Tendon trouble :-(

S

Stable person

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So I've had my horse for 5 months all was fab he is fit and does a bit of everything.

After a busy week; sj clinic, 11 mile ride ect. I got him in from the field after a day off and realised his tendon was swollen quite considerably. No heat, no lameness. I've been icing it for the last week and then covering it with clay ice. I have decided to leave him out as he is not one to run about an awful lot. He is happy as larry and trots over happily when I get too the field. The swelling has gone down allot but still a big lump either side. I am leaning to thinking its an old injury that's flared up due to no heat/lameness. Anybody else been in this situation?
 
Have you carefully palpated the tendons and ligaments of the limb whilst it's non weight bearing to see if there's a pain reaction? Always remember there can be significant damage without lameness present. It's swollen for a reason. If in doubt, always seek the opinion of an experienced equine vet. Diagnosing tendon/ligament injuries in the early stages gives a better prognosis in my experience.
 
the vet will scan and tell you what's going on for £150ish - it's well worth the small price for your piece of mind, without knowing what's going on inside, how long will you give him off, when will you start riding/ jumping again etc etc. too much guess work for me
You'll sleep better knowing your doing the right thing with a quick scan

Mine did his check ligament and needed 7/8 months off - he was never lame
 
Polos Mum said:
the vet will scan and tell you what's going on for £150ish - it's well worth the small price for your piece of mind, without knowing what's going on inside, how long will you give him off, when will you start riding/ jumping again etc etc. too much guess work for me
You'll sleep better knowing your doing the right thing with a quick scan

Mine did his check ligament and needed 7/8 months off - he was never lame
Click to expand...

Echo the above.. 100%
 
The big lump on either side makes me think check ligament. Its what my horse had when she did hers. She wasn't lame either. But she did come right after 3 months chucked out in the field and then weeks and weeks of walking on the roads. Def. get vet to have a look and scan it.
 
Stable person said:
So I've had my horse for 5 months all was fab he is fit and does a bit of everything.

. I've been icing it for the last week and then covering it with clay ice.
Click to expand...

Ice cups are a really good idea and every yard with a freezer should have some made up. They are better than hosing in my opinion as they offer a constant very cold temperature which running water doesn't. Just get some polystyrene cups, fill with water to the top and freeze. When needed put the cup open end onto the injured site slowly circling it over the injured site (to prevent ice burn). As the ice melts you can peel the polystyrene away and after 20 mins put it back in the freezer for later that day. On an acute injury the ice will melt quicker as the injury will be warmer to the touch.

I used to get through one ice cup a day (when I applied it twice a day to the horse) - this was usually 20 mins each time. He should really be stabled until assessed with the vet with both limbs supported by correctly fitted bandages with gamgee underneath. Both limbs need bandaging as there is a chance the horse could put more weight onto the sound opposite limb and this has been known to bring on laminitis in the stabled horse. Turning him out however tempting it might be would be asking for trouble as he could do a lot of damage if he does run around. Getting the vet out can be helpful as you can also ask for bute which will help the horse with anti inflammatory and pain killing properties, unless you are like me and keep a copious supply for possible colics and to be given on an as and when basis.

I also have a number of instant ice packs in my first aid kit which always travels with me in the towing vehicle and due to my horses suspensory injury (all healed and is doing very well) I tend to put an instant ice pack on after a show whilst still at the show ground or fun ride as a precaution particularly if I have been jumping and doing jump offs.

You just lay it flat in your hand, slap it with the other palm and the capsule inside breaks and then you vigoursly shake to activate the chemicals which cause the pack to go extremely cold. Then I bandage straight onto the leg (will not cause an ice burn) and leave for 20 mins or even travel home in it on occasions.
 
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Cold hosing is great for inflammation due to injury and for easing swelling, as is ice therapy, but please be careful with extremes of temperature and prolonged cold hosing for soft tissue that needs to repair:

"It may be tempting to do a 'really good job' and cold hose much longer. However, this may be counterproductive. Because I live where the winters can be very cold, I am all too familiar with getting very cold hands that become slightly swollen, red and stingingly painful as they warm up. Over-cooling your horse's leg may result in a similar reaction as the horse's body attempts to warm up the over-cooled area. This reaction may slow healing and increase swelling. Less is more in this case."

I have lifted this directly from here: http://horses.about.com/od/horsehealth/a/How-To-Cold.htm

. . . but it my reservations/concerns about too much cold therapy comes directly from my vet who cautioned me not to cold hose Kal's leg for more than 15 minutes (max) at a time when we were rehabbing his proximal suspensory injury (for the reasons mentioned above).

When he was sporting a massive haematoma just behind the girth area from a fall in the road out hunting, same vet's advice was that we should cold hose for as long as we could both (Kal and me) stand it . . .

Cold hosing is a great tool - I would just caution you to seek your vet's advice about the optimum time/temperature for the specific injury.

I hope your horse recovers well.

P
 
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