Re-occuring suspensory ligament injury??

[rcm_73]

My 17 y.o. TB had a suspensory injury last August and was box rested til December then turned away for 6 months. I recently started bringing her back into work, light hacking then increasing the distance and allowing her to trot. As she was wanting to go faster, jogging constantly I decided to give in and gave her a blast up the (grassy) lane with a not too steep incline. After the first 'blast' she was fine but 2 days after the second one she has gone lame again, I didn't ride her for the two days she was just turned out, do you think that she has tweaked the suspensory in the field or would it be the fact that I let her have a 'blast'? Just wondering as I haven't been able to canter this horse for about a year now and am wondering will she ever be able to canter again??

 

[star]

well if you haven't done a proper fittening program and just let her gallop, then it wouldn't be at all surprising if she's done it again!

when my horse did his suspensory i spent 3 months walking, 3 months trotting and then introduced gentle cantering. it was ages before i let him gallop or jump.

 

[dozzie]

Maybe you niggled it with the blast and she finished the job off for you in the field. TBH giving her a blast was a really silly thing to do. Especially as you knew she wasnt really fit in terms of canter

You have to understand that horses brains are incredibly small and whilst she may have thought a blast would be fun she wasnt thinking about the consequences. I would suggest, once she is sound, you return to walking for another few months and start your whole programme again.

 

[_jetset_]

I echo what Star said...

My mare had a PSD injury and did 3 months of walking up to an hour in hand and ridden before we did any trot work at all. Then we started adding 12 long sides of trot into each session and she is only just going in full work now eight months after the initial injury. She is back in what I would class as 'normal' work now, but it has been a long journey to get here, but hopefully one that will be worth it in the long run!

 

[angiebaby]

As the others have said, I've just started ridden walk with my pony 13 months after he was first injured; he was operated on in October (PSD) then turned away until three weeks ago.
The vet has said 3 weeks of walking up to an hour a day, introduce trot for short (20 sec) basts in that hour, increase trots over the next three months; NO cantering until after that time!

 

[scotsmare]

Letting her canter was stupid, you've probably made the whole thing worse if not put her straight back to square one. Your horse should have been WALKING for FOUR WEEKS before you even started trotting. Yes, getting horses fit is boring but it is NECESSARY particularly after injury. You should really get the vet back out to scan the ligament to see if it is actually damaged again as if you continue to work her without knowing then you could end up with a permanently lame horse.

 

[rcm_73]

[ QUOTE ]
Letting her canter was stupid, you've probably made the whole thing worse if not put her straight back to square one. Your horse should have been WALKING for FOUR WEEKS before you even started trotting. Yes, getting horses fit is boring but it is NECESSARY particularly after injury. You should really get the vet back out to scan the ligament to see if it is actually damaged again as if you continue to work her without knowing then you could end up with a permanently lame horse.

[/ QUOTE ]

While she was 'turned away' I hacked her lightly on flat ground for 20 mins no more than twice a week and have done absolutely no school work. Also I don't know if you've ever had a Thoroughbred but this is a horse that WON'T walk if not worked daily so walking is actually out of the question because she jogs. It's not like I've just started riding her again and then let her gallop off, this is a horse that has been cantered twice last week in over 11 months so I have actually done FAR more than 4 weeks walking (or jogging) as the case may be! You don't half get some abrupt know-it-alls on this forum I don't know why I bother.

 

[angiebaby]

You're stereo typing thoroughbreds! I had one who walked not jogged!
I thought you said you recently started bringing her back to work? Anyway, what do I know, I just go by what my vet told me and that was no cantering for three months until the ligaments and muscles were stronger.
I haven't cantered my horse for nearly 15months now

 

[dozzie]

Sorry you feel there are a lot of know it alls. It is just that your post is unclear. You say she cantered twice last week for the first time in a year and you say you let her go for a blast last week twice which means it sounds like this was her first canter and you let her go for a blast.

If that is the case then really if she has messed up the suspensory again then it is your own fault. It doesnt matter how long the horse has had off, you still have to bring each pace in gradually if you want the best possible chance of recovery.

From what you have said, it just doesnt sound like you have done that with the canter.

 

[scotsmare]

Actually, I wasn't being a know it all - I have a horse with the same injury and as everyone else has pointed out it should be months, not weeks, before you canter. TBH it sounds very much like impatience got the better of you and I stand by what I said. If you don't want peoples opinions then don't post.

 

[rcm_73]

In fact no impatience didn't get the better of me but perhaps other people thinking they know better did when people on the yard who didn't know my horse last August when she first became lame were implying that I should be doing more than just walking (or jogging) everywhere. Sorry for sounding off but it sounded like you were implying I intentionally injured my horse, as it is she has been galloping around the field with her pals since the New Year and has not gone lame (also I am not heavy @ 5ft 5 and 81/2 stone). Anyway she has injured her frog as it turns out probably on a stone as she is unshod behind and we have just moved yards there is a tacking area on stone also the lane is very stoney. She is just a bit hesitant in place full weight onto the bulb of her heel so probably not even lame by some people's standards but that's what i mean..I won't ride her unless she seems 100% sound. Sorry to sound off but I'm getting pressure off people at the yard implying that there's nothing wrong with her and it's all in my imagination. Once the heel bulb is better if she is still not putting full weight into her heel then I know it's probably the suspensory again. Thanks and sorry.

 

[angiebaby]

That's a huge relief!
When I started to walk mine out , two weeks after surgery he tanked off down the road! bucking, cantering the lot! He didn't do himself any favours, and was put back on box rest for a week!
Still not completely sound, but good for hacking which I do best

.
Hope your mare recovers well

 

[_jetset_]

I think the problem is you, like many of us who have had this injury, are paranoid that the slightest lame step indicates the injury reoccuring

I started cantering my mare on long sides two months after she had the operation (six months after it was diagnosed) and she is now happily cantering circles etc etc. I am hoping to take her out competing BD in a few weeks time in August and no doubt we will have more than galloping that day