SUPER DIGITAL FLEXOR TENDON

[loveacob]

Could anyone help me? I have been offered a horse, extremely reasonable, with an old injury, super digital flexor tendon, that was operated on over 2 years ago. Has been ridden regularly for the past year without any probs. I already have a permanently lame horse, now retired, and don't particularly want another but on the other hand it looks like a lovely horse and should be capable to hack, which is all that I want to do. The damaged tendon is in the hind leg, it only came partially away. The lady who is selling her is not the person who had her when the procedure was done, she bought her 12 months later and says that she has never had a days lameness since. I would appreciate any advice.

 

[christine48]

If all you want to do is hack then go for it as long as the price is reasonable. Speak to your vet and have it scanned and go with his advice.

 

[debbielinder]

my horse damaged her deep digital flexor in her off hind quite badly about 18 months ago and were are now getting ready to do out and compete again. she made a brilliant recovery. i find that working hard keeps her supple. i would ask your vet to take a look and see what they think

 

[RachelB]

You probably mean superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT)? SDFT injuries heal (generally) better than injuries such as those to the deep digital flexor tendon (longer and further inside the leg, aka DDFT). SDFT injuries are common in racing especially (or maybe you just hear about them more, I don't know) and from what I read about them when reading up on flexor tendon injuries (my horse has a DDFT tear) they can heal, and some horses have gone back to racing and things like that - when I told my friend about my mare's injury, she said she knows a horse who damaged a tendon and he is now advanced eventing. Generally, as long as injuries to tendons are given sufficient time to heal (at least a year in most cases), horses can and have come back into work. Although of course the tendon will then be more prone to injury as they don't heal the same (scar tissue is different to tendon tissue and will re-break more easily). Even my horse with her DDFT tear and cartilage degeneration was given 25-30% chance of returning to "full ridden work" by three seperate vets.
So personally, I would be wary of doing much jumping, would be happy to school a bit, and seeing as in your post you said you only wanted to hack, if it were me then I'd be happy to have a horse like that (especially at a reasonable price). But then it is a bit of a personal thing, I know some people who won't buy any horse with anything wrong with it!
I hope you make the right decision for you.

 

[kerilli]

if it's just for hacking, and you don't want to jump or gallop, i should think it would be fine, as long as the injury's stable... check it isn't hot or puffy around that area, for instance after standing in a stable for hours. it is usually the front tendons that are more easily injured... i wonder how the horses did incurred the original injury? if the operation was successful, then i should think it would be stable now and not cause further problems as long as you don't do too much.

 

[AmyMay]

Personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

There are plenty or cheap and cheerfull horses out there with no problems - buy one of those.

 

[Tempi]

agree with amymay - why buy a horse with a possible problem? Things can always go wrong with horses as it is, i certainly wouldnt buy one that has had previous tendon problems, whether its sound now or not.