Not a good year - update on Maiden

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RachelB

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Finally got a diagnosis. Maiden went for her MRI scan today, both front pasterns, as she has been lame since February 4th on and off, mildly, on both front legs (mostly left). Nerve blocks found it was in the pastern area, x-rays and ultrasound showed nothing. She got worse after the first 4 weeks of rest which made it very puzzling. Vet she had been referred to with the MRI machine called me this evening to let me know what he'd found, which is a 2cm tear on the deep digital flexor tendon of the left fore, and nothing on the right (but lameness here is likely to be compensating injuries from having all her weight on it to relieve the left leg). Apparently there are treatments we can try but there is only a 30% chance of her coming sound again. So my beautiful girl is totally buggered. I can't quite take it in, that's it for me and horses for a long time (can't afford to buy another), and my girl will be standing in a stable going out of her mind for I suspect at least 6 months from what my YO has said. And as it's weekend my vet now won't call until Monday which means I'll be speculating about what he'll suggest all weekend! I've been totally stressed out all day worrying about her.
Totally and utterly devastated. There are no other words.
Thanks to everyone who has kept up with me and Maiden and sent positive vibes, they must have helped a little as she's only 70% written off! Trying to look on the positive side...
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Oh bugger
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I'm so sorry to hear that about Maiden, don't know anything about tendons I'm afraid. sending you lots of (((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))
 
How very sad for both of you.
I am sorry to hear this S.

Hard i know, but please try and stay positive for Maiden.

You never know, she still have a 30% chance
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a horse i know, they didnt think it would event again, and was going to have it pts. Following year did a few novices, a year later competing intermediate
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and still going strong.

There is hope.

Vxx
 
Thanks guys. Really.
I texted my boss who said that she used to have a livery who did the same thing, DDFT tear, had a year off and came sound eventually. So I'm definately not writing her off if there's still hope. Let's just keep fingers crossed she's one of the 3 in the 10! TBH if we can get through this weekend without any sedative there's still hope, then I'm getting ACP and dosing her up and we'll take it one step at a time. Seeing as I can't have another horse and I love her far too much to sell her (wouldn't be any point, and would be too worried if I sold her as a companion that she'd be ridden) I may as well keep going with her if there is a chance, as long as she's not in pain. Been reading some websites about it and apparently DDFT tears are the worst. Damn, but at least I got 8 months of fun out of her, and in that time she gave me SO much confidence which is what I bought her for. She's certainly not going to be PTS yet anyway, and my YO reckons she'd have lovely babies (has the sweetest temperament and is built just right for babies).
Fingers still crossed that my vet is willing to give her a shot!
Thanks again guys. xx
 
Im so sorry to hear this, it seems to be a bad day for diagnosis all round. Wish you all the best of luck, just think the cups 3/10 full!

If all else fails, I like the babies idea! The virtue of mares!
 
Very sorry to hear about Madien, not quite time to give up yet though, and I'm sure you will give her all the love and care she needs, so fingers crossed !
 
I too know of horses written off that have come back after a year and been fine

tendons take a while to repair but it can happen and if a vet says 30% chance then it's not all bad. People sever their achilles tendon and it does heal and repair and vet medicine is improving all the time.

wonder if there is such a thing as a horse hypnotist to keep her calm whilst it's healing :-)
 
Come on, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and plan for the future - easier said than done, I KNOW!
If Maiden has to have 12 months off why not look into putting her in foal - the worse case being you would have her follow on. You don't necessarily have to send her to stud, your vet maybe able to AI her at home. It won't be cheap, but if you're not competing through the summer that money might pay some of the costs.
I put my sound mare in foal last year during the summer, out in the field, she became unsound for no apparant reason. It turns out, according to the vet, that her suspensisory ligiaments are collapsing. As the pregnaceny gets heavier which puts more weight on everything. So now the bute is always to hand and she wears Bioflow magnetic boots to help with any aches and pains. At the end of April she had a fit and healthy filly foal. I won't breed from her again - I love her to much to do that again. But I have got a cracking filly foal to go on with.
Give it some thought and speak to your vet. Good Luck!!
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Jesus! And this didnt show on any ultrasounds? How annoying!!

Got everything crossed it works out ok then. If she's quiet in the field then it may be worth asking if she can stay on her normal routine, better that than she stresses in the stable and does more damage
 
Boss - no, it was Mike who did the ultrasounds and I think he's very thorough in his job, so I'm assuming it didn't show. The miracle that is MRI! I'm going to discuss all my options with him on Monday, hopefully it won't be too long that she's on rest for and now we have fields just out the back of our yard instead of down the road, being on normal routine may be ok. I did find many articles on the web last night though that suggested total box rest was needed for SDFT injuries, so considering DDFT injuries are far worse I reckon she'll be ACP-ed up and in for a while! Can't have helped that she jumped out of her pen the other day (4' fence)... Have finally got her home though and wrapped her up, she's totally stressed and tucked up but happy to be home and is picking at her hay. Off to Equishop methinks to spend an extortionate amount of money on treats, better stock up!
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sarahsmystery - I would love to breed from her, and my YO told me she reckons put to the right stallion she'd have lovely babies (she doesn't have the best conformation but has a cracking temperament and attitude so would breed some fab middleweight all-rounders). However while telling me this my YO also told me not to think of doing it myself. TBH I'm not confident enough at all to have a youngster, but it would be a fall-back at least if all else failed, then she could go to someone who wanted her babies. Hopefully I have some magnetic boots in the post as we speak (so much for next day delivery), and am going to look into getting her a "wristband" type one for that left foot. I don't care if they work or not, it'll make me feel better!
Thanks for all the kind words guys, I will probably let you all know how it goes on Monday with my vet now! And thanks to you lot I'm finally looking on the bright side a bit.
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mine damaged her deep digital in her near hind last year and vet said it was bad and was unsure if she would come sound again. he then said after she made a lot of progress that she would possibly be slightly unlevel but could do hacking schooling etc but jumping would be out. now 12 months on shes fighting fit ridden daily jumping small fences up to 2ft 6 ish, and is completley level. i maintain her on a good joint supplement recommended by my vet i didnt compete much any way so weve not got back to that yet but as long as i could hack her about then if she was level or not didnt matter to me as long as shes happy. that fact that she made a full recovery has baffled my vet as she still has a big hock but shes sound so theres hope for you yet. tho i know how you feel i cried for days when mine was diagnosed.
 
Thanks for that, it's very interesting and heartening to hear of others' stories of horses recovering. We will do everything we can to help Maiden, we've only owned her for 11 months and ridden her for 8 but we owe everything to her already and trying to treat this is the least we can do for her. Sounds like a lot of time and patience is needed really, and a good vet!
 
ive had my mare for 9 yrs so it was like my world came crashing down! but i have to say i think i have the best vet in the world hes fab and my mare loves him, shes really good with box rest so that made it easier to. it helps if you have something else to ride tho, my auntie let me ride and compete one of hers and i feel that helped a lot. i look at my mare now and cant believe the recovery she made but it does show it can happen
 
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