Progress or not - what do you think? Recovery from suspensory ligament sprain.

Birker2020

Birker2020

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My horse is recovering from a slight sprain of the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament. I'm hoping after the PRP (like stem cell) and three treatments of shock wave, countless physio treatments, good old fashioned rest, countless applications of ice, and slowly bringing back into walk work, we finally may be allowed to start trotting after my vet has been out this afternoon for another check up.:D

My gosh its a long healing process with a 40% change of re-occurence. :(

This was film the vet asked me to tape for him in October:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U93TkaYep0 showing a slight hop on the right rein (injury is other leg).

This was him in December
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XOkOL8iYCE which was day three of out in the field (had sedated previous two days but not third day - silly me). This set us back another four weeks!

The film I took of him three days ago is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UslBFCyrcQ&feature=youtu.be

Do you think he has progressed much from the first video to now in terms of lameness??? The slight hop he shows on the right rein the vet believes to be over compensation due to the opposite current N/S fore injury (ligament).

P.S The video does me no favours at all. I know I look like a complete chav with my Lonsdale hoody on and my hands rise in time with my fat arse in trot!!! :) but I love at the end how Bails stops, blows and rolls his eyes! My lovely, lovely horse.
 
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I think he looks better than he did. If he were mine I would be avoiding circles and using a surface until spring, but that's just my opinion and I'm sure your vet has advised accordingly :)
 
Bubbles said:
I think he looks better than he did. If he were mine I would be avoiding circles and using a surface until spring, but that's just my opinion and I'm sure your vet has advised accordingly :)
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Hi Bubbles, thanks for your imput, yes you may be right, not sure what I am really meant to do to be honest. :confused: My vet likes me to take a video of him in trot on a right circle to check if there is any improvement a few days before he comes out. I'm just stuck as realistically all I can do is hack (if weather is ok and not too windy three days per week max due to work/dark nights) or ride round yard again only three days max due to work/dark nights (drives you mad after five minutes).:)

I think I will ask him today just what I can and can't do when he assesses him later. :)
 
If I thought my horse was still lame, I wouldn't ride him. The suspensory ligaments hold the fetlock up, any extra weight will put more pressure on them. I know the frustration of SL injuries not getting better and I have heard of other horses making a complete recovery - but they had months and months of box rest and NO riding.
My gelding is too old now to bring him back into work after three years of trying to get him sound enough so don't make the same mistake and don't ride until you are absolutely sure he is recovered and then take it very very slowly or you will be much more likely have a relapse. IMO:)
He is lovely though so look after him well.
Sorry wasn't looking at you so didn't notice your FA;) lol
 
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I totally understand that you are doing what your vet has advised, and I hope you won't be offended by what I'm going to say :) I'm no vet, but I've had more experience over the years of SL injuries than I would like, and the best treatment is rest, rest and more rest. When did he actually do the injury? I wouldn't be even thinking of riding him until he's 110% sound - the risk of it going again is far greater if he's still lame on it (which he looks to be in your last video).

One of mine did his SL, very mildly, out hacking. I led him miles off the mountain (couldn't get a box to him), rang the vet and had a chat which resulted in the horse having a few days' box rest while the leg settled, then the vet came and scanned it and confirmed the injury. He suggested 2 months off, and I said no, he'll be having at least 4 months and then coming back into work slowly. I think the vet thought I wouldn't want to hear that the horse would be off for months, but tbh I'd rather the horse ultimately came right. This particular horse is better out than in, so out he went until late summer, then back to work, and he's been as right as rain ever since (touch wood).

I think the biggest problem with SL injuries is that, apart from when they do them initially and they're hopping on 3 legs, the pain of them goes quickly, so they look sounder than they are iyswim. It's very very easy to overdo things and set yourself back months, or even worse, prevent full recovery from ever happening.
 
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH! Just typed a mega long response and the damned system logged me out and lost my reply. :mad:

OK....this is the abridged version.

1. Check for medial/lateral imbalance in both fore feet and I mean be VERY PERNICKETY! IME the older the horse the less tolerant they are of slight discrepancies and the more spot on the shoeing has to be. Any imbalance will exacerbate a SL branch injury. (I currently box my 21 year old away every 5 weeks for a 3 hour round trip to get his feet spot on and as a result he is still hunting.)
2. Stick to straight lines as circles will load the SL branches unevenly and add torque to the equation. I would also avoid surfaces and stick to roads unless your surface is VERY good and does not move.
3. Feed a good supplement like Cortavet.
4. If you are still turning out, electric fence an area the size of two stables max so that the happy chappie can't build up steam. Also, try and keep him away from any of his buddies that may wind him up over the fence.
5. Do I recall you saying your horse had his hock injected a while back? Would be interested to know if so, if it was the diagonal and if so it may be worth investigating that again.
6. Whereabouts was the sprain.....if where the two branches merge that is IME one of the worse possible places to heal (sorry) but you need to double up on everything quoted timewise if that is the case.
7. Regular visits from a GOOD physio/massage therapist as he will be compensating throughout his body and you need to preempt any problems building elsewhere.

Can't think what else I wrote in the original mail, but best of luck.
 
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Carrying on as pressed button when I did not mean too.
As gunnergundog suggested as in my humble opinion he does not seem to be moving 100% behind which could be compensation infront=injury I am not a vet and hope not to offend you
I wish you all the best and keep us posted as I'm interested in the recovery
 
Hi guys have put a new post update but in case you refer to this one and don't see it the vet saw him trotted up, flexion tested him and was very pleased with him. So he says I can start doing trot work for the next month and then in February if all is well start to canter and then slowly introduce little cross poles and continually assess. Thanks for your lovely comments and input. He has bone spavin on off hind and has been treated for it with tildren x 3, adequan, ha and steroid injections. This was back in 2005/6. He had a steroid injection earlier in last year.
 
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gunnergundog said:
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH! Just typed a mega long response and the damned system logged me out and lost my reply. :mad:

OK....this is the abridged version.

1. Check for medial/lateral imbalance in both fore feet and I mean be VERY PERNICKETY! IME the older the horse the less tolerant they are of slight discrepancies and the more spot on the shoeing has to be. Any imbalance will exacerbate a SL branch injury. (I currently box my 21 year old away every 5 weeks for a 3 hour round trip to get his feet spot on and as a result he is still hunting.)
2. Stick to straight lines as circles will load the SL branches unevenly and add torque to the equation. I would also avoid surfaces and stick to roads unless your surface is VERY good and does not move.
3. Feed a good supplement like Cortavet.
4. If you are still turning out, electric fence an area the size of two stables max so that the happy chappie can't build up steam. Also, try and keep him away from any of his buddies that may wind him up over the fence.
5. Do I recall you saying your horse had his hock injected a while back? Would be interested to know if so, if it was the diagonal and if so it may be worth investigating that again.
6. Whereabouts was the sprain.....if where the two branches merge that is IME one of the worse possible places to heal (sorry) but you need to double up on everything quoted timewise if that is the case.
7. Regular visits from a GOOD physio/massage therapist as he will be compensating throughout his body and you need to preempt any problems building elsewhere.

Can't think what else I wrote in the original mail, but best of luck.
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Hi Gunner dog thanks for your comments. Electric fencing his paddock to make is smaller is impossible as he has no respect for it and will go through it straight away, battery or no battery. And to be honest he's been fine since that day as he went on a powder from the vet in his feed to calm him down and when that finished was fine. Taht was ages ago now. Not sure where the sprain was just know it was the lateral branch of the suspensory. My physio friend has given him regular physio and was very pleased with him (a week ago). Hock might need doing again, but will wait until its a necessity, me and my vet dont think its necessary just yet. My farrier is very good, vet very pleased with his shoeing although he is due in two days so his toes may have looked a little long in the video! I do hack him out, but work full time so can only hack out three times a week max and that is dependent on weather as he is quite spooky.
 
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