Stifle buggered... any other experiences?

Serenity087

Serenity087

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US is back, Dorey has damaged three ligaments in her stifle and the vet is now talking along the 4-6 month line.

She's on restricted turnout and rest but it's boring for her (she now entertains herself by having a spook and getting herself bought in early/getting let out into the big field where she'll then refuse to come in! Neither are good for her legs!)

Anyone else experienced this? What did you do to help? Is 6 months really as long as it sounds? What else can I do to help keep her still for months?
 
6 months is nothing, in total over 24 months my lad had 18 months of box rest. You just get used to it and they get into a routine. It is actually much easier than you think and much easier to stop injury than having a pen in a field. My lad had athroscopy to both of his stifles and a lot to be tidied in the operation, he also had front feet issues before the stifle ops and had 9 months box rest before that. The only time it blows their head in my opinion is when the routine gets changed.
 
Unfortunately, much as I'd love to leave Dorey in, she'll only do herself more damage in the stable.

amymay - 4-6 months of rest, which thanks to lochpearl I now realise isn't as long as I'd feared.

lochpearl, problem with Dorey's routine is that my daily routine is all over the place, so hers tends to match mine. Sometimes she's first in, sometimes she isn't. I'm racking my brains for an idea to stop her silly behaviour in the evenings though, then I can trust her to stay out until 5.30 every day!
 
Serenity087 said:
amymay - 4-6 months of rest, which thanks to lochpearl I now realise isn't as long as I'd feared.

lochpearl, problem with Dorey's routine is that my daily routine is all over the place, so hers tends to match mine. Sometimes she's first in, sometimes she isn't. I'm racking my brains for an idea to stop her silly behaviour in the evenings though, then I can trust her to stay out until 5.30 every day!
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Ah, ok - perfectly do-able.

Routine, routine and routine is the key to the prevention of silly behaviour. Same thing, same time every single day.
 
amymay said:
Ah, ok - perfectly do-able.

Routine, routine and routine is the key to the prevention of silly behaviour. Same thing, same time every single day.
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most of her day is routine I'm pleased to say. just the bit where I finish work at funny times. if I left her later she'd persuade the other liveries to save her as I've asked them not to leave her if she's panicked.
I might see if the kids can bring her in for me early arvo though.
 
It's amazing how well they adapt to box rest but if you think she will be better and more calm in a pen then you know her better than us. I found the problems started when the routines changed, my lad was like clockwork and even 5 mins out him out. He also once able to be turned out in a pen would get used to his time out and he would then get silly if he knew it was time to come in or saw my car, he would then spin on his stifles - not great after ops and rest!! He was actually easier to handle being on proper box rest and then eventually when he was allowed out we only did a little time in the pen and then just out in his normal field to stop the spinning.

I would advise if at all possible for you to have her brought in at the same time every day so if you normally do it at 5 and are working strange hours then see if someone else will. You don't want her getting excited and doing more damage.

Can they operate?
 
4 to 6 months is a small price to pay if you get a fit horse back. My horse was diagnosed with stifle arthritis last year and was injected and all went fine, flared up again this year injected again but failed - result - retired at 18 and a not to bright future as i watch her rest her leg most of the day. I have got myself another horse but watching my darlin is heartbreaking i know what i will have to do eventually but not yet as i dont think it is a well fare issue yet.
 
Thanks Sally, I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself. I'm sorry to hear about your girly.

Lochpearl, on box rest she gets stroppy and bargy, she'll get aggressive with the others and it's far too hot for me to be happy shutting her in.

She has been in the pen for over a month already and is quite happy. Bringing in makes her a bit funny, and although I've asked that she come in at the same time as her best mate (she doesn't mind the others coming or going, but I've been out and found her dripping in sweat after her best mate was bought in without her!), sometimes the other mare is left out later, so Dorey's bringing in routine is a bit funny.

Either way, she's never out on her own and I've asked that she be bought in first from now on to stop any silliness.

In an ideal world I'd be there to get her in first, but hopefully the other liveries will help me out on this one.

Thanks for your views though, I'm feeling a lot more confident now. After all, it's been five years since she went down with PCOS and was labelled unridable and I've only been riding for four months - what's another 6 months?
 
My mare had 14 months box rest, the last 3 ridden but stabled which was interesting. She had always previously come in at night but we decided to turn her out 24/7 when she was allowed out. This eliminated the woohoo run around factor, she was in a baldy field so was constantly foraging for food. She had hay as required in the field. I was really surprised at how well she settled into being out all the time.

Is it an option for your horse to be out 24/7 and with a companion?
 
Serenity087 said:
Unfortunately, much as I'd love to leave Dorey in, she'll only do herself more damage in the stable.

amymay - 4-6 months of rest, which thanks to lochpearl I now realise isn't as long as I'd feared.

lochpearl, problem with Dorey's routine is that my daily routine is all over the place, so hers tends to match mine. Sometimes she's first in, sometimes she isn't. I'm racking my brains for an idea to stop her silly behaviour in the evenings though, then I can trust her to stay out until 5.30 every day!
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I did 4-6 months rest with my tb & he had no option but to be in his stable for 4 months (different op though, his was a ringbone op).. as soon as i could, i had him out in a small paddock with the girls at the yard topping up his bucket of haylage all day long to keep him still. It was a nightmare but theonly thing that worked & stopped him injuring himself in the stable!
 
S087 - which ligaments has he damaged, and how lame is he?

One of mine tore his meniscal last year, he did 5 months box rest and has now done 5 months field rest, and he is as lame as when he first did it. I have recently made the decision to have him PTS at the end of the summer.

Around 70% of horses who have torn their meniscal ligament don't come sound I'm sorry to say :(
 
mine damaged her meniscus in Feb. She has since been on very restricted turnout,inital rest then walking in hand then ridden work. 6 MONTHS ON SHE IS RIDDEN FOR AN HOUR DAILY WITH SOME TROTTING AND HAS JUST STARTED SOME SCHOOLING. fingers crossed can start canter work next week .it has been and still is a long haul .Vets warned me at the beginning stifle injuries carry a guarded prognosis and it depends on how they cope after rest with gradually increased work.
 
our eventer has torn his middle patella ligament back in May...outcome is very guarded.. he has to be turned out in a small patch within the filed with his mates..he became dangerous to handle on box rest and very stressed out spinning and box walking so doing himself no good at all..at least in the field he is relaxed and just eats then when he comes in he is more than happy to munch a haynet and sleep..sometimes its better to go with them than fight it..
he is off until the end on september then he will be looked at again...i would love to hear from anyone whos horse has done this injury as it is so unheard of i can't find any info on it.
 
Debsflo, very pleased that your horse is one of the lucky ones, hope she continues to recover and you have a long and enjoyable life together.

Baily sorry don't know anything about your horses injury.
 
my horse damaged his cranial cruciate ligament in his right stifle last March. Had arthroscopy in April and was found to have mild OCD changes in both stifles. He had 8wks box rest then 6mths field rest but he failed to rest despite sedation, kept charging at the other horses on the other side of the fence etc. Couldn't put him back out with the others as fave games were to rear up and charge around. Ended up starting riding him in walk for 20mins twice a week which went on for 4mths. Then he was given the all clear to come back into full work end of Dec. Spent a long time bringing him back into work, never felt quite happy with him in trot but vet said to just push on gradually and at final check few wks ago vet said he looked sound under saddle in the school but was half a tenth lame on the lunge. Has been back out competing again on surfaces no probs but on grass the other day judge said he looked stiff behind and on the video he clearly doesn't look 100% so with regret I have decided to try and find him a happy hacker home and see how long his stifle stands up to this degree of work. He's not a horse who would really enjoy retirement as he gets so bored in the field doing nothing. Stifle injuries suck :(
 
Pretty sure it's three of the patella ligaments - meniscus checked out okay.

Two of the three are very mildly dark grey on the US, so much so they were almost missed. The third doesn't look too good.

I'm thinking it's not serious because he hasn't mentioned treatments in depth and was talking like she may well be sound in 2 months if I keep her rested!
 
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