Heavy cob mare - suspensory ligament

[petsnponies]

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice please,

My Heavy 15hh cob mare tore her suspensory ligament this summer. Diagnosed via ultrasound. It was at the fetlock where it branches into 2 on the outside of the fetlock. Front leg.

She stayed on box rest for 8 weeks, was rescanned, then had 2 weeks walking 5mins twice a day, then 2 weeks @ ten mins twice a day, then 15 mins etc.

She was then rescanned and the vet said it was ok to ride her, starting at 20mins and then working up. I turned her out in a small paddock as she was box walking and getting stressed.

We have been hacking now for 3 weeks and no lameness and are doing around 35mins (not every day) but last night she was a bit of a numpty and ended up jogging quite a bit because she saw a loose dog on the road

Rather than fighting I took her round another way which was a little longer, didn't want her to think she could prat around and go straight home, she seemed fine whilst riding but hey presto come to her in the field this morning and she is lame again.

Have cold hosed and put 'like ice' on and bandaged. Back in her box.

Feel terrible because I should of just let her go home and maybe this wouldn't have happened.

So what do I do now? Start it all again from the beginning? I think maybe it needed longer to heal so am thinking I may just box rest her til sound then turn out and write her off until next spring? Give it a good 6 months or something like. the vet said it was a rare injury he'd only seen once before so he wasnt sure how she'd recover.

What are other's experience's with suspensory ligaments injurys at the fetlock?

any advice greatly appreciated xxx

 

[little MJ]

Ring your vet! Suspensory ligaments are tricky things! Read my post further up. X

 

[Birker2020]

look at applecart14 video's on youtube for my videos of my horse that had a strain on his lateral branch of his suspensory ligament, near fore.

Get some ice cups (polystyrene cups filled with water), freeze them and then put the open end onto the ligament, but make sure you keep the cup slowly moving to prevent a freeze burn. Do this for twenty mins, twice a day if you can, peel the polystyrene down as the ice melts. This is a more effective way of using cold therapy as it is a constant cold temperature. Ice boots are very effective too, but not as good as ice cups so use both.

I also stable bandaged my horse. he had LW ultrasound from the physio and he also had PRP (protein rich plasma) treatment - ask your vet or google for more info. This was quite effective.

His injury was June 2011, and by Feb this year we were starting small 2ft 3" courses, gradually moving onto 2ft" 6 etc, until we are now jumping 3ft + without a problem and doing jump offs too. I dont trot on the road, I make sure the surface is not too deep when I ride, and make sure I don't go from a firmer surface into a boggy patch, which is an accident waiting to happen for your horses type of injury. Give your horse a few days off straight away and monitor the swelling. You may find magnetic boots better. My horses leg swells every now and then, when this happens I reduce work, and just walk for the next day and maybe walk and trot or hack out for the second day and bring back into work and see how we get on.

Any more info you need please PM me.

TIP ONE: I always always carry an instant ice pack in the boot of my car so it can be applied whenever I am at a show. I suggest you get some so if you hack out you can take one with you and a bandage just in case. The quicker you can apply cold therapy the better the outcome. You just squeeze and shake them when you need them and they are very, very cold.

TIP TWO: Get a physio to assess your horse and check that he is sound behind. If a horse is carrying more weight on the forehand it will upset the suspensory injury.

TIP TWO: (Not saying you have but )never over ride your horse. If he is tired he will injury more easily or aggravate an old injury as he is liable to ride on his forehand thus putting more weight onto the injury.

 

[Birker2020]

Meant to say don't lose heart. My horse was rescanned about three times with no visible improvement before the vet could see a slight improvement the fourth time it seemed to take forever and his was a slight sprain!! My horses fetlock is still up/down from time to time, but remember to feel your horses leg before and after you ride and get to know his leg inside out and when to lay off a little. I can feel my horses leg in my sleep now- literally I can shut my eyes now and know how it feels, I could even draw an outline of it on paper as I know it so well!

Chances are your mare pulled her leg a little in the field, so don't worry I am sure it wasn't your hack that did it!! XX