Enlarged suspensory ligament.

[ed399]

Hi all,
I'm looking for some advice about my horse. To cut a huge story slightly less huge, I recently went away to university and left B in the hands of my loaners who i'd had for about 4 months. I'd had some issues with them in that they weren't using the right tack and all the rider wanted to do was jump, but i'd asked that he was jumped less-may sound a little protective, I know, but she was only 12 and not very competent, was teaching him some bad habits such as running out, and It was in everyone's best interests for her to do a bit more actual riding.
All in all, though, got on with them really well, so I went off to Uni thinking that he was in the best hands and a few weeks in, saw on social media that they were out in our jumping field (on VERY hard and rutted ground and it was not supposed to be in use due to this) and had been jumping him 4ft6/5foot courses. (she'd never jumped above 2ft6 before) In one of the videos, she got him very close to a jump and he still launched himself over it, but she fell off and he landed very funny in order not to step on her. So after a few arguments with them in which they demanded less money and more days, and also let on that they'd been taking him out to competitions which I didn't even know about (even though it says in the contract that things must be checked with me), I cancelled the agreement.
Went home the day after they'd been jumping him in the field to find him completely lame.
We're now 3 months down the line from this, he's been into the vets and found that he chipped a bone in his forelock joint, which he's in the vets now recovering from an operation to remove this, and had an enlarged suspensory ligament. He was initially prescribed 6 weeks box rest, but now has been give 4 more weeks from now, and then 6 weeks sedated turnout before I can start lightly leading him in hand and even thinking about bringing him back into work.
The vet is worried that the ligament may be a limiting injury, but cannot (and will not) specify in which way. I am utterly, utterly devastated as he is only 12, and my best friend, and we enjoy doing a bit of everything. Obviously it would not be the end of the world if he could not jump again although he enjoys it so much, but if he cannot be ridden again or only used as a light hack (he detests hacking) then I'm really not sure what I'd do with him. He's my best friend and I really want some answers or just some advice-does anyone have any advice on what to do/how to make all the rest and recovery easier for him, tips on bringing him back into work, and opinions on how limiting it may be?
Sorry for the rant, and thank you so much for reading!! As a side note, please no comments on me allowing them to loan him, I really believed that they adored him and I feel guilty enough already about it! I also know it cannot be said that it was 10000% their fault, but my vet has looked at the injury and the evidence and he and my physio are independently 99.999% sure that was the cause. Whilst this is an advice post, I couldn't help but have a bit of a rant!!
Many thanks!!!
E D

 

[milliepops]

is it the foreleg that had the bone chip that also has the suspensory issue?

Best advice in this sort of situation is to be very very patient, careful and methodical with his rehab, bit more patient and be guided by your vet. They won't be able to give you a definitive prognosis until you start bringing him back into work, really, they are all different.

It's a rubbish thing to happen but what's done is done. Hopefully he will settle to some hacking as that is often the best thing for them with soft tissue injuries.

 

[ed399]

is it the foreleg that had the bone chip that also has the suspensory issue?

Best advice in this sort of situation is to be very very patient, careful and methodical with his rehab, bit more patient and be guided by your vet. They won't be able to give you a definitive prognosis until you start bringing him back into work, really, they are all different.

It's a rubbish thing to happen but what's done is done. Hopefully he will settle to some hacking as that is often the best thing for them with soft tissue injuries.

Yes, both injuries are in his front left leg.
I'm really hoping he can do a bit more than hacking as he can't be hacked alone as he gets so nervous it's just dangerous, and hacking with others he just gets so bonkers so it's not ideal. With someone on the ground he's okay but then he'd only be getting out once every few months! Otherwise he'd just have to be retired and that would just be so sad for him.
Thank you for your advice! I completely understand that the vet can't say anything until he's brought back into work but i'm worrying about it so much, i thought i'd get some other opinions!

 

[milliepops]

Presumably the ligament has been scanned so you know the degree of injury?
Prognosis for suspensory issues in the forelegs is generally better than hindlegs IIRC but so much depends on what they've done and how the rehab goes. Don't get too despondent, the most important thing is to get him back into controlled exercise and be super patient.
You may well find he makes a good recovery and can go back to all kinds of work. But hacking is usually recommended as a starting point because walking on a firm surface in straight lines is usually the best way to start working the tissues in a controlled way
Can you long rein him or lead him out in hand to start with? Perhaps this will be the ideal opportunity to help him get confident with his hacking.

 

[be positive]

Yes, both injuries are in his front left leg.
I'm really hoping he can do a bit more than hacking as he can't be hacked alone as he gets so nervous it's just dangerous, and hacking with others he just gets so bonkers so it's not ideal. With someone on the ground he's okay but then he'd only be getting out once every few months! Otherwise he'd just have to be retired and that would just be so sad for him.
Thank you for your advice! I completely understand that the vet can't say anything until he's brought back into work but i'm worrying about it so much, i thought i'd get some other opinions!

Rehabbing him is going to be a challenge then as for most soft tissue injuries hacking and straightline work is the best way to get them back to work, if he only ever works on a surface his ligaments will not be as well conditioned as they ideally should be which may impact as much on his prognosis as the injury itself, sorry to be a bit doom and gloom but I would be wanting to spend the first 8 weeks doing nothing but hacking, will he long rein out sensibly as that could be a way to build his confidence at the same time as you build up his work.

As for the loaners behaviour words fail me with the stupidity of some people, what was the adult responsible thinking of to allow a child to use and abuse someone else's horse in such a way.

Cross posted with Milliepops, it seems we are of the same mind on this as well as a few other threads recently!!!

 

[ed399]

yes, it is only mildly enlarged, not torn or anything! So i was feeling very hopeful up until then but when he had the operation to remove the bone chip, the vet reported that they were quite worried about it and it was likely to be limiting, and now i've overthought it so much I don't know what to think!
Leading him out is even worse than riding him in the sense that he's better with someone on the ground but when he explodes, he really explodes, and will just knock the person straight over. I'm not sure it's worth losing him or getting either of us hurt. He's a good boy to lead and he's not naughty or bolshy in the slightest, he is genuinely just terrified. I've had him for 3 years and his hacking has never gotten any better-on one of our more recent tries, he ended up going ballistic and falling into a ditch. And since he'll have had so much time off, that probably wouldn't help.
Hacking would be ideal as we have so much near us, and I know that's what the vet will tell us to do when he can come back into light work but he's so nervous i don't know whether it would do more harm than good!

 

[ed399]

Rehabbing him is going to be a challenge then as for most soft tissue injuries hacking and straightline work is the best way to get them back to work, if he only ever works on a surface his ligaments will not be as well conditioned as they ideally should be which may impact as much on his prognosis as the injury itself, sorry to be a bit doom and gloom but I would be wanting to spend the first 8 weeks doing nothing but hacking, will he long rein out sensibly as that could be a way to build his confidence at the same time as you build up his work.

As for the loaners behaviour words fail me with the stupidity of some people, what was the adult responsible thinking of to allow a child to use and abuse someone else's horse in such a way.

Cross posted with Milliepops, it seems we are of the same mind on this as well as a few other threads recently!!!

No I completely understand, if he was better I would give him 2 or 3 months just hacking, I've not tried long reining him but i'm not sure that would be any better, especially since that would mean he'd be at the front on his own with nobody even on him
So many nights sleep has been lost on those awful people! When I cancelled the contract and told them he was lame, her response was that she couldn't do it any longer and was glad it was cancelled, and not even a word of apologies, didn't even say she hoped he was alright! I feel so guilty for letting them loan him but I had no idea that they'd use him that way!
Thank you for your advice!!!!