Recurrent tendon/ligament issues, wwyd

stencilface

stencilface

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A short overview.

13yo luso x tb, has showjumped, ode etc, very low mileage due to work, time, money. Very neat, honest jumper, loves the job and being active, lovely people person.

2011 PSD in near hind, six months box/paddock rest, rehab and shockwave and we were back hacking inc canter.

2012 tenosynovitis in off hind 6 weeks box rest with spa therapy daily, then work, turnout increased until he was back to normal. Did a Xmas 85cm unaff sj.

2013 competed in a 85cm combined training. Not right the next day and was on/off lame. Could go weeks without being lame. Diagnosed with tendonitis in near fore, 6 weeks full box rest, scan today shows it has healed and trotted up sound, now have 2 more months of box rest with rehab walking starting in hand.

Today the vet mentioned that it might be a degenerative tendon/ligament issue. Now I'm doubting if I'll ever jump him again :( are there any supplements you think I could feed? Or perhaps it's the hilly field we have that is exacerbating these conditions, should I seek out flat turnout? Or have I just had a run of bad luck, none of his injuries have so far recurred.

Apologies for length, even though today was relatively positive, I feel somewhat deflated :o :(
 
Does your vet mean DSLD/ESPA? Have a Google and see if he matches any other symptoms. It sounds possible.
 
I would personally invest in a microtherapy machine and use it on a regular basis as for a chronic injury, there is the Arc Equine or the Microvet and others I am sure. Sorry to read your story - horrible worrying situation. I used a microtherapy unit on my mare during rehab after tendon surgery and I have no doubt that it assisted and sped up the healing process.
 
ive got the same problem with my mare.

1st jan 2012 , tendonitis in near fore, hole in off fore
stem cells, 4 months box rest, 2 months on grass
back into work, 6 weeks walking, 4 trotting, then circle of canter

sep/oct time 2012, off fore tendon, tendonitis after hack
4weeks off, 6 weeks walk, 4 trot

then had back problem, poorly advised turned out to be saddle fit, 4 months off

brought back into work april 2013
4 weeks walk
2 weeks trot
circle of canter

middle/end of may 2013, off fore tendon goes again
vet suggests turnout for 6/9 months on grass (cant do box rest again)

however i dont think she will ever work again and i think that her injury comes from her back end and pelvis...... vet has suggested weak tendons.

if i owned your horse (which i more or less do considering injury, but in a different gender!) i would retire, but only because i cant go through any more rehab work! 18 months (or 2 years) is long enough!!!!

good luck and hoping for the best what ever you decide
 
Thanks all
Cptrayes: I googled it and he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms, certainly the ligament was never hot or swollen, only the tenosynovitus showed those symptoms, tendonitis had nothin also. He has a mildly swollen sheath but I think, and vet agrees that this is to do with lying down in the stable, and not doing anything to work off the fluid, I'm hoping it will lessen with the daily walking.

Yas
 
Gah! Phone.

Yas: thanks I will look into one if those, I already have magnetic rug, boots and an equilibrium pad, and was thinking about buying ice boots for all round after any work.

TandD: Thanks, I don't feel ready to retire him yet, but having our own land this would be an eventual option, as a pretty and uninsurable lawn mower. Worst thing is I'm 5 months pregnant and vet has prescribed in hand walk, with an hour a day in 4 weeks time, basically I'll get him back fit again, hopefully, then I'll likely have to turn him away again!

I have considered taking him shoes off in case his evenly shod hooves are causing leg issues if his legs are completely even and straight iykwim, but don't want to create potential new problems at the same time.

There's no joint aids etc anyone would recommend, riaflex wad suggested before, but I'm loathe to chase more money down the drain on expensive horse poo! :o
 
Stencilface said:
Thanks all
Cptrayes: I googled it and he doesn't seem to have any other symptoms, certainly the ligament was never hot or swollen, only the tenosynovitus showed those symptoms, tendonitis had nothin also. He has a mildly swollen sheath but I think, and vet agrees that this is to do with lying down in the stable, and not doing anything to work off the fluid, I'm hoping it will lessen with the daily walking.

Yas
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Hot/swollen ligaments are not an early symptom as far as I am aware. Hard feeling in the suspensory branches is, and hyperflexion of the fetlocks

Does he lie down a lot'? That can be a sign.

Does he have straight hocks? That's another.
 
He has straight ish hocks, but overall doesn't have horrendous confo IMHO. Def doesn't have hyper flexion of the pasterns, not sure about the suspensories, but no mention was made in 2011, unless it could have developed since then?
 
I would take his shoes off if you can walk him on a fairly decent surface, I have a tb in for rehab from a tendon injury, his feet have developed so well after the inhand walking I feel they can now offer correct support which must help in the recovery, he walked for 2 months then was turned away over the winter, just about to start again and will do so without shoes in the hope that good natural heel and frog stimulation will strengthen the whole leg.
 
Thanks, I'll ring my vet and discuss it. Our track where ill being a lot of the work is a bit gravelley but hopefully in hand he should do it.i could always duct tape his feet each time at the start or similar couldnt i?

I did take his back shoes off for 3 months during the winter, and he got a bit footy due to wear, but I guess yes walking in hand for a month should see that do a bit better. I would need to invest in some supplements for his feet I imagine, and I'd probably get some Kevin bacon again as that seemed to really help at the start last time. At least taking his shoes off would save me money I can spend somewhere else!
 
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Stencilface said:
He has straight ish hocks, but overall doesn't have horrendnous confo IMHO. Def doesn't have hyper flexion of the pasterns, not sure about the suspensories, but no mention was made in 2011, unless it could have developed since then?
Click to expand...

I'm going through dsld with a friend's horse at the moment. It's degenerative and there is no cure. Straightening of the hocks happens as the ligaments stretch over time, it's not a confirmation defect, it's a symptom.

Can I suggest that you video him moving, preferably ridden, or watch someone else on her and see much his fetlocks sink?

I think your vet is thinking of DSLD.
 
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Ok, obviously missed that bit on my google search! I will ask the vet if that is what he is thinking of, and see if I can video him. Is on a hard surface ok? I'm not meant to be riding him yet, but will walk him in hand till the weekend and have a sit on for 5 mins.
 
My friend did not realise that hers had pasterns dropping parallel to the ground in front until she saw it in a photo taken by chance one day. I had not seen it while the horse was in motion, but in slomo it screams out at you. It was quite a shock :( The horse has history of lameness in three legs at different times, especially after any exercise which is slightly harder than normal.
 
I will take a pic/video this weekend. He's certainly feeling full of beans, judging by his standing on two legs antics on his 'walk' this afternoon. Good job I wasn't long reining and was by his head the little monkey.
 
OP, can you try Photonic Red Light Therapy?

Here is a link to a page showing studies of its effectiveness and the website it self has some good information which you may find useful. :)
http://www.redlighttherapy.com.au/research/

I have used it on my OTTB who damaged his suspensory ligament twice. It was this injury that put an end to his racing career. He has just started jumping 60cms (not super regularly) but I am hoping to have him ready to do a Pony Club ODE at 60cms at the end of August. There have been no side effects and the thickening caused by the scare tissue on my boy's leg has definately gotten smaller.
 
Thankyou, I will have a look at this too - although will have to see how my bank balance is feeling before I commit to anything :o

Literally all my spare cash (savings if you will!) have gone on my horses vets fees, alternative therapies and additional feed in the last 3 years, I'm not sure how much it has cost exactly, but its not been cheap. :(
 
Try adding green lipped mussels to feed. They are an excellent source of amino acids, so any healing that is going on gets maximal nutrition. Best piece of advice I was given was however long the horse takes to come sound, give that length of time off again in rest. Start working before then & you are more liekly to have recurrent problems (my mare ended up taking 2 years out). I also paid for osteopath visits, to manipulate joint & breakdown adhesions which had formed. This improved her range of movement so much. Five sessions, great result. After all that I was told never to work her on a circle again, so jumping & schooling may not be the best thing for you to do. May be time for a career change to keep him sound.
 
I was considering, if he comes sound which I think he will - I have rehabbed the other injuries all fine! - whether I need to restrict his turnout to being flat/flattish and whether I need to take up something different. I did wonder whether endurance might be up his street, although I'm not sure of the type and level of wear and tear in this kind of work? I guess it would imagine on the level I did. TBH we don't have an arena, and I rarely hire one or do much jumping, certainly have not jumped that much in the last 3 years, only started again in November 2012. Most of his work is hacking, with lots of roadwork and a few canter stretches.

I'm not keen on giving horses animal products though really - think I need to look for something else other than mussels, but thanks for the suggestion, I may do it yet. :)
 
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