Mon77
New User
After a series of lameness exams which pointed towards stifle region - nerve blocking, x ray and ultra sound Hex was operated on at Leahurst on 6th December 2011. He had an arthroscopy on his right hind. There was marked damage to his cranial cruciate ligament particularly at its origin, There was also moderate damage and fibrillation to the medial femoral condyle and rupture of the synovial septum between the medial and lateral femorotibial compartments ( that is direct lift and shift from Leahurst report )
Hex is my friend and not just a horse I own and I ride and since my son was born with a paralysed left arm 17 years ago and I did all the rehab on him to get him back to normal , I knew I had the right attitude of patience, perseverence and resilience to try to do the same for my beloved Hex.
After 2 months of box rest, I started with short walks across yard. Hex is a large chunky monkey - an ex Grade A Westfalian - with the right personality to deal with "institutionliation" of a rehab programme - with confinement, and then intense attention and physio.
I bought an amazing book by Sarah Wyche called "Practical Setps in rehabilitating your horse" - invaluable. I contacted a physio in the US called jennifer Brooks who specialised in Stifle injuries and has a treatment protocol and who provides support via email and phone.
I have a pair of very good blacksmiths who have provided the right wedge support for the hind shoes once we got to the walking out in hand stage.
My programme consists of the following
I bought a cheap Electro Muscular Stimulator on eBay and 2 large animal pads on the instruction of my physio
I carried out EMS on both hind legs to build up the atrophied glutes on the operated hind and to release the tight/taught muscles and encourage blood flow on the other leg
2 x 20 mins on good leg ( which seems more in need of blood flow and muscle spasm release ) and 1 x 20 mins on the operated on right leg - on glutes and through to the stifle
I am now walking out in hand ( my 22 year old horse in one hand and hex in the other ) down to the sea - country lane with long gradual slope down and back up takes 35 mins
When we get back we do carrot stretch bows, and hugs and jennifer's series of hind leg lifts and stretches, weight shifting and now we have just started backing up in hand
I massage his quarters and put muscle embrocation on area
I have put a series of poles down in hex yard so he has to walk over minimum of 3 poles to get from/to stable/field to improve his proprioceptivity
What have I got currently
Hex will now canter / trot to me when I call him and not go ( "ouch shouldnt have done that " ) after
we are increasing the muscle mass in his glutes and reducing the muscle spasms in his supposed good legs
My question is as follows
hex torques his left ( not operated on ) foot. When you look from behind it seems to come from the hip area. I am convinced that he is not able to walk through on this leg because of some tightness. I would really like to find someone who really understands the bio mechanics of horses movement. I have a physio and I have an osteo but I dont have someone who really understands how horses move and therefore could help me with this next stage of "fixing" of my beloved hex.
Any suggestions/contacts/ideas please ? I live in Anglesey.
Hex is my friend and not just a horse I own and I ride and since my son was born with a paralysed left arm 17 years ago and I did all the rehab on him to get him back to normal , I knew I had the right attitude of patience, perseverence and resilience to try to do the same for my beloved Hex.
After 2 months of box rest, I started with short walks across yard. Hex is a large chunky monkey - an ex Grade A Westfalian - with the right personality to deal with "institutionliation" of a rehab programme - with confinement, and then intense attention and physio.
I bought an amazing book by Sarah Wyche called "Practical Setps in rehabilitating your horse" - invaluable. I contacted a physio in the US called jennifer Brooks who specialised in Stifle injuries and has a treatment protocol and who provides support via email and phone.
I have a pair of very good blacksmiths who have provided the right wedge support for the hind shoes once we got to the walking out in hand stage.
My programme consists of the following
I bought a cheap Electro Muscular Stimulator on eBay and 2 large animal pads on the instruction of my physio
I carried out EMS on both hind legs to build up the atrophied glutes on the operated hind and to release the tight/taught muscles and encourage blood flow on the other leg
2 x 20 mins on good leg ( which seems more in need of blood flow and muscle spasm release ) and 1 x 20 mins on the operated on right leg - on glutes and through to the stifle
I am now walking out in hand ( my 22 year old horse in one hand and hex in the other ) down to the sea - country lane with long gradual slope down and back up takes 35 mins
When we get back we do carrot stretch bows, and hugs and jennifer's series of hind leg lifts and stretches, weight shifting and now we have just started backing up in hand
I massage his quarters and put muscle embrocation on area
I have put a series of poles down in hex yard so he has to walk over minimum of 3 poles to get from/to stable/field to improve his proprioceptivity
What have I got currently
Hex will now canter / trot to me when I call him and not go ( "ouch shouldnt have done that " ) after
we are increasing the muscle mass in his glutes and reducing the muscle spasms in his supposed good legs
My question is as follows
hex torques his left ( not operated on ) foot. When you look from behind it seems to come from the hip area. I am convinced that he is not able to walk through on this leg because of some tightness. I would really like to find someone who really understands the bio mechanics of horses movement. I have a physio and I have an osteo but I dont have someone who really understands how horses move and therefore could help me with this next stage of "fixing" of my beloved hex.
Any suggestions/contacts/ideas please ? I live in Anglesey.
