Managing a horse that has old tendon injuries.

[Kafairia]

Hi, this is just a kind of "wwyd" but more on management.

My horse is an Irish ex pointer and racehorse under the name of Bleuvito (much to my suprise he's made it to google images.. Haha) and he stopped racing as an 11yr old and he's 12 now. He's a lovely boy with a heart of gold, and he didn't cost me the earth. I don't vet horses I buy, I have my reasons but this isn't a vet or not to vet debate. I've found he has old tendon injuries (dishonest seller, but this is not a problem). He's sound (confirmed by farrier / vet) but I've come to understand he was bar fired following what must of been a racing accident (there is a year gap in his racing career). He's sound, and has only been unsound once and this was for a week because I had pushed him too hard too quickly / he'd spazzed about in his field and got a sprain, which came right with seven 10 min cold therapy sessions for 3 days.

My vet has told me that I should become familiar with his legs and each ridge, texture, his reaction etc. And I asked if I should be icing his legs after work every time, in which he said I should be more worried about ground hardness, which I'm already careful over as I'm the owner of a pony that once broke his leg, and it seems like common sense to me. I also asked if this would effect his eventing career I'm aiming for next year. He said just check my ground, and start with BE80s and steadily work his way up and make sure he's coping well, but that he would expect he'd be absolutely fine.

I know a lot of people wouldn't touch my horse with a barge pole - old tendon injuries, not phenomenal - but enough scope and capability. He's not had an easy life, but retirement wouldn't be an option as like most horses, he loves to do a job and is so willing.

So does anyone have a horse with old tendon injuries that's working happily, sound? And does anyone have any advice other than what I already have? What would you do in my shoes?

Please try to be constructive, this horse is very special to me and, we are going to try and take the steady path to eventing, even if the odds aren't quite in our favour.

Thank you and I apologise if I have frazzled anyone's brains with sentences that make no sense or poor grammar.

 

[doodle]

Mine badly damaged both superficial tendons. Very long and slow rehab but I actually did more with him post injury than before including ode's although just local unaff level. Unfortunately he damaged it again badly 11 years after initial injury and he had to be pts. I used to ride him in proper sports medicine boots and I used cooling clay after every xc. Was very picky about ground conditions too and wouldn't think twice about pulling out of a xc after walking the course. So yes it was eventually his downfall but not for a good while.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Given that he raced again after his injury I wouldn't worry too much about his legs so long as you are careful with the ground you ride on and the way you build up his work load and strengthen his legs.

Take your time, check his legs every day before work and 2-3 hours after work. Unless the injury is major you won't notice anything straight after work.

Luckily for you your horse ran in the UK and not just Ireland so he is eligible for all ROR activities.

I will go see if I can find some more pics of him.

 

[Kafairia]

Thank you! Well, mine comes from a shady background, so I'm not sure what he did, just that it was a tendon injury.

Thank you boots are something I'm not sure but very careful with. He's currently got LeMieux snug boots but I'm sure I could do better, and sports medicine boots are something I don't know a great deal about bit have heard good things about. I was considering the ice boots you can soak in water prior and them be nice and cool without having to use actual ice, not sure

It's given me some hope, and atleast I know I'm thinking along the right lines.


And thanks EKW, I wasn't sure if he was eligible for ROR and the fact he races afterwards is something I hadn't thought about. But that does make sense - if it had been career ending or not.

 

[stencilface]

We rehomed an ex racer that was going to be pts aged 19 as the owner couldn't find a home for him. He had a severely bowed tendon (vet used to show it to all the students) and although we didn't do a lot with him we did some fun rides (not fun rides on a jogging ex racer!) And showcross and it never bothered him. He did it in his racing days and did plenty of eventing before we got him.

Monitor everything, but carry on I'd say.

 

[be positive]

I have one here that was bar fired, he came directly from the trainers to finish his box rest and be turned away, he came back to work very slowly returning to run in 6 pt2pt's before retiring here having been given to the daughter of one of his joint owners. He is treated like a normal horse, we do take care to know his legs but other than avoiding jumping on very hard ground he is not molly coddled, he is barefoot most of the time, shod twice this summer so he could wear studs jumping, he only wears boots when jumping, never just hacking or schooling.

He has done fairly well this summer being placed sj, dressage and at local shows, also taken part in a few ode's, I think the main priority is to take care of the feet, poor foot balance will not help support the rest of the horse, ours has excellent feet now although when he arrived they were flat with long toes and very weak, having them strong was an important part of getting him back to full work in my opinion.

 

[Kafairia]

I have one here that was bar fired, he came directly from the trainers to finish his box rest and be turned away, he came back to work very slowly returning to run in 6 pt2pt's before retiring here having been given to the daughter of one of his joint owners. He is treated like a normal horse, we do take care to know his legs but other than avoiding jumping on very hard ground he is not molly coddled, he is barefoot most of the time, shod twice this summer so he could wear studs jumping, he only wears boots when jumping, never just hacking or schooling.

He has done fairly well this summer being placed sj, dressage and at local shows, also taken part in a few ode's, I think the main priority is to take care of the feet, poor foot balance will not help support the rest of the horse, ours has excellent feet now although when he arrived they were flat with long toes and very weak, having them strong was an important part of getting him back to full work in my opinion.

That's fab news. One thing he does have is excellent hooves from the beggining, he's shod on all 4 to make sure they remain that way. My farrier is brilliant too and I've had the same lady for 6 years and I trust her. He was having trouble clipping himself with his hind legs after his first shoeing. She made me trot him up and now puts wings on his back shoes. It's working anyway, and she knew what to do straight away.

 

[zaminda]

One of mine did a tendon as a 6 year old. She has since done a few ODE's and done endurance, including a race ride. She smacked her other leg and damaged the check ligament jumping (through boots) a few years ago, and did a similar thing to the originally damaged leg in January. I bought some boots you soak in cold water for use after strenuous work, and have also bought an arc machine which was expensive, but has been fab. She has done 2 short endurance rides this season.
One thing which may be worth doing, is having it scanned to see what it looks like. I say this because the first time she damaged her leg, it was scanned repeatedly during rehab, and sometimes the leg would be puffy and we would think we were going to have to cut back work, ad it was fie, ad other times it felt perfect, and the scan would say it wasn't. A scan now would give you a base line against any future issues.

 

[Kafairia]

Thank you Zaminda - that would seem a worthwhile investment, and the next time I have the vet out, I'll see what they can do. I really like those soak boots and they seem easier and more convenient than actual ice boots.

I'm kind of shocked as everyone's replies so far have seemed really positive, which is nice. We're going to continue steadily, and I think I'll invest in some cooler boots along side some of the other things suggested. I've also seen "ice cool sprays" but I'm not sure how they work, but if they did I could see myself using them after all exercise.

 

[PorkChop]

I think sometimes you can over worry about old injuries.

He obviously returned to full work successfully I would certainly be careful of the ground conditions, and taking the time to get him properly fit, but apart from that tbh if they are going to break, they are going to break!

 

[Red-1]

I bought a mare when I was a teen, and she was just returning to work after a major tendon injury (both front legs). She had been pin fired by the previous owner, rested 9 months and was in steady work.

I did a year of smaller stuff, then stepped it up and she hunted regularly for years, did SJ to newcomers, and even did an Open Team Chase. The tendon was always fine, but she did eventually get sesamoiditis, which I suspect may have been brought on by the oddly flared tendons. Oddly enough that came on after her work was reduced due to me starting a new job.

 

[Birker2020]

Thank you! Well, mine comes from a shady background, so I'm not sure what he did, just that it was a tendon injury.

Thank you boots are something I'm not sure but very careful with. He's currently got LeMieux snug boots but I'm sure I could do better, and sports medicine boots are something I don't know a great deal about bit have heard good things about. I was considering the ice boots you can soak in water prior and them be nice and cool without having to use actual ice, not sure

It's given me some hope, and atleast I know I'm thinking along the right lines.


And thanks EKW, I wasn't sure if he was eligible for ROR and the fact he races afterwards is something I hadn't thought about. But that does make sense - if it had been career ending or not.

i would personally be looking at Icevibe boots as they can be put on before exercise to 'prepare' and loosen the tendons prior to exercise and u can use them in conjunction with the ice wraps supplied with the boots post exercise to cool down the tendons. At Around 180 pounds they are an expensive piece of kit but have worked well with my horse following two mild suspensory branch strains. if you know or suspect what leg he had the tendon problem it mihht pay to get it scanned. i have just had my boy scanned again and it has shown damage that exceeded what the vet had originally thought and ive been told not to jump him anymore as it could turn catastrophic: advice which i certainly have every intention of heeding.

 

[Kafairia]

Thank you everyone for your replies again, I'm grateful to hear about other people and there experiences!

Applecart - I do know exactly which leg. Both his fronts were fired - but one is slightly more enlarged and filled out - supposedly scar tissue I think the vet said. This to start with scared me but the vet confirmed that in itself is fine.

Icevibe look truly awesome, and if they would be of genuine benefit to him I'd just save up. He's currently only working flat work (20 - 30 cm raised poles at most) mainly because I only have a dressage saddle. Thing is with Icevibe - I didn't really get what made them unique? And I have also heard about acavallo gel wraps which can be froze / cooled and used under polos, which I thought would be quite good.

 

[Birker2020]

Thank you everyone for your replies again, I'm grateful to hear about other people and there experiences!

Applecart - I do know exactly which leg. Both his fronts were fired - but one is slightly more enlarged and filled out - supposedly scar tissue I think the vet said. This to start with scared me but the vet confirmed that in itself is fine.

Icevibe look truly awesome, and if they would be of genuine benefit to him I'd just save up. He's currently only working flat work (20 - 30 cm raised poles at most) mainly because I only have a dressage saddle. Thing is with Icevibe - I didn't really get what made them unique? And I have also heard about acavallo gel wraps which can be froze / cooled and used under polos, which I thought would be quite good.

They boost circulation in the legs and combine the effects of cooling and massaging. When an area is healing scar tissue is formed, the movement created by the vibration and massage helps to break down adhesions and scar tissue whilst increasing blood flow to assist healing.The massaging effect stimulates the lymph system according to the website and also removes soreness and swelling as well as improving circulation. The cold packs reduce blood flow slowing down inflammation. The vibrating motors are set to work intermittently so that when you are treating soreness the damaged tissue does not get overworked and tired. You can also use the cold packs in warm water to put on your horses joints if they have arthritis.

From what I gather tendons and ligaments when cold are like pre tensioned wire. They can strain more easily in this situation. By warming up you relax the tendons and ligaments so they become looser and therefore avoid strain. With daily use of the boots in my opinion rehabilitation through injury can be achieved more effectively.

 

[Kafairia]

They boost circulation in the legs and combine the effects of cooling and massaging. When an area is healing scar tissue is formed, the movement created by the vibration and massage helps to break down adhesions and scar tissue whilst increasing blood flow to assist healing.The massaging effect stimulates the lymph system according to the website and also removes soreness and swelling as well as improving circulation. The cold packs reduce blood flow slowing down inflammation. The vibrating motors are set to work intermittently so that when you are treating soreness the damaged tissue does not get overworked and tired. You can also use the cold packs in warm water to put on your horses joints if they have arthritis.

From what I gather tendons and ligaments when cold are like pre tensioned wire. They can strain more easily in this situation. By warming up you relax the tendons and ligaments so they become looser and therefore avoid strain. With daily use of the boots in my opinion rehabilitation through injury can be achieved more effectively.

You've sold them to me - and the part about 'pre-tensioned wire' makes a lot of sense. But do you warm the tendons and ligaments before exercise or does this make them more prone to over-heating?

I'm definitely going to look into them. I personally thought they were just ice packs in fancy packaging - didn't realise anything about the other features.

Thankyou!

 

[Birker2020]

You've sold them to me - and the part about 'pre-tensioned wire' makes a lot of sense. But do you warm the tendons and ligaments before exercise or does this make them more prone to over-heating?

I'm definitely going to look into them. I personally thought they were just ice packs in fancy packaging - didn't realise anything about the other features.

Thankyou!

One of the reasons why you should warm up your horse before doing more strenuous exercise is to loosen the tendons and ligaments as well as pre warm the muscles. Boots left on whilst turned out for extended periods whilst the horse it moving would be more of a concern in over heating the tendons.

Friend is physio and when I used to do a lot of 3 day, 2 day and 1 day events with my horse she suggested I'd be better off wearing the premier equine XC boots with the holes in them (airflow I think they are called) to prevent his tendons overheating.

 

[Moo's_Shadow]

Thank you! Well, mine comes from a shady background, so I'm not sure what he did, just that it was a tendon injury.

Thank you boots are something I'm not sure but very careful with. He's currently got LeMieux snug boots but I'm sure I could do better

Kafairia, sorry to jump on your thread but I'm kind of in your position atm but with a suspensory injury and was looking at getting some snug boots for my mare and just wanted to ask what you think of them? I'm guessing you aren't over the moon with them but could I ask why? It's so hard to know what to do for the best isn't it

I hope you're having some luck finding the best solution for your boy. My mare is the same in the sense that she loves her work and thrives off having a job to do.

 

[Kafairia]

Kafairia, sorry to jump on your thread but I'm kind of in your position atm but with a suspensory injury and was looking at getting some snug boots for my mare and just wanted to ask what you think of them? I'm guessing you aren't over the moon with them but could I ask why? It's so hard to know what to do for the best isn't it

I hope you're having some luck finding the best solution for your boy. My mare is the same in the sense that she loves her work and thrives off having a job to do.

Aw no, sorry to hear that. ): In all honesty, I love my snug boots, and haven't really got any major quarms with them. But I do have slight picky things like, my horse has odd legs in that, one is fatter than the other due to his old injury. This means that the elastic can be too tight in places on one leg, the "normal" leg fits perfectly though. Sometimes these boots can make him sweaty underneath which can be worrying, but I think overall they are better than most boots and provide quite good ventilation.

My problem is the support aspect - they are more supportive than your average boot, but I think sports medicine boots might provide even more.

However, I do really like these boots. They clean well in the washing machine and are still looking good considering how often they are used. The hard shell has stopped my clumsy boy from taking chunks out of his own legs too which is fab, preventing him cutting himself to shreds like he was doing every time he was exercised.

If possible I'd definitely recommend seeing them in person, just to gage what they feel like their flexibility. It may suit your needs, it may not, however I will confess I'm a bit picky when it comes to boots, and I have decided to start saving for some IceVibe boots first, as while I'm only flat schooling he is doing well in the snug boots.

I hope that was helpful, and I hope your mare gets well soon! And if you have any more questions I'd be more than happy to help.

 

[be positive]

Aw no, sorry to hear that. ): In all honesty, I love my snug boots, and haven't really got any major quarms with them. But I do have slight picky things like, my horse has odd legs in that, one is fatter than the other due to his old injury. This means that the elastic can be too tight in places on one leg, the "normal" leg fits perfectly though. Sometimes these boots can make him sweaty underneath which can be worrying, but I think overall they are better than most boots and provide quite good ventilation.

My problem is the support aspect - they are more supportive than your average boot, but I think sports medicine boots might provide even more.

However, I do really like these boots. They clean well in the washing machine and are still looking good considering how often they are used. The hard shell has stopped my clumsy boy from taking chunks out of his own legs too which is fab, preventing him cutting himself to shreds like he was doing every time he was exercised.

If possible I'd definitely recommend seeing them in person, just to gage what they feel like their flexibility. It may suit your needs, it may not, however I will confess I'm a bit picky when it comes to boots, and I have decided to start saving for some IceVibe boots first, as while I'm only flat schooling he is doing well in the snug boots.

I hope that was helpful, and I hope your mare gets well soon! And if you have any more questions I'd be more than happy to help.

No boot can "support" the tendon or any other part of the limb ot is just not possible unless it is fitted extremely tightly like a cast, they offer some protection from knocks, strikes or kicks but most horses are better off being ridden with nothing unless they do have a tendency to injure themselves.

I have never heard of snug boots but the hard outer will offer more protection than a sports medicine boot will, I found SMB do make the legs hot and are not very protective of a horse that flings it's legs about, the ex racehorse here is a good mover so only wears boots for fast work and jumping, he hacks and does flatwork with nothing on and his legs are doing really well.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Boots will not support the leg any more than shoes will ensure he has good or balanced feet.

None of mine wear boots or shoes except one who came to me with poor action and very weak. Initially she wore boots for all work because she did strike herself. Following a programme of 6 weeks walking it suddenly occurred to me that I no longer heard the boots smacking into each other on every stride. She no longer knocked herself. I still use them for jumping as she is still young and unbalanced but I will dispense with them as soon as possible. My personal belief is that for long term soundness the following is what is needed (but not limited to!).

As little work on a surface as possible.
Not too many circles.
Initial work is lots of walking and once fit at least 10-20 mins of walking at the start of every piece of work your horse does.
Preferably no shoes and no boots. Much less chance of a strike injury without shoes and then boots aren't causing over heating while protecting from a strike injury. Also, the shoe is going to cause more concussion however you look at it. Nothing is better at "supporting" a horse than its own feet after all.
Conditioning the legs, muscles and tendons for the work the horse will be doing is the most important thing.
The best place to do this is out hacking, lots of walking and straight lines.

Therefore if you want to event this horse I would listen to what be positive has said about their similar horse usually not being shod and only being shod when it needs studded up.