AshTay
Well-Known Member
I might be speaking too soon but I just wanted to share the (much abridged) story of my older horse's recovery from a very bad SDFT injury.
My then 21-year old gelding trashed his SDFT in November 2009 by galloping across his field to the gate when I went to bring him in. The vets said at the time it was the worst they had seen in a long time and the prognosis was poor.
We tried stem cell therapy but the cells wouldn't grow in the lab. We tried platelet-rich plasma injections bu they didn't do much. after about 6 months box rest and regular scans (showing slow but noticeable improvement) the vet was happy for us to start in-hand exercise. This went well but the next couple of scans revealed that the injury was no longer improving and was getting worse. He wasn't being an idiot to walk out and was relaxed in his box so we didnt know why. So back to complete box rest.
At this point the vet pretty much said there was nothing more to be done and he was unlikely to ever be even field-sound and comfortable and the only option was ongoing boxrest. At his age, I wasn't prepared to condemn him to interminable boxrest (he was suffering in other ways from the box rest -recurrent thrush despite a clean dry bed and skin infections which I believe stemmed from a weakened immune system from being kept cooped up). At that point I decided to go for broke and turn him out in a small paddock on his own and at least give him some "horse" time if his future looked bleak. So out he went. He did get worse again initially and I questioned my decision but, despite still being noticeably lame, he seemed happier and more content than when on boxrest so we left him out.
I'd turned him out in August as I wanted the ground to be good at least to start with. That winter was a bit up and down. Some days he'd look great but other days he'd look sore and I'd be in bits thinking I'd have to make a horrible decision. He came in at night to rest his leg and we got through the winter without him getting so bad that I had to re-think. Through all this he was his usual happy self - he never looked sorry for himself and adapted to everything so well.
I just wished he could have company but his state seemed so fragile that I daren't risk him bombing about and destroying his leg completely.
Throughout spring and early summer I noticed that he had come pretty much sound in walk and trot! He was stiff and stumbly on uneven stoney ground so I had front shoes put back on and it worked wonders (except he's now footsore on the back... I think I'm going to have to put those back on too). So the only thing that he didn't then have was a lovely big field with company.
Last friday, at the age of 23 and after being in solitary confinement of one form or another since November 2009, he went out into a big field with other horses. It was a scary decision to make but at the back of my mind I knew I couldn't keep him wrapped up in cotton wool forever and it was better that he had one last blast and one last mutual grooming session with another horse rather than waste away slowly as a basket case deprived of social company and freedom.
And so far so good! He did bomb about like an idiot. And my heart was in my mouth but it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen because I honestly never thought I'd ever see him do that again.
So touch wood that he stays sound for many more years to come and enjoys a long and happy retirement in the field with his friends.
Here he is...
My then 21-year old gelding trashed his SDFT in November 2009 by galloping across his field to the gate when I went to bring him in. The vets said at the time it was the worst they had seen in a long time and the prognosis was poor.
We tried stem cell therapy but the cells wouldn't grow in the lab. We tried platelet-rich plasma injections bu they didn't do much. after about 6 months box rest and regular scans (showing slow but noticeable improvement) the vet was happy for us to start in-hand exercise. This went well but the next couple of scans revealed that the injury was no longer improving and was getting worse. He wasn't being an idiot to walk out and was relaxed in his box so we didnt know why. So back to complete box rest.
At this point the vet pretty much said there was nothing more to be done and he was unlikely to ever be even field-sound and comfortable and the only option was ongoing boxrest. At his age, I wasn't prepared to condemn him to interminable boxrest (he was suffering in other ways from the box rest -recurrent thrush despite a clean dry bed and skin infections which I believe stemmed from a weakened immune system from being kept cooped up). At that point I decided to go for broke and turn him out in a small paddock on his own and at least give him some "horse" time if his future looked bleak. So out he went. He did get worse again initially and I questioned my decision but, despite still being noticeably lame, he seemed happier and more content than when on boxrest so we left him out.
I'd turned him out in August as I wanted the ground to be good at least to start with. That winter was a bit up and down. Some days he'd look great but other days he'd look sore and I'd be in bits thinking I'd have to make a horrible decision. He came in at night to rest his leg and we got through the winter without him getting so bad that I had to re-think. Through all this he was his usual happy self - he never looked sorry for himself and adapted to everything so well.
I just wished he could have company but his state seemed so fragile that I daren't risk him bombing about and destroying his leg completely.
Throughout spring and early summer I noticed that he had come pretty much sound in walk and trot! He was stiff and stumbly on uneven stoney ground so I had front shoes put back on and it worked wonders (except he's now footsore on the back... I think I'm going to have to put those back on too). So the only thing that he didn't then have was a lovely big field with company.
Last friday, at the age of 23 and after being in solitary confinement of one form or another since November 2009, he went out into a big field with other horses. It was a scary decision to make but at the back of my mind I knew I couldn't keep him wrapped up in cotton wool forever and it was better that he had one last blast and one last mutual grooming session with another horse rather than waste away slowly as a basket case deprived of social company and freedom.
And so far so good! He did bomb about like an idiot. And my heart was in my mouth but it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen because I honestly never thought I'd ever see him do that again.
So touch wood that he stays sound for many more years to come and enjoys a long and happy retirement in the field with his friends.
Here he is...