That's the end of the orange one's eventing season :( DDFT injury.

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Took Monty to Liphook this afternoon to get his leg scanned. Almost thought against it given it looked 100% normal this morning but glad I booked it as at lunchtime the tiny little bump was back. So, off we went to Liphook - sound on the trot up, almost sound after flexion (he is always half tenth lame on his right hind).

On palpation, vet could also feel the little bump and it seemed to be on the edge of the deep digital flexor tendon.

So, onto the scan and she could just see the tiniest misalignment of fibres in the DDFT just where the bump is. It's so tiny she got a 2nd opinion but he confirmed it was truly a lesion and not an artefact.

They have said 3 months rest - can do 10mins walking under saddle first month, 20mins 2nd month, 30mins 3rd month then re-scan and would hope it has healed by then. She said they might be erring on the safe side with that given he's completely sound but the risk of not letting it heal ultrasonographically would be that we push it into a full rupture. They said best to get him back out walking around as box rest is flaring up his COPD big time - he couldn't even manage the trot up without coughing today. But they want him in a small enough paddock that he cant manage to canter. I am finding it hard to imagine creating this with Monty, especially given it's electric fencing he managed to do it on to start with so the thought of fencing him in with electric fencing into a small area is quite concerning.

Anyone dealt with a DDFT injury? Anything else worth trying? Was going to definitely look into spa treatment and physio has recommended ultrasound.

So gutted :( I felt things had really clicked this season and was so looking forwards to everything we had planned. Realistically it's going to be next year before we're back out and about. Dont know what I'm going to do with myself :(
 
time is the best healer always with tendons.
You could always buy some pen sections about £400 will buy enough to make a pen slightly larger than a stable and they are easy to move around.
I have always got pen sections here as they are so useful.They are mostly used for the cattle pens but get used for the horses as well.
 
well done for catching it when it's still so small, anyway... that should console you somewhat.
i hear great things about the effect of the saltwater spas. have used one once on the Sat evening after a LF 3-day and it turned hot puffy legs into ice cold hard ones, that stayed that way... very impressive.
otherwise, if you can get to one, a stable with crew yard frontage really is the best thing for rehabbing tendon injuries imho. concrete floor = no dicking around, plenty of air = no COPD, lots of low grade exercise as they mooch around = don't go loopy when exercised for short controlled amounts.
good luck, hope he comes 100% right for you.
 
Rubbish :-( id definitely look into spa therapy though, is fantastic for tendon recuperation! Fingers xd hes a good patient!
 
Grrrr. Very sorry for you. I guess good you caught it early and followed your instincts though. :(

I would suggest a "maze" as have used that before but he doesn't sound a good candidate. I have had a couple on Valerian for resting now and am pleased with the results. It won't make him a dope on a rope but it's noticeably taken the edge off.
 
TarrSteps said:
Grrrr. Very sorry for you. I guess good you caught it early and followed your instincts though. :(

I would suggest a "maze" as have used that before but he doesn't sound a good candidate. I have had a couple on Valerian for resting now and am pleased with the results. It won't make him a dope on a rope but it's noticeably taken the edge off.
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i was thinking about Valerian as have used before with good results. Do you have a cheap stockist you could recommend? I didn't like the effect ACP had on Llewi in same situation as he was wobbly but could then just snap out of it and go mental. I used a maze with Llewi but he wont go near electric. If I electrify it strongly then I guess I might convince him to leave it alone but to be honest I dont trust him not to try and jump it. I think the pen mentioned above sounds like something to look into as the safest option.
 
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popsdosh said:
time is the best healer always with tendons.
You could always buy some pen sections about £400 will buy enough to make a pen slightly larger than a stable and they are easy to move around.
I have always got pen sections here as they are so useful.They are mostly used for the cattle pens but get used for the horses as well.
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They sound like they might be the safest option for him. Do you have a supplier you could recommend?
 
We have a load of metal building site type fencing, the sort of mesh stuff, that is about 2m high at the yard, I would think that would be quite good in this situation?
Such a shame though really feel for you :(
 
Am really sorry to hear about that, but hope I can help. Mini TX's horse has just come back into work after a deep digital flexor tendon injury. She went lame during a dressage lesson the week before Moreton, at the end of February. Two vet visits later she went to a lameness clinic where the vet thought it might be ddft. However, had to wait until insurance company approved claim and she had an MRI scan. It showed a tear in each front leg, just on a navicular joint. It was not a huge tear, but it was a tear all the same.

She was medicated with cortisone injections into both navicular joints and she had 5 weeks box rest. I cant say it was easy, in fact it was vile. She is a very intelligent little girl, who loves her work and it was hell for her. She was ridden occasionally, but it was so dangerous to do it, even with copious doses of Sedalin. She even reared in the stable, and I have lost count of the time I have turned around after untying a haynet to see a pair of hooves waving in front of my face - scarey.

She is now back in work, shoed with bar shoes and has made a fantastic recovery. She is going to do some BD in a couple of weeks time, plus PC Area Dressage and Dressage at Badminton, with a view to being fit enough to have a run at Homme House BE100 open, and then a few nice Novices to the season end. I have to say, she was shattered by this, as she really wanted to get to Weston Park to do the JRN finals, or do a 1* at some point. However, it was not to be and it will wait another year, which will be her final year in JRNs.

Regarding penning your horse, we tried that and it was awful, she would twist and turn and we had to cross a field to get back to her stable at night. She would rear and bronc while we lead her across this field and on a couple of occasions broke free and galloped around the field, leaving us sweating that she had done herself more damage. In the end, we just gritted our teeth and by the time she got the all clear, we all had seemed to have settled down. I do sympathise with the COPD though as my cob suffers - have you tried the usual inhaler stuff?

I do wish you luck with it, and has your vet recommended cortisone, as they seemed to do the trick with Bonnie. Also, I do believe that things happen for a reason, even though it seems pretty unfair at the time. Perhaps next year is your year? Who knows and I wil keep my fingers crossed for your horse's swift recover.
 
That sucks, poor you, I hope your horse heals quickly.

I tried magnetic boots, cold hosing, msn/joint supplement, obviously I don't really know if it helped or not.
 
thanks for all that Theory X1. I think the injuries are slightly different in that Monty's is halfway down his tendon mid cannon bone so there is nowhere to inject cortisone but it's good to hear a positive report.

Monts is on ventipulmin to help with his breathing but I think they also want him out as he needs to walk on the tendon to help with the correct repair. He is not going mad in his box and is not the type of horse to go loopy on me when leading him out, he's just a bit of a fruitloop when he's out so he'll hear a little noise and use it as an excuse to go for a gallop around. He's just a fit horse who likes to run. Hopefully if he's in a pen he wont be able to run. I would intend to leave him in it 24/7 unless the weather was awful as he's likely to settle better. He has a treat ball and can have hay - gotta be better than stuck in his stable. I had only just got his cough to go away after feeding hay all winter and now it's back with a vengeance.
 
Im really sorry to hear this you sounded like you were having a great season so far!! Horses really are sent to try us at times!!! I had to let my mare out of her small pen as she was going crazy, and she has barely moved out of walk as she is in with her best friend! The only time she has been difficult has been when her friend leaves her and to start with she has 2mls of sedalin for breakfast which is approx 1hr 30 before her friend went, so it was enough to keep her calm.

Hope it goes well!!
 
Oh I am sorry :( but at least it's not a massive hole, fingers crossed it will be fully healed in 3 months.

I can highly recommend using builders fencing, it's got fine mesh on it and is about 8ft tall, plus would be easy to move about.
 
Urgh how rubbish for you.

My sisters pony sustained a small tear to his ddft a number of years ago. He was hardly weight bearing and the lower leg was very hot and swollen. He did 2 weeks box rest with cold hosing and ice packs, and then went in a small paddock for 4 weeks. At his 6 week check the vet couldn't find the injury site with the ultrasound so we brought him back into work slowly and he's not had a problem since. He carried on hunting and eventing, including coming 4th at a 3 day at the age of 22yrs.
 
What a shame, but as you say if the vet cant medicate it, then its down to good old fashioned box rest. I think we were very lucky it healed so fast and oddly enough our vet told us that in the days before MRIs, it would have been dmy siagnosed as navicilar syndrome, with is in fact not a syndrome, but a collection of symptons. Sounds like leaving him out would be a good move. Re the COPD we have used ventipulmin on my cob, but now use a baby inhaler and inhalers as we need them. Oddly enough havent needed is for the last year.

Glad to hear he is not a raving loony like ours. She was vile with a capital V. She would even snake her head over her stable door to try and take a chunk out of anyone passing. She is normally a sweet little lady, but the look in her eyes told us she was very unhappy.

However, did the vet tell you to make sure that he did not have to turn sharply as thats what ours did, even in a fairly reasonably sized pen. She also tried to burrow her way out of the pen and slip under the fence, which was not funny.

Hope the orange one is well again soon.
 
Fingers crossed he makes a speedy recovery for you, I'm really sorry to hear this :( Hopefully he'll be an angel on his enforced break, and that the break might even give him an edge next year- he'll be so well rested and chilled you'll be getting 20s dressages :)
 
TheoryX1 said:
What a shame, but as you say if the vet cant medicate it, then its down to good old fashioned box rest. I think we were very lucky it healed so fast and oddly enough our vet told us that in the days before MRIs, it would have been dmy siagnosed as navicilar syndrome, with is in fact not a syndrome, but a collection of symptons. Sounds like leaving him out would be a good move. Re the COPD we have used ventipulmin on my cob, but now use a baby inhaler and inhalers as we need them. Oddly enough havent needed is for the last year.

Glad to hear he is not a raving loony like ours. She was vile with a capital V. She would even snake her head over her stable door to try and take a chunk out of anyone passing. She is normally a sweet little lady, but the look in her eyes told us she was very unhappy.

However, did the vet tell you to make sure that he did not have to turn sharply as thats what ours did, even in a fairly reasonably sized pen. She also tried to burrow her way out of the pen and slip under the fence, which was not funny.

Hope the orange one is well again soon.
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I'm sure that was not funny at the time but seriously, she tried to burrow her way out???

I was wondering about the cost of a round pen so no corners but then he might just canter round in small circles. Really not sure what is going to work best for him. I think ideally an open fronted barn would be the best as he is sensible indoors and the extra air would keep his lungs healthy. Just dont know of anywhere like that locally.
 
star said:
i was thinking about Valerian as have used before with good results. Do you have a cheap stockist you could recommend? I didn't like the effect ACP had on Llewi in same situation as he was wobbly but could then just snap out of it and go mental. I used a maze with Llewi but he wont go near electric. If I electrify it strongly then I guess I might convince him to leave it alone but to be honest I dont trust him not to try and jump it. I think the pen mentioned above sounds like something to look into as the safest option.
Click to expand...

I used one of two commercial preparations last time around, just buying whichever was cheapest. The horse is huge so got a high-ish dose but I didn't find it cost prohibitive. I did find a supplier selling the product straight but I ended up turning the horse away ASAP so it wasn't worth the hassle of mail order.

This horse also reacted badly to Sedalin (and Valium previously) - it didn't stop him exploding, it just stopped him staying on his feet!! :eek: But I found when he was on the valerian I could "top up" with a small dose of Sedalin for really exciting things like hand walking and vet visits/jogging and he was much easier than on the Sedalin alone.

You could try to source a pen through the racing industry as most trainers/breaking yards/rehab yards use them so you might get a used one. Not cheap but likely something you could sell on after you're done with it.
 
What a blow!

The fencing everyone is referring to as 'builders fencing' is actually called Heras Fencing - you can pick it up on ebay for about £20 a panel give or take. Each panel is 2m high by about 3.5m long. You can also hire it so that might be worth looking into as well. You want either rubber or concrete feet and at least 2 metal couplings per join between panels - but it's essentially what round pens are made of without costing what a round pen does! If you have any building work near you, I'd go and chat up the site guys and see if they have any slightly damaged/unwanted panels they'd sell you - if all they need is a bit of welding, find out who the farmers use locally to do agri welding and take them to be fixed up cheaply!!
 
Silly mobile phone...
Coming to the end, there is lots of high portable fencing in there, maybe pop in and ask the work men!!!
 
Gutted for you :(

At least you have caught it early, I also use site fencing when I need to 'contain' the horses, reallly useful stuff.

Everything crossed for a trouble free recovery.
 
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