Ligament Damage in Foot

[magsdean]

My 6 year old horse is about to go for an MRI scan to confirm what my vet suspects - that he has ligament damage in his foot. I understand that box rest is usually recommended in situations such as this. Unfortunately my boy doesn't do well in box rest

We've already tried box resting him due to this lameness and after a week, walking him out became impossible as he reared and threw himself about so much. I really don't feel this will be an option.

Has anyone had positive outcomes using prolonged field rest with horses that had ligament damage in a foot?

In fact, any stories re this injury (good or bad) would be appreciated.

 

[nijinsky]

My mare had ligament damage in both rear legs & was never box rested. I posted loads of post last year about it if you fancy scanning back to have a look, there were a couple of other people who gave me lots of help & advice whose horses had similar problems. Don't know how different the ligament in the foot is to the leg though.

 

[eventer28]

Two horses at our yard had serious ligament damage in there hooves. They were both box rested for 6 months and then sedated for walking on our horsewalker for a couple of weeks before being turned out. Both horses were rested 6 months and then walked daily on the walker and then turned away for the winter, both horses are sound and in full work again. Cant you send him to a yard that have facilities and experience for bringing horses back from injury..

 

[magsdean]

Thanks for your response. I've already started looking at possible rehabilitation yards. If he has to be box rested I guess my hands are tied but I feel it's pretty unnatural (and mentally cruel?) for the horse and to be avoided where-ever possible. Time will tell.

 

[magsdean]

Thanks for getting back to me. You would think what works for ligaments in the leg would work for those in the foot but I'm not sure that's the case. Same horse had a suspensory ligament strain last year (how lucky am I/is he?) and he recovered without box rest. However, from what I can tell box rest is the done thing in the case of foot ligament damage.