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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Oct 2012 : 9:09:37 PM
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I know nothing about suspensory ligament damage other than it takes months to heal like tendons.
Obv it depends on extent of damage and where on the ligament but im wondering what peoples experiences are of it.
How long their horses were on box rest. When it came to the rehab phase, what did you do? how did you build it back up?
That sort of thing.
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Gerri
Platinum Member
England
4211 Posts |
Posted - 16 Oct 2012 : 9:15:04 PM
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Yes they can take a long time, but the pony we had years ago with ligament damage only took a few weeks before we could put him out on postage stamp so he could not run around but we cold hosed twice a day and inbetween cold hosing we put linament on but that was a little later, start by putting cold packs on after cold hosing depends on how bad the damage is |
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Magician
Bronze Member
86 Posts |
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2012 : 2:44:15 PM
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My little Arab mare did her suspensory ligament in the June 1999. She does not like box rest so we built a small enclosure around one of the stables. She had shock wave treatment and injections.
Two months down the line and we could walk her out for five minutes building up each week.
In 2001 Foot and Mouth was around so we were stuck in the yard. By this time she was allowed to have a small amount of the paddock.
Twelve months after doing the injury she was back competing.
At the age of 22 yrs old she is entered for the Arab Marathon. In 2009 she won the veteran class at the Marathon as well as winning best condition ( Best recovery). She has continued to either win or been highly placed in all her Race Rides (Endurance).
Recovery does take time but it does not mean that things are stopped.
I have had a gelding (in my yard ) that did a hind one and he came back to compete too.
We built the work up by first in hand walking then under saddle walking up too an hour , we the added in trotting ,first one minute several times in the ride then two minutes until we were trotting for ten minutes ,we then added in some canter work.
Slowly slowly catch a monkey is the way to do it.. |
Pauline Higgs
Equine & Human Holistic Therapist
www.thegentlestouch.co.cc
www.endurancegbmidsouth.co.uk
Berkshire / Hampshire Border |
Edited by - Pauline on 17 Oct 2012 2:48:14 PM |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2012 : 3:38:01 PM
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Its a hind leg. The horse has never been scanned only x-rayed so they dont know the extent of the damage. Im not sure if they even know what part of the ligament it is. Im concerned its doing too much too soon. Vet had originally passed it off as arthritis until the owner insisted on an x-ray. Then he told her to start building it up.
Its not my horse so I dont want to go interfering but I just wouldnt be happy. It is still clearly very lame in trot, with 2 x danilon per day.
The livery had it loose in the school the other night and of course it was trotting/cantering about, spinning etc which obv doesnt help.
Its been on box rest for 3/4 weeks with very short walks out each day. I think it should only be doing 5-10 mins walking (in straight lines if poss) building up to half an hour over the next month before considering any trotting or lunging. I also think she needs to get it scanned. Shes been told to lunge it for up to 10 mins walk on each rein then in next couple of weeks to introduce trot.
It came in lame back in july, was put into a very restricted 'paddock', on danilon. Came sound, then went mental in field and back to square one. Its been lame since. Then it was put into a smaller paddock but still not much improvement so it was put on box rest to see if that made a difference. I dont think it has.
If it was me, Id firstly be getting a diff vet! secondly a scan and would only be allowing it a controlled walk. I know the aim is to strengthen the fibres attached etc but surely if there is still obv lameness its not ready for the rehab phase yet??
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2012 : 7:42:21 PM
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I would get rid of the vet and get another vet. I would want to know what was wrong.
X-raying will not tell if it is a ligament it needs a scan.
Lunging is the worst thing to be doing with a lame horse.
Never mind if it is not your horse and they have not got a decent vet then that is up to them. |
Pauline Higgs
Equine & Human Holistic Therapist
www.thegentlestouch.co.cc
www.endurancegbmidsouth.co.uk
Berkshire / Hampshire Border |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2012 : 8:03:32 PM
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well I did make a brief comment tonight that I think she should get it scanned so she knows exactly what shes dealing with, esp as insurance is paying so why not?! She also made a comment that she read in a book about ligaments and that she shouldnt lunge. I said I agreed. If she is going to walk it to take her out somewhere and not do circles in the school.
So we'l see what happens. Its a lovely horse and I just dont want to see it lame for the rest of its life. The lady is novicey so needs guidance, I just dont want to be pushy about it or step on other peoples toes. |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2012 : 11:56:46 PM
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I would get it scanned while its under insurance, and i would keep the horse as still as possible until you know what is wrong as even just walking could do further damage, if there is any heat or swelling cold hose for at least ten minutes each time, or ice pack twice daily and bandage with stable bandages and gamgee , it is really important to cold hose in the early stages, then its a slow process of walking each day and increasing very slowly for months, cant believe vet has said lunge worst thing to do also its very hard to keep the horse out whilst recovering as once they start to feel a bit better they tend to hoon around and make it worse so box rest is crucial at the start.
Also lunging a horse that is lame and been on rest is not easy as all it will want to do is gallop round like a looney, i would get another vet alarm bells ringing me thinks. |
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Edited by - pinkvboots on 18 Oct 2012 12:01:11 AM |
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Magician
Bronze Member
86 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2012 : 09:13:24 AM
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I agree with Pinkyboots. The only way to know the extent of damage is to get it scanned plus box rest & no exercise if damage is bad. Also a horse on 2 danilon/day shouldn't be trotting - it could severely increase the damage. Hindleg damage I believe is worse than frontlegs. Can you feel any heat or see swelling on the outside of the leg below the hock or down round the fetlocks. It worth looking on the internet or in a book to see where the suspensory ligaments attach as they often tear at those points but a scan would show the extent of damage. Rest is very important. It sounds as if it started to heal & then did further damage. Recovery can be a very long process.
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Misshana
Silver Member
England
449 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2012 : 10:07:06 AM
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I found my gelding VERY lame on a hind leg about 5 years ago. He was scanned and it was a deep digital flexor tendon, which apparently is quite unusual in a hind leg. He was box rested, then walked in hand slowly couple of times a day, eventually made a small paddock outside not much bigger than stable so he could be outside which was gradually increased to about an acre.
He was always in a paddock on his own as he tends to get chased about (which is probably how it happened in the first place) It took a year for him to come sound. He is now nearly 19 and although not doing much, he is sound on that leg.
Agree with other comments on here. Best results are time and mother nature. |
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glo
Gold Member
England
1297 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2012 : 6:25:33 PM
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| My Stallion had Ligament damage in the hind leg, I sore it happen and thought he had broken his leg!!! I know he was on box rest for about 4 weeks and than I turned him in to the arena, divided in to 3 and keep-ed all the horses in there over the winter. By spring he was still not 100% right, I then had the back lady sort his back and he was sound, however I stopped riding him when covering mares, and always had his back done before riding again. This way he was sound 100% of the time. |
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Ligament damage
