Tendon Injuries

[Valerie1]

My 12 year old gelding has torn his tendon and currently choosing the appropriate treatment options.... Has anyone been through this and what options did you choose and did your horse recover?
He is a very talented show jumper so I am looking into all types regenerative treatments etc, All stories and suggestions are helpful

 

[Riding_my_Rozi]

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions for you, I am currently going through the same thing with my mare, so I'm also interested in this. I hope your boy will be ok! ?

 

[nutjob]

Mine ended badly sorry. I didn't have any regenerative treatment, I just did a very slow rehab with weeks of walking. Unfortunately, the tendon got reinjured when my horse went onto small area turnout.

 

[bonny]

If your horse is insured or you have very deep pockets there are treatments available but I still think all they do is possibly speed up the healing process and the main thing tendon injuries need is time. A year off in a field will work wonders and although it’s hard when you want to be riding it really is the best treatment.

 

[Lady Tinseltime]

My horse tore his superficial digital flexor tendon last January (hind leg) 12 weeks box rest walking in hand twice a day, 12 weeks walking exercise with turnout in paddock the size of 2 stables, twelve weeks trotting gradually increasing the amount In October we were allowed to canter and 10 days ago we did a prelim scoring 70%. It's been a long year but the box rest was the worst. I listened to my vet and not to the people who told me that turning him out wouldn't make it any worse. Good luck with yours

 

[Lady Tinseltime]

Forgot to say that my vet said that the treatments available might make a very small difference but as I was uninsured it probably wasn't worth bothering with any of them. Vet is from Liphook Equine Hospital.

 

[LegOn]

My vet who was using shockwave treatment on my horses' splint, was showing me before and after scans of treatments with shockwave in torn tendons - it was incredible!

It actually straightens up the fibers and heal back very close to the pre-torn tendon, plus they have been monitoring horses and the reoccurrence of injury after shockwave has been less than horses that healed without it.
The scans were unreal!

 

[SO1]

Ice spas seemed to help with my pony. We have a cold water spa on the yard as they also do rehab livery.

Also depends on your budget I am insured and so ice spas were covered. I could have had laser but I chose to use the alternative therapy budget for ice spas.

I did not do anything else other than the walking plan he has been on active box rest for over 6 months just starting trotting know with the plan for small pen turnout after 6 weeks of trotting.

I don't think any of the treatments shorten the rehab process which is very tough. Riding a box rest horse is quite nerve racking if you are not confident rider. If you have a very sharp horse then box and rehab without turnout can be frightening. Any airs above ground or acrobatics during the first few months of controlled exercise can cause reinjury. A buck and few strides of canter during the walking ridden stage caused a 6 weeks set back for my pony as he reinjured.

Age also plays a part my pony is 19 your horse is much younger so healing make be quicker and easier.

 

[Cragrat]

i can't find it now, but I definitely read sone meta research that said basically all these treatments did nothing other than make the vet/owner feel like they were doing something, and that time was the best healer. In the long run, all these treatments had no better outcome than simple time.



But despite having read that, when mine did his SDFT, I chucked him out in the field.... and used ice vibe boots and Arc Equine daily. 3 month scan showed the hole has gone, but he's still getting another 3 months in the field and another scan before we think about rehab.

 

[spotty_pony]

It would depend very much WHICH tendon he has torn as what the rehab should be.