February this year 1/10 lame).

Just over a month ago she has had coritisone injections and is currently sound, being brought slowly back into work. Obviously all injuries are slighlty different but is there anyone with similar injuries and what can they do with their horse now? Vet said I can jump her again but it will slightly shorten her life span and if I jump her over a metre it will significantly shorten. I previously used to compete her up to about 95cm in jump off, very occassionally jumping up to 1.15-20 at home as a one off fence. Hoping to compete her in unaffiliated smaller classes again.
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I would listen to the advice of your vet. My horse had a deep digital flexor tendon injury as well as the superficial tendon and we were told she would probably never come right. Lots of rest and full time turnout after 6 months box rest she came sound after 1 year she then had a foal 2 years after the injury and came back into work once the foal was weaned.
I would not dream of jumping her over 1m because of previous damage. I would say compete in smaller classes but you need to be careful I went back to basics with my mare 6 weeks walking, then 4 weeks with walk and trot then onto canter work to build up the muscles slowly and correctly. I would advise the same to prevent re injury. My horse did jump again but only a few times she has quiet a significantly bowed tendon now, she was 16 when the injury happened and is now 21. She compete's at low level dressage and hacks, she was an event horse prior to the injury and show jumped also to a good standard.
Also my horse hasn't ever had cortisone injections, she had bute when the initial injury happened. When bringing her back into work she had her shoes removed and they were only put back on after she resumed full work.
She has been hacking and will continue compete in dressage, she has arthritis in her hocks and stifles now after obvious wear and tear, but she leads a happy and full life :)
 
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Laura-Maybe-IV- I am going to listen to the advice of my vet. As I said I used to jump her over a metre, I'm not planning to now.
My vet said jumping up to that height will slightly shorten her life span, however you may as well enjoy her. I'm just interested to know what others in a similar position are doing with their horses.

She'll turn 18 in June but is, apart from the injury, as lively as ever, so hoping we can do low level unaffiliated SJ for a couple more years. I'm luckily to have had a few years in the past of competing her. If she couldn't be jumped again I'd really miss it, and she would, but I have lots of pics and rosettes to show what we used to do.
 
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