Severed Tendon

[Irishcobs]

My friend told me this morning that a horse at her work severed a tendon on the gallops this morning. I'm not sure how or what they are doing with him now, a specialist was going to see him this afternoon to see if he can be saved.
How does a horse sever its tendon, I heard of torn tendons, slapped tendons etc, but not a severed tendon, to me it sounds like it has been cut, could a kick from a hind leg do that?
Hope he can be saved he was my friends favourite horse.

 

[lexiedhb]

My old boy severed his tendon. Wasnt nice... and had he not been insured he wouldnt of been able to have his last few years pootling around a field!

he did his shying at something on the road, which sounds unbelieveable, but i wasnt riding him and that is what I was told happened.

His recovery involved box rest, small paddock doped, gradually moving up to a bigger field, all the while being on pain killers anti inflammatories and anti bacs (just in case). He was also scanned regularly so we could see if it was healing or not...... about 8 months after he did it he was sound... but it was a really long haul, and he was never ridden for anything other than gentle hacks with a light weight rider again.

it is possible to recover from it but is heart breaking for so many reasons... hope your friends horse pulls through!

 

[Bossanova]

Yes normally by them striking into themselves.
If it hasnt been too damaged and they can keep infection out then it could make a full recovery. Got my fingers crossed

 

[Irishcobs]

Just heard, horse was PTS. Poor guy. They think it was either a over reach, or some flint hit him in the leg. It just seems impossible that something like that could happen. Makes me wonder if he had been wearing boots if they would of saved him? Probably.

 

[JanetGeorge]

If it was on the gallops then it either became unbalanced and struck into itself with its hind shoe - or another horse coming up alongside veered into it and struck it. Whether it can be saved will depend on which tendon, how badly damaged the ends of the severed tendon were, the age of the horse, the competence of the vets - and LUCK!

I had a yearling filly roll under an electric fence early this year and the electro-rope went right through her extensor tendon - and cut the leg to the bone. Fortunately we found her just after it happened, our vet arrived fast and cleaned and immobilised the leg and we got her down to Kearns & Ray within a couple of hours. The ends of the tendon have to be held in close proximity so they can grow back together - so she was fitted with a show with an extended toe - and a splint that went outside some very heavily padded dressings.

She has made a full recovery as far as we can tell - although she's not being allowed out in the field yet - just an all-weather day-yard to stretch her legs and stabled at night. But the fact it was the extensor tendon and that she was only a yearling were major factors in her good recovery - other tendons, particularly in older horses, can be more problematic.

This is Ripple's leg with the dressing removed (for cleaning and changing.) The rod with the padded end was strapped to the front of the leg - outside the bandage. (Damn thing cost more than £30 every time we changed the bandage for dressings, ortho-wrap, cotton wool, vet-wrap etc.)

It's completely healed now - although there is a scar - but we hope that will reduce still further with time.

 

[kerilli]

a severed tendon can heal better than a pulled one.
a friend's sjer severed a tendon out on a hack (sdft and possibly part of ddft, i'm not sure). the first two vets to the horse wanted to shoot him, but she insisted on another opinion and luckily the 3rd vet agreed to try.
lots of care, lots of rest, lots of time later, the horse was completely sound again. she used to charge all over the place on it, jump it, and it was absolutely fine, amazingly.
really hope the horse mentioned in the OP gets the best, most optimistic vet...

 

[lucemoose]

My last horse severed his tendon nearly all the way thru in the field. He had probably rolled and struck himself getting up. Came back absolutely fine, jumped up to 1m, still going strong. Used to t/o in tendon boots for a few years after though.

Am sorry Irishcobs.

 

[goeslikestink]

i have had 2 horses with severed tendons but good management and care depends on how bad but can take a year to 18mths to heal was boxed rested on both counts for 6-9months then slowly started of in hand over ground poles to build up mussles and tissues to support the damaged leg- on to ridden work over same ground poles and then from there back to normal toook 18mths in total