Tendon injury - What would you do?

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showjumper1

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My 15 year old mare injured her front leg tendon 3 months ago. She is on 30 mins walk per day with no turnout. She is still very lame in trot with swelling on her leg. The vet assessed her today and said we will need to continue this regime for 3-5 months and that she has a 50% chance of coming back to full work - jumping up to 1 metre etc. In addition she has front hoof issues which mean she is shod in round shoes and has periodic episodes of mild lameness, treated by aspirin. No physical changes have ever been found on these so I don't know the exact diagnosis.

I do not know what to do. I see 3 options:

1. Keep going as we are. This concerns me as she has limited quality of life. He box is in an open barn in a busy stables so there is plenty of distraction and other horses to see but horses want and need to be outside.

2. Turn her away for 6 months and see what happens. There is a possibility that she will come sound but also a possibility that she will severely injure her tendon as she gets quite excitable. Also I do not want to be without a horse to ride and compete for 6 months. I cannot buy another horse as I cannot afford nor do I have the time to keep 2 in full work.

3. Have her put to sleep. She is not having a good quality of life, will probably not become sound and will be unlikely to thrive retired. Also frankly, it would be a struggle for me to afford to keep 2 horses, even if one is retired.
 
If you think your mare will have a bad quality of life through her injury/ailments then the kindest thing is to put her to sleep. Plus if you can not keep her financialy things will only get worse in the long run. It is best to let her go rather than take a chance on her suffering.

It is a terrible decision to make, but you are being very kind to her in the long run and making sure that she will not suffer
 
How is she coping with being in?

I certainly wouldn't give up on her yet. I think most of us whose horses have had tendon or ligament damage realise that we are in for the long hall in terms of recover, as there are no quick fixes. Once you have finished with the initial walking out faze you will hopefully be in a position to turn her out until next year - when she can come back in to work.

Personally that's what I would do and assess it from there.
 
You know your mare best. Personally, I would go for either 2 or 3.

If she is not likely to come right enough to have an active life and she is not the sort to settle into retirement then it would be unfair to keep her going I think. However, I would be prepared to turn her away completely for 6 months first and see what happens before I took that decision; it's amazing what only time can heal sometimes.
 
This is a really difficult situation for you to be in and I sympathise hugely with you. My horse did a tendon about 2 years ago and did it big style. He had a huge low bow and he was 19 at the time. However, because he was the best hunter in the world (or at least was to me) I thought I would try and get him better. I could have had him put down there and then but then I'd never have known whether he would get better and therefore never forgiven myself for maybe making the wrong decision.

He was on box rest for 3 months with a walk out every day. I then turned him out after 3 months were up and left him in the field for another 7. He did have the odd day galloping around with the others but was fine. He was MUCH happier out and about and it meant I could, in a way, forget about him and stop analysing his injury quite so much. They always say time is a great healer and so it is. He was brought back into work in June 07 and was sound as a pound. Sadly he was put down just before Christmas but that was due to a combination of things.

If you turn yours out and give her an extended holiday - i.e. till this time next year or thereabouts then bring her back into work she will hardly cost a penny to keep and then at least you'll know you've tried.
 
Personally I would go for option 2 (although possibly extend it to 1 year) and if she doesn't come right then proceed to 3.
I hope she recovers for you.
 
Are you sure she wouldnt take well to retirement. I have a wappy fizzy ex racer who I didn't think would suit retirement. She was only 15 when we retired her, she did up to Newcomers but was too fizzy to go any further, we retired her 3 years ago and she loves it being a lady of leisure!
If I was you I would give yours the chance to see what happens otherwise I think you would always wonder if she either would have come right or would suit retirement.
Personally I couldn't just PTS unless the horse didnt have a quality of life whatsoever but everybody is different.
 
As we are coming into spring/summer, I would give her a chance and turn her away. (If we were coming into winter, I would probably have PTS.)

Could you loan or share a horse during this time? At our yard, there are always loan opportunities for experienced riders, often free of charge. Shame you're in Switzerland - it's a bit far to come at the weekend!
 
I really sympathise I am currently in a similar situation. My 15 yo cob went lame last year and eventually diagnosis was injury to his pedal bone, nothing can be done if he goes lame again. With a tendon there is hope but obviously it depends on how each horse copes with the treatment required ie.box rest etc.However it is viol when economics become part of your decision making process about a loved one.I adore my boy and want to do the right thing for him, he is ok at the moment (well sort of - he went on 3 legs this week, poorly leg being the affected one - gave me a heart attack - but was ~puss in foot - relief!) but if was in any prolonged pain I would do the right thing and let him go. You have to live with any decision you make no one else. Hope things improve for you.
 
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Personally I couldn't just PTS unless the horse didnt have a quality of life whatsoever but everybody is different.

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Me too, I'm sorry but I just don't get the mentality - I can't ride them, so PTS! And yes I am currently facing the possibility of having to retire my 12 year old mare - to my mind as long as she is happy and has a quality of life retired, then she deserves that chance, she owes me nothing and no I don't have oodles of time and money and will have to wait at least 2 years probably longer to get another riding horse.

Most (I would argue nearly all) horses will settle into retirement with time and right surroundings.

I am willing to keep my mare even if it means I can't afford another horse, I just can't get my head round anyone who would consider PTS just so they can get another horse.

For medical reasons, absolutely, but in my honest view you are not at that point. Your vet has said 50% chance of return to jumping at the level you were at (1m), there is a HUGE amount of difference in returning work to that level and returning a horse to some sort of useful work load, even if its just as a hack or light schooling/flat work or something. Your horse deserves to have the time to see if the injury mends, you owe that much!

As a compromise I would agree with the view of turning the horse out for at least a year and seeing what you have at the end of it.
 
No one takes the decision to have a horse put down lightly. However not all circumstances are the same.

My beloved mare was put down last year for a tendon problem. At 18 she was refusing to stay in foal for me and had a chronic tendon injury. She would have recovered sufficient enough to be retired to the field, however was not an easy mare to deal with generally. So I had her put down. It's not that she was no longer any use to me - and I was devastated. But It was a decsion I had to make.

I don't think anyone shoudl really point the finger at someone and say they should not have a horse put down. It is a hugely personal decision - and for whatever the reasons is usually made with the horses best interests in mind.
 
Sorry AmyMay, but you are taking my post too personally. IMHO I DO NOT think that 3 months for a tendon injury is enough time to write a horse off and PTS - sorry but there it is. The OP asked in her post "What would you do" - I answered! I think its very unfair of you to say I was "pointing fingers"

Plus I do believe that in our society nowadays we are far to quick to dispose of things that make life less easy for us and I am sorry but I do think that many people do make these decisions lightly and write it of as "best for the horse" - sometimes it is, but oftentimes it isn't.

And for the record, I KNOW how hard it is to have a horse PTS having lost my beautiful mare at 10 with a broken leg, so please don't patronise me.

I suppose it all comes down to how we view our horses really. First and foremost to me they are friends (pets if you like), I love riding and competing, but cannot justify putting an animal to sleep because in my eyes it has no "useful" life. If an animal is in pain and its quality of life is suffering that is a completely different matter.
 
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Sorry AmyMay, but you are taking my post too personally

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No, I just use what happened to me as an example that's all.

Absolutely agree that perhaps 3 months is not long enough. However, Amy's death warrAnt was signed the minute the vet said her leg was buggered........

Each case is different.
 
Most definitely each case is different and sorry if my post sounded like I was advocating keeping seriously injured, in pain horses just so as not to put them down, it isn't. I just think every horse deserves a chance, even if they cannot lead a "useful" life in the eye's of their owner.

Sorry to hear about your mare, as I said in my post I know how hard it is to make the decision, I had no choice with my mare, which like you probably colours my opinion when I hear about people thinking of PTS after such a relatively short time.

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Most definitely each case is different and sorry if my post sounded like I was advocating keeping seriously injured, in pain horses just so as not to put them down, it isn't.

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No - your post didn't sound like that at all
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how bad was the initial injury? was it sdft or ddft too? i've dealt with a LOT of tendon injuries, but never one when the horse was still lame 3 months on. tbh, based on that, i think the chances of her getting back to jumping are very very slight. have you had more scans done? is there an improvement or not?
what did the vet do just after the injury? was she on Adequan or any of the other injectables? has he recommended any other treatment?
 
No no please dont give up on your mare. This is virtually the exact situation I was in 2 years ago with my 21 year old mare. She all but blew her SFDT. It really was hanging on by a few strands - and with TLC and patience she came back into work and was fine. My lady is also very excitable etc etc, just like yours, but its not forever. They do cope - then perhaps you can move onto tiny paddock and loads of hay rest!

OK, I will admit unfortunatly, after getting her up to hacking for about 1/2 - 3/4 hour, she unfortunately broken her P1 (phalynx) bone in her foot - this was not related whatsoever to the tendon injusy - just one of those freaky accidents.

Awww, dont give up on her. PM me if you wish. LBx
 
There was a lot of swelling initially and she could barely put weight on it but the scan looked ok - no sign of major damage but some abnormality on the sdft and ligament. She has been bandaged ever since. She had an anti-inflammatory injection initially, then bute and an anti-inflammatory that you apply to the skin. This continued for 2 months. For the last month, on vet recommendation, she has had no medication but her fromt legs are bandaged except when being ridden (in walk only).

The leg is better, it is much less swollen and no heat at all but I cannot honestly say the lameness has changed. She is pretty much sound in walk but quite lame in trot, as she has been from the start.

The vet has not recommended any further treatment, just time.

It is useful to know that to be lame 3 months later is not normal. I have no experience of tendon injuries.
 
It was months and months before my mare fully healed - but we got there. Remember, when they are a little older, they do tend to take a little longer to heal than the young uns!

Not stating the obvious, but giving you some hope.
 
Id go with turn out but restrict the turnout.I did that for my horse last august.If it gives you any hope he has done ligament damage his curb,tendon in August and cannon bone bruising.He is now recovering from hock surgery for bone spavins.Like you I have felt very despondent at times especially as one injury followed another.I cannot afford another horse either I can ride my daughters but its not the same.Three months is not long enough the summer will be much easier for both of you and 12 more weeks down the line can make a huge difference.Dont give up on her yet.I managed to get over my horses other ailments its been tough especially as he is my first horse and is very young but you will look back and think its worth the wait .If nothing else it will give you a greater bond and teach you patience.
Sorry sent to wrong user will try and resend
 
i think you should have further scans done now and see whether the lesion(s) are still there, starting to fill in (obvious on a good scanner), and the general picture, this will help you make a much more informed decision tbh.
 
This tendon has obviously NOT been given the best possible chance of recovery.

I cannot believe that a ) the leg is still hot and b) it is stll lame and c) that she is being ridden for 30 mins a day in walk!!

I'm guessing that the injury is quite severe for it to still be hot at this stage. Really she should have another 3- 6 months box rest, with 2 x 10 min walking out in hand, no riding,with daily icing/cold hosing/spa treatment what have you.
Then after that she should be turned away in the field for 18 months to recover. Would being in a large field with a few pals keep her sane?

Sorry, but it just sounds like that your mare has not been given a sufficient chance to recover from the injury in the first place let alone to be riding her and for you to be told by the vet to carry on riding her. I would get a new vet!

Most tendon injuries here on the racehorses are given 3- 6 months box rest, then 18 months in the field. Then you start riding. Then that would be 3 months of walking out before you even started to trot! Then most of them are usually absolutely fine, and the injuries do not re-occur, tho they do step down a level.
That is standard procedure!
Either give the mare sufficient chance and time to recover, or if this cannot be done, then have her PTS.
 
My boy is 20 now and was 17 when he did his DDFT in a hind leg, the vet said it was a rare injury even in racehorses, and he is only a 14.2 ! He had rest and some controlled exercise in hand and was then turned away for another 6 months, followed by another 6 months of very light work in walk, gradually getting sounder.

I would try a little longer before giving up and even if she does not become sound to ride, but is comfortable enough to be a field ornament, you will probably find somebody who would take as a companion - just look on the Veteran Horse site, there are people out there who would take a non riding companion.

I have my old boy and my daughter a 10yo cob and if anything happened to my old lad, I have always said that I would look for a non riding veteran companion for the coblet and go for something that was a half decent size as though shetlands/small ponies are often what people think of as suitable companions, I would be well wary as I would be constantly worrying over laminitis (having had one laminitic) - apart from anything else they also tend to be good escape artists !

So hang in there and best of luck.
 
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Really she should have another 3- 6 months box rest, with 2 x 10 min walking out in hand, no riding,with daily icing/cold hosing/spa treatment what have you.
Then after that she should be turned away in the field for 18 months to recover.

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I agree, it can take 2 years for a tendon to heal.
 
I was in your shoes last summer and its an awful situation to be in,you got to what is best for your mare and put your own feelings aside,but if she is still very lame with swelling after 3 months of treatments i would NOT turn her away so i would personally call it a day,the emotional and financial stress will eventually catch up !
 
The current thinking is actually that for some tendon/ligament injuries the horse needs to be exercised in walk for short periods several times a day. Controlled exercise will encourage the ligament/tendon to heal more correctly than total boxrest. It really depends on the injury. From what I was told, when a ligament is damaged it reattaches itself to anything and everything in a star sort of way. By giving controlled exercise you can stop unwanted attachments becoming fixed. Hence you do short amounts of controlled exercise. I am surprised the horse is being ridden as that would put additional pressure on the injury but I am not a vet so not sure! However personally I would go for 3 x 10 mins rather than a full half hour once a day but this may already be the case. This will put less strain on the injury and will encourage better healing in the long term. With an injury like this it is better to do little and often. I have had to do this with two horses. One came right the other pts but her injury was far more serious and the joint became infected.

If the horse is lame in trot then dont trot it as you are risking further damage.
 
don't give up on her just yet...my horse (16.3hh chestnut gelding) tore his tendon out hunting...he was off work turned out etc for 8months, with regular scans etc.
now he is fine and i have hunted him this season and did showjumping and crosscountry last year....just keep going with your mare, she may pull through.
 
I understand your predicament. My 8yr old TB did a ligament and after nine months box rest was still very lame in hand. He went from being the friendliest, kindest horse to being moody and grumpy and lost a lot of condition. We made the difficult decision to put him down - he was clearly in pain and had no quality of life. I couldn't turn him away because he didn't even like long turn out. His prognosis from the animal health trust was very very guarded.
You know your horse. It's a hard decision to make but only you know what's best for her. If you think it's highly likely she'll be in pain if you turn her away I wouldn't. I'm sure you've given her a lovely life whilst you've had her and maybe it's better if she's no longer in pain. Try talking to your vets some more. I know mine were very understanding and agreed that it wasn't fair to keep him locked in a stable any longer with no hope of him improving.
I wish you all the best.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. It is really helpful to get a lot of opinions and experience.

I was quite worried that I would get a lot of abuse for considering putting her to sleep but wanted to risk it to get some unbiased opinions.

I have not made a final decision but have decided to start turning her out while I make up my mind.

For the people who are surprised she is being exercised, the veterinary care is quite different here to in UK (Hence treatment with aspirin for her old injury, which was very effective and much cheaper than bute but was never considered in UK). The vet opinion, shared by both vets that have seen her is that controlled execise is much better than box rest. She is ridden rather than worked in hand because she is much calmer like that and less likely to bounce around or get away from me causing further injury.
 
Hello All,

Thanks everyone for all your comments, help and advice. It was so helpful to hear so many experiences.

Last week I made the difficult decision to have Socks put to sleep. It was done on Thursday and I got a lovely note from the vet to say that he felt I had made the right decision and that it had be done calmly with no issues.
 
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