Help - What would you do?

[doratheexplorer]

Hello and Good Evening everyone,

just a quick question -

I bought Ben a week ago, he passed a 5-stage vetting the week before, and now he is at Littleton Manor with me (where I am working this summer).

Now, I have only been doing baby stuff with him as he is only 5, one 15 min lesson of walk and trot, a couple of walks round the 8 furlong gallops and a tiddily bit of canter & I popped a 60cm filler either way just to see how he was in the jumping arena (so not much - and all on nice soft ground!!)

Now he has a puffy off-hind (when the vet came to jab some horses I asked him to have a look) and he says it is his digital tendon sheath that is swollen, he says not to worry too much as he is quite a big horse (ISH but with a lot of bone - who had been hunted all though Ireland when he was a babba - general wear and tear), but he is only 5 and I am rather worried that this will be an ongoing issue. I want to hunt him all winter and event this summer I dont want to be worrying all about his legs and the ground all the time!

He is not lame trotting up, but when flexed he was definitely un-sound...

Just wanted to hear anyones ideas or experiances, I have cold hosed and bandaged, but its not any different the next morning. (swelling has been there since Thursday morning - not hot and not sensetive to touch)

Sorry about the legnth of this - hagen das and pub chips for getting this far!!

 

[Izzwizz]

My mare has just been recovering from a tear in her deep digital flexor tendon and its taken so far nearly a year - shes 15. Shes only been turned out 2 months (just about) and when shes been running about the field her tendon sheath has puffed up a bit, nothing serious and not made her lame, but its the tendons way of protecting itself. Therefore, if I were you I would have your horses examined in more detail by a vet, if the tendon gets any serious damage you wont be able to do anything that you plan to i.e. hunting. If the worst should happen then its a long time getting better. As you say your horse is only a baby really and has done a lot for a young age. A vet may advise rest for now and time to grow, I dont know as Im not an expert, but I would value the opinion of an expert - your vet. As the old saying goes - no foot no horse.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[gingerthing]

My boy has had a very similar thing, vet saw him 2 weeks ago and said he had a small windgall, on a flexion test he came up lame 3/10 (but unsure if this may be connected to his stifle ocd? as if not worked regularly he stiffens up) I trialled putting bioflow tendon wraps on at night and the windgall does look smaller since hes been wearing them.

I have my vet coming tomorrow to check him over again so fingers crossed its nothing serious

 

[brighteyes]

Has he been mucking about in the field?