horse shoulder strain/sprain - experiences

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eva

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Hi all,

Has anyone's horse strained/sprained a shoulder? What did it look like, what was the lameness like, and how long did it take to heal? Did you have to do box rest or field rest?

Thanks everyone. The vet suspects a strain/sprain and I'm quietly going crazy thinking of what to do now.
 
Many years ago we had a Section A, who damaged her shoulder (strain/sprain) when she fell over a bucket. The vet prescribed 3 weeks box rest with controlled in-hand exercise each day and, I think, bute. The in-hand exercise was fun because at first she refused to put any weight on the bad leg, so she hopped on 3 legs, swinging the bad one. I wouldn't have wanted to try it with anything bigger. She made a complete recovery and was fine for years afterwards.
 
Hi eva, my coloured warmblood did this a few years ago. We were doing some cross country schooling and he didn't pick his front feet up enough coming out of a sunken road (up quite a big step), so he sort of somersaulted over it instead and twisted his shoulder in the process. I didn't realise this is what happened at the time (I got knocked out!) but he had intermittent lameness afterwards, had the vet out and they couldn't work out the cause. Then got the physio out who immediately identified it as a strained shoulder. I think he only needed a few weeks rest then gently bringing back into work. It was very easy to treat in my case and has never affected him since. :)

Hope your boy gets better too, I'm sure he will! :) I would definately get a good physio out to look and treat it for you.
 
my boy sprained his on the beach march 09, while trying to have a race that I didn't really permit him to have.. I think he went from being a tense welshy to trying to gallop and pulled it in that first leapy stride :rolleyes: pulled him up reasonably quickly and hopped off and walked back to box.. getting worse along the way and he was very hoppy. Happy to stand on it though just not happy to pull it forwards we later discovered. As was sat morn had called vet while still on the beach so he arrived to see pony inelegantly get out of trailer.

He did have a lump come up above his shoulder, a bit on his neck higher than we thought it might be.

Pony had a week of bute. was on yard rest for 3 days (we have a square yard area with some grass bout 50ftx50. Then went into a small paddock in the field next to his girlfrien because he was stressing about leaving her unattended ;) and was quieter eating though was being careful re weight too. After 5 days he was much improved and I started walking him out for 5 to 10mins... increased this slowly and mostly long reined as he walks on properly then. Steadily got better and was riding after 3 weeks and just built it up slowly. By week 10 we were competing dressage though I didn't jump him for a while after that :) though that was partly due to his age at the time (16) and I wanted it to be right.

No problems with any reoccurance and was v pleased as did actually think I had properly broken him as he hobbled back down the beach.

Oh I also got my regular chiro out to see him for a couple of really nice massages :) which helped and I also started doing small exercises with him reasonably quickly to mantain his range of motion in that shoulder so that it didnt knit together too tight.

Hope that helps :)
 
oooh, I know a good but very expensive (£100+ a visit) physio in my area, I've been thinking of getting her out to see him before the injury but it was too expensive! it's justified now though :)
 
I am just bringing my horse back into work at the moment (well was before the snow!) from exactly this injury. Sympthoms were an intermittent lameness on off side fore leg (had to look hard) and a huge lump on lower neck. Was diagnosed through nerve blocks and a bone scan. He had about 3months off work in total but was allowed in field all the time. Only treatment he had was physio and this is ongoing. Started with a month of hacking at weekends to bring him back to work and had just picked him up ready to jump etc before the snow came! Hope your horse is ok.
 
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