Pulled muscle

[picolenicole]

Just wondering if anyone has any info/ideas on how long a pulled muscle will take to heal? Pony not me by the way.

About 4 weeks ago I turned King out in his light weight rug as it was going to rain for most of the day and I wanted to keep him dry so I could ride. I had him in the day before but I didn't want him in every day as he's a cob and stuffs his face if kept in, when turned back out.

Well the daft animal got his leg stuck in the strap of the rug. It didn't rip off it just ripped the rug along it making the strap longer so that it wrapped round his leg about 6 times. He was walking sideways when I turned up to bring him in, but was looking at the electric fence so I thought he has, had a zap of it and was keeping his eyes on it.

As soon as I got him out the field I saw the rug and leg, I unwrapped him and looked for any injury, felt for heat etc. He walked fine as soon as I unwrapped him so went for hack, just walk and trot. He felt fine, I just felt like I was sitting left a bit (which I can do sometimes)

The day after RI said he looked funny/stiff, so she sat on him so I could see. I then got back on and he looked a little better, he did get better with work and tried harder than he has in a while to bend and move away from my leg.

The day after my lesson I couldn't brush his bum or ribs, so I turned him back out and got in touch with Mctimoney back lady. The eariset she could do was two weeks after he got wrapped up. So for a week I just keept an eye on him, he was still happy to play gallop with the dog!!!

I walked him in hand for a week to try and stop him getting fed up in field, as he jumps around and gallops about once bored. Back lady came and treated him, she said where he was sore would make sence with walking sideways. She also said walk in hand for week then ride him in the school to see if he is any better and to let her know how he was in a weeks time.

I rode him sat just gone, with OH videing it so I could email RI and back landy. Well he lept about and bucked across the school, which he can do somethimes anyway.

But RI has said no better (she has known him for over 2 years seeing him evey week) still looks stiff/short and the bucking is Kings way of getting out of bending and using his hind leg. On right rein he swings his hinds in to move weight of his right hind (which was the leg he wrapped up)

So 4 weeks on and hes no better but also no worse. I have got in touch with back lady to get her to come back out, just waiting on a date. But I'm just .... gggrrrr as he was a nice weight 4 weeks ago now hes put loads on as I canot work him, his muzle has rubbed (badly), grass is too short to fit through the muzle and I have halved his filed length ways so more room to walk in than grass to eat.

How long do think a pulled muscle takes to heal?

Do you think he could have done something worse than a pulled muscle?

Fed up every year for past three years in summer something has gone wrong badly fitted saddle first, then everything getting cancelled due to rain now this. I know compared to some this is nothing but I was so on track to do more this year with a nice thin cob, now I'm doing zumba to stay fit with a fat cob in the field

Sorry post is so long I didn't mean to, chocolate cake and wine for anyone who read this and/or post's

 

[be positive]

With correct physio I would expect a pulled muscle to be almost better by now but it sounds as if you have not been doing any work with him since the chiro came, did she not leave exercises to be done daily to get him using himself properly?
To treat then leave with no ongoing physio for a week seems counter productive but as he is not really better I would get a proper diagnosis before any more treatment from the chiro or use a physio recommended by your vet who will leave you exercises to do and come for a follow up check after a week or so to make sure he is recovering.
There could be an underlying problem which needs vet care and possibly pain relief to help him heal.

 

[picolenicole]

Sorry I forgot to put that bit, she gave me (King) some streatches and a massage to do. I have been doing that twice a day some days, she only said once a day but if King was acting a prat then I would do his massage after his walk as well.

Back lady did say she may need to come back, we were hoping it would be more staight forward. After her next visit we would go from there re a vet after she has seen him again.

 

[be positive]

I assume she had your vets consent to treat but really if he has shown no improvement 4 weeks after the incident I would be concerned and get the vet, the chiro cannot diagnose and may be missing something, if you are insured it can effect your claim if you do find later that something more serious is wrong and the vet has not been consulted early on.

 

[pottamus]

Soft tissue takes flippin ages to heal (sorry) and sometimes the body will compensate elsewhere and cause other problems associated to the same area.
I would get the vet out to assess and a physio recommended by the vet if possible.
I have been undergoing treatment for tight calf muscles, which, because I left it for a while, got so bad that they have affected my achiles tendon. I have had 4 sessions with the physio so far and have been doing stretches every day in between. It is much improved but I only have to turn the wrong way for it to really hurt or walk about on it too much to set it back slightly. I still cannot run two steps, even though I know it is getting much better than it was!