suspensory injury and professional rehab?

[Annapp]

Hi, , sorry, a bit of a long post but any any advice or reassurance would be brilliant, we bought our first horse 9 weeks ago, he’s a 7 year old TB, lightly raced and he passed a 5 stage vetting. He had already had some retraining and was home bred so there were no alarm bells and he seemed to be the perfect horse. We bought him mainly for our 2 teenagers (18 and 15) who have ridden TB’s for the past 5 years.
For the first weeks he was brilliant, hacking out alone and with others, and schooling, and he is the loveliest boy who we have completely fallen in love with. After 3 weeks he spooked on rough ground out hacking and the following day was lame, he had a couple of days rest and was fine, hacked out again for a couple of days with no apparent issues, then slightly lame again on foreleg. We called the vet who said he had a sore hoof so a likely abscess, which was a relief, we poulticed for 5 days but he was still slightly lame, vet came out again and nerve blocked the leg up to the knee, then he was sound. He said to box rest for 2 weeks, which we did (ended up being almost 3 weeks, but he is still slightly lame. He has now had a scan last Thursday and it showed a new small suspensory tear, I think it was the body of the ligament, but more significant damage to the branch, the vet thought their was scar tissue as well, so he scanned the other foreleg and he said there is chronic damage to his other suspensory branch, he said both ligaments have chronic damage that is old and would have been there before we bought him, he also said that as the leg has never been swollen or hot since he was first lame with us this also points to a re-injury. He suggested we return him if possible ( he was not cheap!) but we love him to bits and are devastated. I have contacted Moorcroft and asked about rehab, who think they can help, subject to the vets report, but before we commit to this we really would love to know if anyone else has had a good outcome for this type of injury.

 

[Michen]

I have one with a very minor lesion to the suspensory branch. With a month of box rest and walking it hadn't improved at all (though he did muck around). It improved more in 10 days field rest- we scanned again quickly as he had lipogem treatment to the area.

Honestly I'd send him back if you can. I would be less worried about an acute type injury which seems to be what mine is, but I wouldn't want to get involved with a horse with chronic damage to the suspensory ligaments like this seems.

 

[Annapp]

This is an extract from the vets report, Ultrasound of the tendons revealed marked changes of the suspensory ligament branches in both front legs. There was moderate fibre disruption, scarring and avulsion fractures (ligament torn of bone) in both front fetlock joints more pronounced on the inside branch and worst on the lame RF leg. Additionally, there was a recent new injury next to the previous existing damage of the RF medial suspensory branch. The body of the RF suspensory ligament was also enlarged and showed some area of fibre disruption. In summary, he is suffering from suspensory desmitis in the RF. However, there are marked degenerative changes in the suspensory branches of both front fetlocks with fibre disruption and avulsion of the ligament off the proximal sesamoid bone. These chronic changes carry a guarded prognosis as a sound riding horse.
Treatment of suspensory desmitis includes peri-ligamentous or intralesional injection of PrP (Platelet rich Plasma), shockwave therapy, and/ or Class IV LASER therapy, combined with an incremental exercise program.

Has anyone had much success with these treatments? On reading the vets report it sounds pretty awful, and I can't see what future he will have but he deserves a chance, as he is such a gorgeous softie, but he is also a typical cheeky TB and not the most compliant patient, as he wants to mess around/ jog on the way back from his walks.

 

[Auslander]

Seriously - send him back. That vet report sounds like a whole world of heartache to me - and I have been there with chronic suspensory issues. It's not something I'd recommend anyone put themselves through

 

[Melody Grey]

I’d also be inclined to return if possible- would be different if these problems were new and recent, but it sounds like the upshot of issues over a long time frame. I’d be concerned that compensatory damage to other areas might be there too and yet to show up- certainly in hind PSD/ suspensory damage, back issues are prevalent (no direct experience of front ligament issues, but assume there might be a similar knock- on effect?). It might be that the horse has continued to work on with previous injuries.

if you’re reliant on insurance for treatment, you may have a hard time with the injuries being pretty much proven to be Pre-existing in your vet report.

 

[Leandy]

I also would send back if I could given the recurring nature of the injury. However lovely he is, he is no use to your family if he cannot stay in the work you want him to do. I'm skeptical about how the conversation with the seller will go though. They may well say this was your risk and you did have a full vetting, but you can but see. I very much doubt you will get the full purchase price back even if they are willing to take him.

 

[TPO]

I'd send back too. I know it's hard when you are the one with the horse and there are children involved too.

I'd also speak to your vet about the vet who did the vetting, assuming that they arent the same, and discuss getting the bloods from the vetting tested. For a horse with this diagnosis and prognosis to present sound at a vetting is suspicious in my limited experience.

 

[greenbean10]

Are you able to send him back if the horse passed a 5 stage vetting and was perfect for the first 3 weeks?

Surely not many people would accept that especially considering something happened to cause the re-injury (the spook)

 

[Red-1]

I believe you have bought him from a trade seller, if he was home bred and racing? If so, and the vet thinks he is unlikely to stand up to the work that you purchased him to do, then you can return, and I would do so.

 

[Annapp]

He was bought direct from a known racing trainer, raced last back in December 2020x then retrained at their yard, until we bought him mid May. He was being advertised as a potential event horse, we said at the vetting we wanted him for clinics/ hacking low level competing and possibly team chasing, which the vetting said he was suitable for. He was £4,000 so a reasonable price for a 7 year old TB.

 

[TheMule]

Has the trainer indicated that they would have him back? I think you'd be very lucky to send him back and get a refund- the horse was sound when you bought him, as verified by a qualified vet, and now he isn’t.
You have gone about it all the right way but unfortunately this is the reality of horses and 4K spent does not count for anything when they pick up an injury

 

[Shilasdair]

If you like him, and can afford to do this - then I'd turn him away in the field until next spring, and buy something else for your children to ride in the meantime.

 

[Annapp]

I don’t want to return him, as we bought him with every intention of keeping him for life. I have emailed the bet report to Moorcroft and am really hoping they can help even if it for the first few months of rehab/ long reining etc. We are of course really nervous that it will be a short term fix and costly (insurance does not cover it as it was within the 2 week exclusion period for the reinjury!!!?, and he is on full livery at the moment so turning out at his current yard is not an option. I did find some legal info which states that;
If a horse passes a vetting and later it is discovered that there’s a pre-existing medical condition, and the buyer wants to return it but the seller was unaware of the condition, what protection is available to the seller?
This is a difficult one, because if it is established that an issue genuinely did pre-exist the sale, then even if the seller wasn’t aware of it at the time, they would still be liable for the issue. This is only the case if the buyer is a “consumer” and not a trader themselves.

in an ideal world it would be good to get some of the purchase price back as this could then fund some of his rehab/ shockwave for the acute injury. Our YO (ex jockey) thinks it is highly likely he raced with the old injuries and therefore just really bad luck that they resurfaced after we bought him.

 

[TPO]

I don’t want to return him, as we bought him with every intention of keeping him for life. I have emailed the bet report to Moorcroft and am really hoping they can help even if it for the first few months of rehab/ long reining etc. We are of course really nervous that it will be a short term fix and costly (insurance does not cover it as it was within the 2 week exclusion period for the reinjury!!!?, and he is on full livery at the moment so turning out at his current yard is not an option. I did find some legal info which states that;
If a horse passes a vetting and later it is discovered that there’s a pre-existing medical condition, and the buyer wants to return it but the seller was unaware of the condition, what protection is available to the seller?
This is a difficult one, because if it is established that an issue genuinely did pre-exist the sale, then even if the seller wasn’t aware of it at the time, they would still be liable for the issue. This is only the case if the buyer is a “consumer” and not a trader themselves.

in an ideal world it would be good to get some of the purchase price back as this could then fund some of his rehab/ shockwave for the acute injury. Our YO (ex jockey) thinks it is highly likely he raced with the old injuries and therefore just really bad luck that they resurfaced after we bought him.

If you're not already a member join BHS as a Gold Member. This gives you access to their legal helplines.

Call them and speak to a qualified expert who can give you proper legal advice regarding your position and options.

As an aside, why Moorcroft? If you decide to keep him and will be looking for a rehab yard if you post your generic area posters in here might be able to offer suggestions or, even more helpful, PM where to avoid!

 

[Annapp]

Thank you, we are based in the south east and Moorcroft is only 40mins away. I just want to do the best for him, as he is a young horse

 

[TPO]

Thank you, we are based in the south east and Moorcroft is only 40mins away. I just want to do the best for him, as he is a young horse

I'm in scotland so have no idea about that area but hopefully someone else will.

I hope BHS can help too. I think gold membership is around £7 per month. It would be worth it to speak to an expert who can explain your legal options.

Good luck and please keep us updated with what happens and your horse. I really feel for you, it's horrible when you've done everything right and life still finds a way to disrupt it

 

[Annapp]

Incidentally I feel like a complete idiot, I never thought to get him scanned at the vetting and just stupidly assumed that as he only raced 9 times, (and I watched all his races on the internet before we committed to buy him, he never fell, he just looked disinterested, and lagged behind) that he should be fine. He had 6 months off - March to November so mostly during the summer when there is no national hunt racing, had been retrained nicely and when we tried him he was forward and moved/ jumped nicely in their school. Unfortunately it was too good to be true!

 

[Annapp]

I'm in scotland so have no idea about that area but hopefully someone else will.

I hope BHS can help too. I think gold membership is around £7 per month. It would be worth it to speak to an expert who can explain your legal options.

Good luck and please keep us updated with what happens and your horse. I really feel for you, it's horrible when you've done everything right and life still finds a way to disrupt it

thank you, it is so awful, I keep crying as we have really fallen for this horse, and I can’t bear the thought of giving him back or passing him on, which will most likely end in him being PTS. He was our dream horse, bought with inheritance and although we have some savings to pay for treatment etc he was supposed to be a fun riding horse for me and my teenagers!!

 

[TPO]

Incidentally I feel like a complete idiot, I never thought to get him scanned at the vetting and just stupidly assumed that as he only raced 9 times, (and I watched all his races on the internet before we committed to buy him, he never fell, he just looked disinterested, and lagged behind) that he should be fine. He had 6 months off - March to November so mostly during the summer when there is no national hunt racing, had been retrained nicely and when we tried him he was forward and moved/ jumped nicely in their school. Unfortunately it was too good to be true!

Not an idiot. You viewed him and you got a 5 stage vetting.

Did the seller recommend the vet?

If the sellers really have pulled a fast one they will be pros at this. Worth testing the bloods just in case any painkiller or dope shows up in it

 

[Melody Grey]

Did you ask for disclosure of full veterinary notes prior to purchase? I’m guessing not?

 

[TPO]

thank you, it is so awful, I keep crying as we have really fallen for this horse, and I can’t bear the thought of giving him back or passing him on, which will most likely end in him being PTS. He was our dream horse, bought with inheritance and although we have some savings to pay for treatment etc he was supposed to be a fun riding horse for me and my teenagers!!

I know that feeling very well. I vetted my last TB too and it was my vet that missed something which transpired to be very obvious. The practice then closed ranks and changed his vet record. It was my word against theirs and in the end I just wanted to be shot of them so didnt pursue it.

Mine is a long story but short version is that I had a walking vet bill for 6yrs before he was PTS. A no point did he "need" pts for his welfare or comfort but with hindsight if I done it earlier the outcome wouldnt have differed, I'd have saved tens of thousands and a lot of heartbreak.

So I do feel your pain. It is awful along with feeling stuck in limbo, loving your horse and wondering "why me?" when you've tried to do everything right.

I hope BHS and your vet can help you. Take care x

 

[Annapp]

Did you ask for disclosure of full veterinary notes prior to purchase? I’m guessing not?

Yes, we used their vet for the vetting as it is quite remote, (I know it is not ideal) but they provided full disclosure and said they have never treated him, other than usual vaccinations, they did take bloods at the vetting. I think fro talking to our vet he might have had some heat/ swelling after a race and the trainer probably gave him box rest and he came good, they are quite old school!! And then raced him again, they obviously never had him scanned unless they changed vets.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Incidentally I feel like a complete idiot, I never thought to get him scanned at the vetting and just stupidly assumed that as he only raced 9 times, (and I watched all his races on the internet before we committed to buy him, he never fell, he just looked disinterested, and lagged behind) that he should be fine. He had 6 months off - March to November so mostly during the summer when there is no national hunt racing, had been retrained nicely and when we tried him he was forward and moved/ jumped nicely in their school. Unfortunately it was too good to be true!

He possibly lagged behind because he was in pain?
Honestly I'm surprised that any race horse would pass a 5 stage vetting so the whole vetting sounds a bit dubious.

My old IDx sustained an 80% front suspensory ligament tear, it was about half way up the leg. He had Shockwave and box rest and made a very good recovery, but he was only a happy hacker and didn't have the years of damage a race horse will have behind him.
I've also had a very good response to PRP with a stifle lameness so I would definitely recommend either of those procedures if the vets say they would be of benefit.

 

[SO1]

I really feel for you as I am going through 2nd rehab for a soft tissue injury with the last 12 months with my pony but he is 19 and I have have had him 14 years so at least had 12 good years before these injuries.

Rehab is hard with a lot of controlled walking and those treatments are expensive with no guarantee that they will work. They will cost more than the purchase price of the horse. What you do have in your favour is that he is a young horses and young horses tend to heal better than old horses.

Horses that go through the box rest controlled walking rehab have a better chance of recovery than those turned away. However as your insurance won't cover it and the prognosis is not good and the costs of those treatments will be very expensive I would consider turning away at a retirement yard some of them have facilities where injured horses can be turned away and full care covered you can then rescan at 6 months to see if the healing has improved.

It is very difficult once you have become attached to them. You could try speaking to the trainer about the previous injuries but it sounds like if the vetting was passed they were not the cause of the current injury caused by the spooking but they may have left the leg weaker and more prone to injury so that any strain on the ligaments causes an injury that would not occur had the previous injuries not happened.

What you may find is that any strain on the legs now many cause another injury so you could spend a fortune on treatment and rehab and then another spooky or sharp turn could cause another injury.

I think it is unlikely that the seller will take the horse back you had it vetted and it was sound when you left and was sound until the spook. No harm in asking though.

 

[redredruby]

My horse put his foot through a gate and ended up horrifically damaging his suspensory, including fracturing sesamoid bone. We had no idea whether he would come sound again let alone be ridden so treated him with PRP, followed by 2 months at a physio rehab (this didn't include long reining or anything, just laser treatment etc), and then 9 months turned away.

His fetlock joint on his injured leg is still much larger than the other one but he is completely sound. We stick to hacking, farm rides, a bit of cross country and don't do anything which involves lots of circles or sharp bends. We have been very lucky and he does have ID in him which I'm sure has helped but I just wanted to share a positive story as you do sound very heart broken.

It is very hard and I admire your sentiment for not wanting him passed around. I really do feel for you.

 

[Annapp]

My horse put his foot through a gate and ended up horrifically damaging his suspensory, including fracturing sesamoid bone. We had no idea whether he would come sound again let alone be ridden so treated him with PRP, followed by 2 months at a physio rehab (this didn't include long reining or anything, just laser treatment etc), and then 9 months turned away.

His fetlock joint on his injured leg is still much larger than the other one but he is completely sound. We stick to hacking, farm rides, a bit of cross country and don't do anything which involves lots of circles or sharp bends. We have been very lucky and he does have ID in him which I'm sure has helped but I just wanted to share a positive story as you do sound very heart broken.

It is very hard and I admire your sentiment for not wanting him passed around. I really do feel for you.

Thank you, that sounds hopeful, and it’s great that yours came good, it just shows that it is not just silly fragile TB’s that can manage to do that much damage. We are happy with hacking, clinics etc, but when we got him were hoping it would be so much fun taking part in low level competitions, as that is what he was advertised as. I messaged the trainer and asked if they would consider taking him back or exchanging him, (although am worried that this might be a death sentence!) and funnily enough there has been no response, which makes me think they knew, when I spoke to them on the phone after the scan they said they could not understand it as he has never been lame?

 

[TheMule]

I personally would not conclude that they knew- the horse was fit, sound and in full work so why do you think they knew about something that is totally invisible from the outside?
I would imagine they are considering how to reply given they have no obligation to take the horse back after this period of time and with a new injury that he suffered whilst in your care

 

[Annapp]

I personally would not conclude that they knew- the horse was fit, sound and in full work so why do you think they knew about something that is totally invisible from the outside?
I would imagine they are considering how to reply given they have no obligation to take the horse back after this period of time and with a new injury that he suffered whilst in your care

I don’t necessarily think they would have been aware of the extent of the damage, but our vet said he would have definitely been lame and had significant heat/ swelling when the original injuries occurred, and when asked they said he had never been lame or injured.

 

[VRIN]

I would definitely send back. There are lots of good horses out there. It costs as much to keep a 'good un as a bad un'. You want your daughters to have fun and whilst they do love this one they WILL love another.

 

[I'm Dun]

You either need to send him back, or accept that hes not going to make a riding horse and ask for most of the purchase price back and keep him as a pet. This isnt just an injury, this is long term damage that has incurred a further injury. You might get him through rehab and sound, but its going to go again. This horse isnt going to stand up to RC level work if hes re injured it that easily. Dont put yourself through it.