SDFT injury. Advice please.

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Fizzo

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Hi. I own an amazing 17 year old very young at heart standardbred horse. 2 years ago she injured her superficial digital flexor tendon at the level of her knee and continuing just below it, (apparently called proximal aspect). Since then we have undergone a very slow rehabilitation process with regular scans and discussions with the vet. We are now at the stage where we are doing all the flat work we were before. My problem is she loves jumping and so do I. We never jumped high, 1m course maximum, and it was purely for pleasure not competition. I would absolutely love to be able to take her over the odd very small jump(even if it's only 10cm) but I cannot get a firm answer from my vet apart from "she is at increased risk of re-injury". I realise this but I also know that whenever she goes out in the field she is also at increased injury, as she is when we hack (who knows when a car will whip past and spook her etc). We can't ever remove all risks and wrap them and us up in cotton wool. Can anyone tell me if they have returned to jumping after this injury and what happened. Of course if the risk is moderate or more I will not take it but I can't help thinking (and reading) that it is possible and we may be missing out on something we both love! Sorry for the lengthy post!
 
The tb in my yard did his SDFT while racing, it was not quite as high as your horses injury so less risk of re injuring and he was considerably younger, 8 at the time of the injury but he came back to full work, went pointing for a season with no problem and is now doing a variety of activities including jumping.
I think you weigh up the risks, vets are normally very cautious to commit and can be reluctant to give the go ahead in case it goes wrong and they get the blame, my vet was rather taken aback when I told him the tb was going to be rehabbed barefoot and thought it unlikely to work, he was proved wrong and I think it helped his tendon become stronger than it would have done if he had been shod, if you feel your horse will enjoy the odd pop on good ground then I would do so as you say she is probably more at risk of damaging herself in the field than over a small jump unless it was jumping that caused the original injury, by that I mean directly related to going over a fence, there will be many horses competing seriously as well as racing after similar injuries a few may go wrong again but many will be fine.
 
Many many horses return to racing over big fences after tendon injuries. My own lad literally tore his SDFT in half. His tendon is about 3% tendon fibre, 97% scar tissue so I am ever so careful with what I do with him. Another injury to that leg means curtains for him. But I still pop the odd jump on him.

Make sure the ground is good. If on grass make sure it isn't slippy, deep or firm. A nice, genuine piece of good ground. In a school make sure the surface is well maintained and hasn't become solid. Start off small. It's not the take off but the landing that is the vital point of impact.

Same with the original rehab - take it steady, build up slowly, at any point where you don't feel comfortable, there is excess heat in the tendon or the likes then take a step back and redo the previous step.
 
Mine damaged both SDFT at the same time. Very long recovery but he went back to jumping, (sj and xc) although it was 18montha before jumping and 2 years before competing, and actually did more post injury. I was choosey about the ground he went on and he was always ridden in professional choice sports medicine boits.
Ultimately however I lost him due to a reinjured of the tendon in one leg. He did that though out in the field 12 years after initial injury.
 
Fizzo said:
Hi. I own an amazing 17 year old very young at heart standardbred horse. 2 years ago she injured her superficial digital flexor tendon at the level of her knee and continuing just below it, (apparently called proximal aspect). Since then we have undergone a very slow rehabilitation process with regular scans and discussions with the vet. We are now at the stage where we are doing all the flat work we were before. My problem is she loves jumping and so do I. We never jumped high, 1m course maximum, and it was purely for pleasure not competition. I would absolutely love to be able to take her over the odd very small jump(even if it's only 10cm) but I cannot get a firm answer from my vet apart from "she is at increased risk of re-injury". I realise this but I also know that whenever she goes out in the field she is also at increased injury, as she is when we hack (who knows when a car will whip past and spook her etc). We can't ever remove all risks and wrap them and us up in cotton wool. Can anyone tell me if they have returned to jumping after this injury and what happened. Of course if the risk is moderate or more I will not take it but I can't help thinking (and reading) that it is possible and we may be missing out on something we both love! Sorry for the lengthy post!
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My horse has had suspensory branch problems and I was told there was a 40% chance of reinjury. His last suspensory branch sprain (described as very slight) was on Dec 31st 2015. But with a slow and steady increase in work using a programme agreed between my vet and myself I have managed to rehabilitate him again so he is now back in full work. This is the third time for this injury (3 different suspensory branch injuries on 3 legs over about six years). He is now 19 years young.

At home I also used an Ice Vibe boot initially every time before I rode and after with an ice pack, although now I only use it when I introduce something new to my horse i.e. the first time we were able to canter after injury, the first time we jumped after his injury, the first time I did a grid after his injury, the first time I did a competition after his injury and so on. I also use the Ice Vibe boot at fun rides or competitions before and after (with an instant ice pack as a precaution not because he needs it). I would seriously consider investing in the IceVibe boots, they have helped his rehab considerably.

You could spend your life saying 'what if' but the way I see it my horse has a 60% chance of non reoccourence. If it happens again I just rehab again.

I have minimized the amount I jump. Last night I did a course of jumps twice (2 jumps and a grid of three fences) and then put the grid up to about 2ft 9 and did that twice and that is what I consider enough. The horse last jumped two weeks previously (and only four small fences on a fun ride). Its just about doing things very gradually and increasing the effort and keeping an eye on the horses legs. I started jumping again about June (on vets advice).

When I started the rehab with him I think we were in month four before I started any pole work (trot poles) then I made them into canter poles over two sessions. Then I did my first little cross pole at about month six gradually building up the height increase over two sessions (probably eight days apart). When we came to go back competing I did one clear round at about 2ft 3. The next time out the same again, then the following time a clear round twice at 2ft 6. A couple of weeks later a clear round and a class. That's where we are at now. No jump offs, just nice steady slow canter rounds. Clear round at 80cm and a class at 85cm where we came 8th out of about 26. Not because we were fast but because we were clear lol.


You can't wrap them up in cotton wool. You have to push on and see what they can do. My vet has always said this.
 
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Thank you everyone. This has really given me something to think about. I think as we are at 2 years post injury, which actually occurred in the field, now would be the time to start introducing very small jumps. I actually tried her over a pole the other day and she jumped that! She got really excited too which makes me think; OK it may increase the risk but it will improve her quality of life. I have had mixed messages from my vet. Sometimes she says try a small jump, sometimes not. I actually think she is protecting herself, understandably as there is no crystal ball. But should we bubble wrap our horses and stick the in a padded stable so they never injure themselves? Or do all we can to minimise risk but still have fun? My horse loves jumping so I think I will try a few poles on the floor and see how she goes from there. She will jump them and think she has jumped a fence!!! I will definitely look into the Ice Vibe boots. Thanks again for the feedback everyone!
 
I have decided to go ahead and see how she goes with a very small jump or two. I have looked at the ice vibe boots. Do you think they really help? Is there anything else that is good that is a little cheaper? I am happy to spend that if they really do help prevent reinjury.
 
Fizzo said:
I have decided to go ahead and see how she goes with a very small jump or two. I have looked at the ice vibe boots. Do you think they really help? Is there anything else that is good that is a little cheaper? I am happy to spend that if they really do help prevent reinjury.
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Ime its difficult to beat a pair of bonner bandages for cooling legs .
 
Goldenstar said:
Ime its difficult to beat a pair of bonner bandages for cooling legs .
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i assume u have gone onto their website and read about ice vibe and u fully understand the principles behind how they work. you understand they are a bit of kit not just for rehab but also for day to day preventative. its uo to you hun. i can only tell you how they have heloed my horse. today i have a fun ride and intend to canter and jump on decent ground. he will wear them during one cycle on the way to the event on his hinds and then for twenry mins on his fores before his exercise bandages go on and we are away. more concerned wirh him getting another bacterial skin infection on his legs than i am about him re-doing his suspensory branch because this is more likely!x
 
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