Torn Tendon but still sound, best recovery process?

[mvw12]

6 weeks ago i took my mare (ISH) to the vets for scanning as her back physio pointed out some heat/inflammation in her hind leg just above her fetlock. She had always been sound & had been working as normal. The vet came out for examination & said she was Not sound and would need to go for scanning. We took her for scanning, as we trotted her up another vet said she was completely sound, to then find quite a big tear in her tendon. The vet advised Key hole surgery to tidy the tendon & then 12months rehab. The situation i'm in is i don't own her, The farmer does where she is, he bred her etc, i care & rode her as he wanted her bringing on, he's saying he wants her ridden because shes still sound but i'm not 100% comfortable with doing so due to her injury & the Vet advising not to. I'm currently waiting to hear back from the vet for some more advice on what to do. Has anyone had this issue before with horse being completely sound but having a torn tendon? Or some tips on how to keep her mind occupied as she's started to get bored & irritated since shes not been in work the past 6 weeks ☺️ Thanks!

 

[PorkChop]

Yes, horses can be sound whilst carrying a substantial injury.

Is she on box rest at the moment? What has the Vet told you to do up until this point?

You are right not to ride her, to do so would most likely cause irrepareable damage to the tendon.

There are loads of thread on here with ideas on how to keep a horse occupied whilst on box rest. Depends on the horse as well, some settle better if in a tiny paddock, some might need some ACP to keep them quiet.

 

[Birker2020]

6 weeks ago i took my mare (ISH) to the vets for scanning as her back physio pointed out some heat/inflammation in her hind leg just above her fetlock. She had always been sound & had been working as normal. The vet came out for examination & said she was Not sound and would need to go for scanning. We took her for scanning, as we trotted her up another vet said she was completely sound, to then find quite a big tear in her tendon. The vet advised Key hole surgery to tidy the tendon & then 12months rehab. The situation i'm in is i don't own her, The farmer does where she is, he bred her etc, i care & rode her as he wanted her bringing on, he's saying he wants her ridden because shes still sound but i'm not 100% comfortable with doing so due to her injury & the Vet advising not to. I'm currently waiting to hear back from the vet for some more advice on what to do. Has anyone had this issue before with horse being completely sound but having a torn tendon? Or some tips on how to keep her mind occupied as she's started to get bored & irritated since shes not been in work the past 6 weeks ☺️ Thanks!

Ice is the best thing for this type of injury as it will reduce inflammation and help to assist in healing as part of your rehab programme. You might need to look at remedial farriery down the line, depending on the degree of foot angle, etc.

I bought some Icevibe boots which I swear helped in my horses recovery.

You don't mention if she is box rested, but if so you can hang a variety of small hay nets (hay and haylage) in her stable, put some apples in her water to bob, provide her with a snackaball, have a swede suspended from the centre of the stable, provide a clod of turf, this will entertain her for hours! Some horses like gorse bush branches to eat, or some like tree bark. Not suggesting you go stripping bark off trees, just a fallen branch or two in the stable maybe - something safe like willow or apple tree bark! No Oak, Cherry, Black Walnut, Red Maple or Plum though! Hide some mints in her bedding, leave the radio on for her as company, etc, etc

 

[Tyssandi]

6 weeks ago i took my mare (ISH) to the vets for scanning as her back physio pointed out some heat/inflammation in her hind leg just above her fetlock. She had always been sound & had been working as normal. The vet came out for examination & said she was Not sound and would need to go for scanning. We took her for scanning, as we trotted her up another vet said she was completely sound, to then find quite a big tear in her tendon. The vet advised Key hole surgery to tidy the tendon & then 12months rehab. The situation i'm in is i don't own her, The farmer does where she is, he bred her etc, i care & rode her as he wanted her bringing on, he's saying he wants her ridden because shes still sound but i'm not 100% comfortable with doing so due to her injury & the Vet advising not to. I'm currently waiting to hear back from the vet for some more advice on what to do. Has anyone had this issue before with horse being completely sound but having a torn tendon? Or some tips on how to keep her mind occupied as she's started to get bored & irritated since shes not been in work the past 6 weeks ☺️ Thanks!

My livery tore her tendon Feb 16 - every scan showed really slow to heal. June 16 finally healing and could join the group as she had been isolated all the time healing. Sept went lame again - scan showed two tears in the tendon same area behind the knee - so back into the round pen she goes.

You are looking at a bout 6 months give or take livery also bought one of these to massage every day

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Funtime-Bo...=UTF8&qid=1482158726&sr=1-1&keywords=massager