Experiences with suspensory injuries?

Nightmare before Christmas

Nightmare before Christmas

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My horse has recently gone lame. Was lame on the right fore and has now changed to the left fore. Been nerve blocked and found the lameness between the bottom of the cannon bone and the bottom of the knee joint.

Could be a few possible things:

suspensory damage
a splint forming
or some problem with the lower knee joint

Had some xrays which all looked normal. I know from experience that the cannon bone looks denser at the top if the suspensory is damaged (which didnt show up for my horse)
He also has no heat or swelling in the area and never has!

My hope is he will throw a small splint and be okay! (though xray showed no sign of this either)

He has further scans in a weeks time but wondered if anyone else had experience with this kind of thing?

Would like to add my horse is 4 yrs old and has been in light work since ive had him (ive had him about 7 weeks) and hasnt been turned out due to college turnout being not ideal. He goes on the walker twice a day and is ridden on average about 20min a day. Have jumped him cross poles twice, but where a while before he went lame! Hes a laid back talented horse so I dont want him broken!
 
I would box rest and wait for scans. I've been there with suspensory ligaments and belive me the earlier you get them on box rest the better!
 
badgermyers said:
My horse has recently gone lame. Was lame on the right fore and has now changed to the left fore. Been nerve blocked and found the lameness between the bottom of the cannon bone and the bottom of the knee joint.

Could be a few possible things:

suspensory damage
a splint forming
or some problem with the lower knee joint

Had some xrays which all looked normal. I know from experience that the cannon bone looks denser at the top if the suspensory is damaged (which didnt show up for my horse)
He also has no heat or swelling in the area and never has!

My hope is he will throw a small splint and be okay! (though xray showed no sign of this either)

He has further scans in a weeks time but wondered if anyone else had experience with this kind of thing?

Would like to add my horse is 4 yrs old and has been in light work since ive had him (ive had him about 7 weeks) and hasnt been turned out due to college turnout being not ideal. He goes on the walker twice a day and is ridden on average about 20min a day. Have jumped him cross poles twice, but where a while before he went lame! Hes a laid back talented horse so I dont want him broken!
Click to expand...

It could be a number of things, which you probably won't know until you get scanned.

Not being rude but keeping a horse in 24/7 when he is only four is very counter productive. He needs to go out to strengthen his bones, run and play and eat the grass. If he is a WB he will not mature for another two years, and he needs to have some time at liberty in between when you are lightly working him. I know you said the college turnout isn't ideal but its better for him to be out for even three hours that not at all.

Please don't think I'm having a dig, but just wanted to give my humble opinion.
 
Hey, I get your point and im trying to sort turn out with the college. He is very riggy (recently gelded) and being turned out with 15 horses isnt going to suit him and my last horse broke his leg being turned out at the college, hence I am worried. He is having individual turn out sorted now so he can go out the last few weeks of uni. He has been in 24/7 due to the lameness as we dont know the cause and dont want to aggravate it.

He should be scanned friday or monday this week.
 
Good luck, hope it all goes well for you:)

My daughter's 14.2hh 5 year old connie hurt his left front suspensory ligament in Aug 2011, we did 4 months of box rest etc and then started bringing him back into work very slowly in Oct ish time, he has just started jumping small jumps again, so fingers crossed :)
 
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