HELP - Possible hair line fracture and bruised tendon

P

Pocket_Rocket

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 September 2011
Messages
176
Visit site
Well my horse decided to scare the life out of me and attempted to commit suicide yesterday and hung himself in his stable!! :eek: His stable is inside a barn and has half wood panels at the bottom and metal railings on the higher section of the walls. He decided to kick out at his neighbour and some how managed to get his leg through the metal railings! He's been in this stable for 2 years and never managed it before. I have now put wooden boards on both partitions so that he has no access to the metal railings.

The position in which I found him meant that his leg must have twisted as his near hind leg was through the bars and he was led on his back I have absolutely no idea how his leg didn't snap! The vet said its a miracle. He was sedated yesterday given a general anaesthetic to try and knock him out so that we could free his leg and it had absolutely no effect and was still thrashing! The vet said if he gave him any more then it would kill him. :(

Anyway everyone at the yard worked together and managed to free him by wedging the metal railings apart and after getting cast twice my horse managed to get up though he was exhausted. He must of fell when his leg got caught and landed on his face (thank god the stable has full rubber matting) so his face has ballooned, he also has a wound above his eye, a load of muck went in his eye so its very sore and swollen and he has minor wounds to his legs. The vet said that he may have bruised his tendon and both hind legs had to be bandaged. So I saw to his wounds and bandaged his legs was given bute and said he wanted to see him in the morning.

So anyway the vet came this morning and to my amazement my horse has hardly any swelling to his leg and he trotted up sound! (though he is on bute) The vet said he couldn't believe his eyes! He has advised that he has 1 week of no work and then next week he said I should ride in walk for the week then the following week introduce some trot then finally introduce some canter work. Then once he has been built up enough under saddle he can be turned out. He said that this routine needs to be followed just in case he has sustained a hair line fracture.

Now this is all well and good but he doesn't cope well on box rest and riding him whilst on box rest seems a recipe for disaster to me. I doubt very much he will calmly potter around the school in walk with no turn out! Secondly if he may have a hair line fracture then surely the recovery would be much longer? I really have no idea as i've never had a horse go through this and just wondered what regime people think I should follow or have followed from past experience?

Sorry for the essay! :o
 
I don't have any practical help to offer but I just wanted to say that it sounds as if you've been very lucky that he came off so lightly. It sounds like a totally ghastly experience for you. Its exactly the sort of thing my mare would do (we have half height walls (6' approx between the stalls and she managed to rear up and get her front legs over the wall then struggled to get back down)
Maybe explain to your vet that riding him in this situation might not be a safe option and see if he/she can suggest an alternative. You don't want to get injured yourself.
Good luck, hopefully it will not be a fracture.
 
Omg, that sounds so scarey! Poor horsey. And poor you! One of mine put her front leg through a 6-bar metal gate once, panicked and ripped the gate off its hinges. She's only 12.2!! Tiny little cut inside her fetlock, but that was it. They're amazing sometimes - both stupidity-wise and toughness-wise! :D

Anyway, with regards to a hairline fracture, i'm pretty sure it depends how deep into the bone it is. If it's more than half-way through, the bone is unstable (or so i was told when one of mine was awaiting his results). Are we talking canon bone?

I personally would be asking for xrays before any decisions were made. And maybe ultrasounds too, to check for tissue damage. Are you insured? One of mine was attacked in a field once, really badly. Vet reckoned the leg injury was "superficial", but she'd xray just in case. She was shocked to see he'd smashed his splint bone to smitherines and had a hairline canon fracture. Some horses are just braver than others and hide the pain better. One of my mares has broken bones in both back legs (on seperate occasions), and she was a wuss! :)

When he is ready to be ridden again, it might be a sedalin jobby. Or do you have access to a horse-walker? Or just get someone to lead you from the ground for a bit. And ride out with a nice quiet horse. Also, depending on the damage, maybe a small (like stable-sized) paddock in the field instead of his stable? That always makes them feel better. It just depends on whether or not he'll try to escape?? I've had it both ways. :cool:

Horses eh! Dont you just hate them! :D

Good luck though. x
 
Thanks for your replies guys. It was very scary and I really feel it a miracle that I still have him. If there is a break I imagine it would be in the short pastern but again the vet didn't make this clear to me. He is fully weight bearing and has minimal swelling around the ankle (don't know technical name!) and bruised heel.

Well i'm in a dilemma the vet I used wasn't my vet because I needed a vet asap to sedate him my vet said he'd be there in 40 mins whilst my friends vet said he'd be up the yard in 10 mins so I used my friends vet. The vet that seen to him said he may have a hair line fracture but even so he can be ridden next week! Seems way too soon to me! He said he was happy with him and didn't even mention the need to do x-rays. Just said that he needs to walk ridden for a week then trot the following week and so on until I can knacker him ridden then he will be able to be turned out. And that he didn't need to see him again.

My horse is insured the problem I have is my normal vet I imagine would want to do x-rays/scans to check the bones and tendons but my worry is the leg will then be excluded? Because I used a different vet I can keep quiet and pay the bill myself rather than claiming which seems the best option. So my options are to treat it like a fracture and keep him on box rest for 6-8 weeks and lead him in hand slowly building him up. Or I can claim on the insurance and take my vets advice with the treatment.

We don't have a horse walker or restricted turn out its either he's in or he's out. The vet that seen to him said he must be built up before being turned out to ensure the leg can cope if he decideds to be a loon. Which I know he will be! One of the ladies at the yard told me this morning that I should turn him out?! I just don't know what to do for the best. I'm thinking I should just slowly build him up so he can cope with being turned out. Thats all I want to get to with him then i'll bring him back into work a month or so after that.


What would you guys do if it was your horse?
 
I would call my vet and discuss the best way forward. Actually, the way things have happened (in terms of using the first available vet for the emergency itself, which is reasonable enough) you are in the fortunate position to be effectively asking your own vet for a second opinion.

I'd go along with whatever xrays/scans they suggest in this instance. I think I'm right in saying that some fractures won't show up on xrays til some swelling has gone down, so there may be a time delay before it's appropriate to xray for certain things.

With something as traumatic as this incident, I think it's a very risky path to tread if you just assume there's nothing major wrong and go your own way without a vet's support. Personally I wouldn't have a clue where a fracture or other injury might be from that kind of accident, and so I wouldn't have the faintest idea how to treat the unknown.

This kind of thing is just what insurance is for. Just ring your vet.

Sarah
 
Thanks flintfootfilly I think your right I've just spoken to my vet and they have advised that he should have an x-ray. So they are coming out tomorrow to x-ray him fingers crossed he hasn't done anything major. The thing is he could have a fracture but he's just coping very well with the pain.

Like you say its better to know what is going on and I will feel a bit better about his rehabilitation where as at the moment I feel like I don't know what to do for the best. It's the best thing for his welfare if it's not broken he will be able to go out sooner where as at the moment he's on box rest but people keep moaning at me that its cruel and he should be out in the field.

Also if I got him strong enough to be turned out and then his leg gave way from being a loon then theres no way I would ever forgive myself. I just don't think I was thinking straight as i'm still in shock from Sunday should have just rang my own vet first thing Monday morning. And everyone keeps saying as its if nothing as happened to him but I don't want a nasty shock if he's done something really bad to it but is hiding it so well.

Thank you for making me see sense! Just hope they don't find anything tomorrow fingers crossed.
 
They will only exclude for conditions relating to that injury. If he hurt his leg in a separate incident, as long as your vet confirmed the new injury was unrelated, they'd pay out no probs. I've had it before. Torn LDE tendon, then torn Check ligament in same leg - they paid out though cos my vet wrote to them.
I personally, would be getting your regular vet out, just in cases :)
 
Thanks itsonlyme he's my first horse and i've never had to make a claim before but I know how fussy they are anything not to pay out. I hope they will pay out will have to speak with them tomorrow once I get the outcome of the x-ray. Would be nice to not have to foot the bill and I pay £50 a month for my insurance so I should use it really. I'm with KBIS as I know quite a few people that use them and say they are fab but we will see! Just hope the x-ray is ok been stressing about it all day.
 
Hope all goes well tomorrow. I really do think you are doing the right thing.

And if others at the yard try and tell you what you should be doing, you will be able to just say that you are following the vet's advice, so avoiding any conflict there.

One other thing I would definitely do, if it was one of my gang, would be to book a back person to come out and give them a thorough check before your horse gets to the stage of going back into work. Even if (hopefully) it turns out there is no serious damage, then a physio/back person may be able to pinpoint and help any more general aches/pains which may have happened as a result of the incident.

Best wishes

Sarah
 
Yes good news my boy had his x-rays today and there are no fractures he can go out the weekend! :) its a HUGE relief so glad he's ok. Insurance also seem happy to pay spoke with them today. They said they may exclude that leg at renewal so if thats the case then I wont go with them again.
 
flintfootfilly has a very good point re. the physio. My horse had a really nasty fall onto rock, had the physio out, turned out he'd pulled his back from his poll to his tail and was very sore all along his ribs, pelvis was out too.

Horses are pillocks! Give me a nice, sensible pony any day!
 
Yes I didn't see flintfootfilly's post last night as I was on my phone and just wanted to give a quick update to say my boy is fine. :)

I will be having the physio out he was only done 2 weeks ago! That was a pointless exercise! lol I'm not going to bring him back into work until next year now so I don't know whether to get the physio out next week or whether I should wait until I want to bring him back into work? What would you guys do in my situation?

Yes my horse is definately a pillock! lol Still can't believe he done it but am SO relieved he was x-rayed yesterday and there are no breaks. :) He's on bute for 7 days which started from last Sunday so providing he trots up sound this Sunday then I will be able to put him out! I'm going to put him out for an hour at the end of the day when all the other horses won't give a dam if he's being a lunatic! lol

I've started to lead him out in hand now I know there's nothing wrong. He's actually been very good considering he likes to be with his friends. We put boards up last Sunday over the metal bars so he can't attempt suicide again! lol I call his stable the pyschiatric ward! Think he really needs a padded cell and possibly a straight jacket! lol
 
I would get the physio out once he is off the bute, it may be that he has done something muscular and it is better sorted sooner than later.
Glad he is doing well and hopefully the stable reinforcements work.
 
Thanks be positive I will give her a call and see if she can come out next week. I've got to have an operation myself next Friday so if she can't come next week then I won't be able to have him done until i've recovered. I'm not allowed to do anything physical and would rather be there as he finds it very hard to trust people. Just grateful he didn't decide to hang himself after I had my op because I won't be in any fit state to do anything for a few weeks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top