|
|
 
| So we started rehabbing my gelding a week ago who tore his deep digital flexor tendon, he's been at the swimming facility, swimming and getting on the aquatread. When we got the MRI done at A&M, Dr. Marsh told us he would like for him to swim/tread for a month. But when we got him there, the bill for a months work was overwhelming. My vet told me for him to stay for at least 2 weeks. How long would you personally leave your horse there given those two suggestions and knowing that it is a pricey trip? As of right now we are planning for two weeks then evaluating him after that to see if he needs a third. | |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 2685
 
| IMO swimming is not NECCESSARY to fix the horse. Do what you can. No one will fault you for trying your hardest. There is no point in having to skimp elsewhere to be able to leave him there longer.
If you can afford it leave him there the 2 weeks, get him on THE Nutrawound ASAP and invest in BOT or PHT products. I have never had a random issue thank God. Only everything else known to horse lol. Nutrawound and BOT have been my lifesavers. | |
| | |
 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | If I didn't have the money to swim that long, I would ask the vet for another treatment program. I know that I would be unalbe to even leave one of mine in a swim facility for a week, much less a month.
If possible I would leave for 2 weeks, then do an alternative treatment. | |
| | |
 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | I personally would not rehab that way. Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant. They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon. When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury. Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot. He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again. The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that.
Edited by ACEINTHEHOLE 2014-08-12 3:14 PM
| |
| | |
  Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | I would be using the Runners Relief poultice and doing the rehab that way myself. | |
| | |
 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:12 PM I personally would not rehab that way. Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant. They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon. When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury. Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot. He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again. The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that.
That is my thinking as well. Water is good for conditioning, but they need the impact of walking and trotting to strengthen the tendon.
I would definitely consider other treatment options, such as Runners Relief, Back on Track, Nutrawound, etc.
When my gelding had tendon surgery last year, I did tons of research, and water therapy was not highly recommended. However, I am not an A&M vet, so do what you think is best  | |
| | |
 Vodka for Lunch
Location: Lala Land | I think I would just try to do what I could afford, be honest with my vet about how much I could afford and try to come up with an alternative plan beyond that like hand walking, ponying.. etc. | |
| | |
| ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:12 PM
I personally would not rehab that way. Â Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant. Â They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon. Â When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury. Â Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot. Â He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again. Â The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that.Â
Yeah, the swimming part is to get him back into shape, while the underwater treadmill is where he is getting the load on the tendon to help. We are planning on spending at least another 2-3 months after the initial swim/treadmill, just riding around and building him back up slowly, and then after that he will get back on the barrels slowly | |
| | |
Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Gunner11 - 2014-08-12 3:21 PM ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:12 PM I personally would not rehab that way. Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant. They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon. When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury. Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot. He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again. The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that. That is my thinking as well. Water is good for conditioning, but they need the impact of walking and trotting to strengthen the tendon.
I would definitely consider other treatment options, such as Runners Relief, Back on Track, Nutrawound, etc.
When my gelding had tendon surgery last year, I did tons of research, and water therapy was not highly recommended. However, I am not an A&M vet, so do what you think is best
You are exactly right.. It is the extension and release of the tendon that builds the strength. I am an RVT and have dealt with a lot of soft tissue injuries (2 of my own). The vets here in Oklahoma don't even recommend water therapy anymore because it doesn't work for soft tissue injuries. In the beginning, you want to walk them as much as possible (either by hand or on a walker). If they are just standing in the stall, the tendon is getting weak from non-use. Once you are cleared to ride/rehab, you want to start with walking collected for 10 min a day under saddle, for a week; then walk 10 and trot for 5 a day for a week; then walk 10, trot 10 min a day for a week. When you are walking and trotting for 20 min a day and they are staying sound, add 5 min of lope for a week.. each week up the lope time, until you have everything at 20 min a day. You can also go by miles.. start with 1/2 to 1 mile for a couple of weeks, then up it to 2, ect. You also want to do this rehab on firm ground NOT IN THE ARENA. Pasture ground is good, but not on asphalt or HARD ground either. The soft dirt makes the tendons work harder, so they need to be built up on the firm ground before they are put under the extra pressure of the soft ground.
| |
| | |
| I haven't heard of Nutrawound or Runner's Relief, but I will look into those things!! | |
| | |
Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | achildres - 2014-08-12 3:30 PM ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:12 PM I personally would not rehab that way. Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant. They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon. When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury. Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot. He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again. The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that. Yeah, the swimming part is to get him back into shape, while the underwater treadmill is where he is getting the load on the tendon to help. We are planning on spending at least another 2-3 months after the initial swim/treadmill, just riding around and building him back up slowly, and then after that he will get back on the barrels slowly
He won't get a true load if the treadmill is underwater because he is bouyant and "floats" in water.. just like we do. How much pressure is put on your feet while walking across a swimming pool? None really, it is all in the muscles to move your legs forward, but you walk basically on your tippy toes because you are bouyant. After the underwater treadmill, I would start like he had no rehab at all on the firm ground or you will find yourself back at square one. The correct rehab on firm ground takes months too, not just a few weeks. | |
| | |
| ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:34 PM
achildres - 2014-08-12 3:30 PM ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:12 PM I personally would not rehab that way.  Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant.  They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon.  When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury.  Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot.  He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again.  The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that. Yeah, the swimming part is to get him back into shape, while the underwater treadmill is where he is getting the load on the tendon to help. We are planning on spending at least another 2-3 months after the initial swim/treadmill, just riding around and building him back up slowly, and then after that he will get back on the barrels slowly
That's actually not true.. The water is filled up to his chest, so he isn't displacing enough water to be as bouyant as he would be if the water were filled up so he was walking on his "tippy toes". Sure, he isn't weighing as much as he would standing on solid ground, but he is definitely still loading the tendon. The purpose of wanting him on the treadmill to start with is so that he won't be putting his full bodies weight of load onto that tendon, so it's not too stressful to start out with | |
| | |
Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:34 PM achildres - 2014-08-12 3:30 PM ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-08-12 3:12 PM I personally would not rehab that way. Putting them in water does nothing for the tendon becuase they are bouant. They get good lung exercise, but they don't actually work the tendon. When you return them to work, if you have not rehabbed them on firm ground at a trot to fully extend and release that tendon, you will almost immediately reinjure then same injury. Just ask the Steinhoffs about Hotshot. He tore his DDFT, they rehabbed in water.. in the first few runs back it tore again. The second time, they rehabbed on firm ground at a trot and it never tore after that. Yeah, the swimming part is to get him back into shape, while the underwater treadmill is where he is getting the load on the tendon to help. We are planning on spending at least another 2-3 months after the initial swim/treadmill, just riding around and building him back up slowly, and then after that he will get back on the barrels slowly
Yep! My gelding's surgery was in April 2013, was cleared to hand walk him about three months after that, then cleared to ride him in January (nine months after surgery). It was strictly walking with a LITTLE trotting and gradually worked up to 10 minutes of trotting, as long as he wasn't getting sore. Got cleared to start loping about six weeks ago. So about 14 months before I could lope him. We go back next Tuesday and I'm hoping the vet will give me the ok to turn him out and start on barrels again.
My gelding's injury was WAY worse than yours--he completely severed two tendons in his hind leg, so his recovery has been much longer. The point is that these types of injuries take time to heal. Even with very diligent rehab, there's only so fast it can heal. | |
| | |
Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I posted this on another thread but will post it here too 
http://www.atlantaequine.com/pages/client_lib_tendonlig.html#backto... | |
| | |
Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | | |
| | |
| Gunner11 - ouch!! Poor guy. Yeah we are still planning on going through the regular rehab on the ground after he gets home, this was just kind of something to start us out with as it was recommended by Dr Marsh @ A&M. He ran me through a very thorough plan for my guy, but didn't have the cost of it in mind when he told me all of it! lol | |
| | |
 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | If this is the protocol you wish to stay on, PM Sassy&Tessa. She had her mare at a facility to swim...I think it was 175 for a week, not sure if they had aquatread also but worth the shot.
I can't afford this type of therapy around here so when my gelding came up sore in his suspensory I did the magnet, cold hose, and poultice therapy myself at home then after being given the green light did the handwalking in the pasture for 2 weeks followed by the stepping up to riding in the pasture program. That was 5 or 6 years ago and so far he hasn't had another issue with it, however I do not run him in deep ground nor do I run him if he isn't completely fit. | |
| |
| |
Folks on-line