Tendon Injury - Where to go from here?

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ChestnutHunter

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My new pony damaged its tendon from strain in the field as they were so muddy, and I was advised to keep her on box rest for 2 weeks, but if possible 4 weeks until the next routine visit. I was told to hose twice a day for 20 minutes and when it got better start to walk her out.

The vet is due on thursday, and I am hosing for 15-20 minutes once a day, and there is virtually no heat or swelling at all, and pony is sound in both walk and trot.Have just had her feet trimmed and the slight improvement to her posture seems to have helped!? I also apply Leg Ice overnight which seems to have made a big improvement!

Am I wrong to think I can start walking her out again? After I had my last horse put down of kissing spines I am so cautious of injury and I cant seem to bring myself to do anything with my poor pony out of fear or doing more damage! Not really sure where to go from here, and what I should be doing when I bring back into work. Obviously I am going to wait for vets instruction but several opinions are better than one!
 
When my mare injured her tendon I had to handwalk her, starting with 5mins and building it up gradually. This was all done on a flat surface until we were doing up to 30 mins 3 x per day. My mares was a bad tear to her tendon so we had to be cautious. We progressed then to ridden work on the roads, no schools, working the hacking out time upwards gradually. She didnt go out in the fields until the mud had all gone, it was winter at the time and a mudbath. She recovered well from her injury and you are right to be cautious, tendons take ages to heal.
 
When my gelding tore his tendon (worse injury than your pony, i know) After box rest he was walked out every day for 3 months and then another 3 months with trot being gradually introduced. We didn't do the in hand for 5 mins and building up as my boy can be a right numpty in hand so the vet advised to just get on and ride him for 30/40 mins. We also cold hosed for 15 mins twice a day (and still cold hose now for 5/10 mins after he is worked). He was not turned out until after the 3 months hacking with trot (and when the ground had dried up). He started back in the school a few weeks after he had been turned out. We did do this gradually starting with 10 mins after hacking out and building back up slowly to lessons. My boy is sound now and back competing at dressage. He will start jumping again this spring but it has been a long process - he did the damage 18 months ago! Good luck with your pony's recovery.
 
Serial lurker here but just thought I'd put my 2p in :)

O no sorry to hear that :( tendon injuries suck!! When one of mine injured itself a few years back I read a book by Tom Ivers (The Bowed Tendon book) that I found had lots of useful info. Its not that pricey, and is suprisingly easy to read.

Hope your pony gets well soon :(
 
Good Luck - I'd follow your vet's advice

My spoilt treasure has insisted on teaching me all about tendon rehab! But incase it helps - here's a brief summary of my experience...
1st time round he had intensive hydrotherapy, where they start walking (on a horse walker) once there is no more heat in the tendon, but they continue with the cold treatements until full healing taken place. They said not to exercise in boots or bandages because the tendon was more prone to injury if it was too hot.
http://www.equinespa.com/

He then came sound & back into full work for couple of years but at age of 24 he totally broke down on other front leg whilst cantering on the beach. That was treated by huge bandages for 8 wks, normal bandages for 8 wks, then slow introduction of controlled walking in straight lines at 1st and then in horse walker. He's back enjoying canters out hacking now, age 27! My vet visits fairly regularly and is amazed at how good that tendon feels now.

In summary - patience is a virtue!
 
My daughter's Fjord tore 80% of his rear left DDFT 18 months ago. Come out of his stable on 3 legs having being absolutely fine the day before. She was devastated as she was competing in affiliated medium/ advanced dressage with him and they only needed another 2 points to move to advanced.

Anway to cut a long story short, they operated on his leg, cut the annular ligament , cleaned up the DDFT and he was put on box rest for 3 months. 2 months on he was a nasty unhappy stressed pony who bit and tried to crush you when you went into his stable so we turned him away in the field for a year+. He had a scan after 13 mths to see how it had healed and there was no visible sign of any tear. He has slowly (very very slowly :p) been brought back into work over the winter and is progressing nicely though we haven't really tried any dressage with him yet. He showed us a trot the other day which is the best I've ever seen him do. We'll see how he does in a couple of local competitions and if he's ok then we may try again for advanced level. Doesn't really matter if he doesn't as he's not going anywhere and we can use him for giving beginners and children lessons as he is a real schoolmaster and gent or if nothing else as a field companion.

What I'm trying to get round to saying is don't be too disheartened, these things take time. Though you do need to have patience by the bucket load. Don't try and rush things as it will marr the recovery of the tendon. It may take a while but you'll get there.
 
How bad is the strain, what does the scan tell you?

We have mare in the field coming up to 2 years since she did BOTH her front SDFT's in. She has had stem cell therapy and it worked according to the final scan last year.

She is about ready to start putting back into work I think.
The more time off the better I was told, luckily she was a mare, so we put her in foal which took care of last year for us and gave her something to keep her mind occupied, she likes to be busy. We did some very slow gentle hacking walk only in the late Autumn before the foal was born, that is all the "work" she's done since it happened.
 
Hi, my name is Laura Healy and I am currently in my final year of studying a BSc (Hons ) degree in Equine Science. I am in the process of producing my Thesis on the "Re-occurrence of equine SDFT injuries in the event horse" which has been selected to be published and presented at the International Conference of Equine Locomotion. I am trying to obtain as much valid data as possible and am working in conjunction with veterinary practices in the UK and Ireland in order to obtain such crucial data. I am also looking to invite outside equine enthusiast to take part in my research as I know that the publication of this data will be highly beneficial to everyone who may be faced with the same predicament.
I would greatly appreciate your participation in completing my online questionnaire which will take no longer than five minutes. Do personal details are stored or asked for and I would be more than willing to forward you on the research and result once it is published.
Please click on the link below t be taken directly to the private questionnaire.
http://app.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/laura-healy/re-occurrence-of-sdft-injuries-in-event-horses/

Many Thanks.
 
Hi, my name is Laura Healy and I am currently in my final year of studying a BSc (Hons ) degree in Equine Science. I am in the process of producing my Thesis on the "Re-occurrence of equine SDFT injuries in the event horse" which has been selected to be published and presented at the International Conference of Equine Locomotion. I am trying to obtain as much valid data as possible and am working in conjunction with veterinary practices in the UK and Ireland in order to obtain such crucial data. I am also looking to invite outside equine enthusiast to take part in my research as I know that the publication of this data will be highly beneficial to everyone who may be faced with the same predicament.
I would greatly appreciate your participation in completing my online questionnaire which will take no longer than five minutes. Do personal details are stored or asked for and I would be more than willing to forward you on the research and result once it is published.
Please click on the link below t be taken directly to the private questionnaire.
http://app.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/laura-healy/re-occurrence-of-sdft-injuries-in-event-horses/

Many Thanks.
 
OP - which tendon? Where was the damage and how severe was it? I'm taking it you did have a scan done :)

It's good that your horse is not lame and has minimal swelling, but so did my boy even with horrendous sdft and check ligament damage :( so I wouldn't take that as a sign that it has healed.

Cold hosing is great, but you are better doing it 2 or 3 times daily for 10 - 15 minutes as it tends to be less effective if you do it for longer. Walking out in hand can be good if your horse is sensible, if not it can do more harm than good. I use an equissage twice daily too :)

I would wait and see what your vet recommends, but tendon injuries commonly take 12 - 18 months before the horse will be back in full work.
 
Hi my old horse frayed a tendon 2 years ago (in the field) he went on box rest for 4 weeks with ice packs 3 times a day and was walked out in hand when the heat went also for the first week he was on bute , then vet wanted me to ride for 5 mins to start with but buy this point my safe dope on a rope had turned in to a loony so i made him a play pen in the field and turned him out and lucky for me he is fine now and even fitter than he was :D
 
Just because a horse is sound doesn't mean it's ok again. Mine tore a hole in her tendon one day, was hopping lame and burning up the next, then day three she was seemingly fine. Same for 18 months - she spent most of those turned away on vet advice. I'd always follow the advice of a vet I trusted rather than rush anything - wait until you can get the vet out again. Good luck.
 
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