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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
  
Location: Idaho | So my 5 year old got caught in some fencing wire and pulled a ligament about 2 months ago. The swelling has gone down quite a bit since then, I have been giving him Formula 1 Noni Blue Label for about a month, hosing down his legs, and using Lameaway rub for the inflammation and swelling, and I recently picked up some Back on Track wraps. The vet I took him to did xrays on his leg, and told me he pulled the suspensory ligament and it would take 4-6 weeks to heal, and that I can keep him turned out. He has not been lame since this injury. He's been on one acre pasture with a much older retired jumper, who is arthritic (he gets meds for it daily) so it's not like that horse runs around a lot. Most he just mosses around.
But I am feeling kind of bummed. Yesterday I was getting his shoes done, and another boarder who I like.. never see, started asking me questions and telling me that I should have put him in a stall, and all this stuff. It made me feel like I haven't done enough. I originally wanted to put him in a stall, but none were available so I didn't have much of a choice.
Also I am concerned because I had read, that an ultrasound is what is needed to diagnose these injuries.. and this vet used an xray. It's been almost two months since then. I've also felt a bit down because I have read that reinjury is quite common. I have raised and trained this horse from when he was 11 months old to be my future barrel horse. But now.. what if he does get reinjured, or it's a risk? Would he have to be retired at 5? Turned into a trail horse? I am planning to take him back to the vet within the next week or two, I am just a bit sad thinking about it.  | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | Suspensory and tendon injuries usually take at least 6 months to heal, but I'm not a vet and don't know the extent of your horses injury. It must have not been bad. Your vet probably knows best. They will heal fine with light turnout. If it's not healing at check up you can always stall rest for a bit. It sounds like you are putting a lot of effort into helping him heal. Re-injury is always possible, but if you give it plenty of time to heal and for the fibers to strengthen he may never have another issue. Horses are tough. He will be fine. | |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
 
| Personally I like Theraplatevresults if one is available to you. My horse had like a hamstring injury for lack of a better description. Bad and was three legged. Happened during a run. He looked like Barbara. Vet said leave him out. He healed fine. It did take about 4 months and vet was surprised he healed that fast. My vet x-rayed my horse too. You are just going to have to be patient. | |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| My gelding had a 40% tear in his rear suspensory, pulled a good size chunk of bone out too. Per vet, he was supposed to be stalled the entire 8 -12 months he would be out. I kept him stalled for a month with lots of hand grazing, added a small pen, the next month, by 3 months I was turning him out a few hours, by 4 months he was out all day, he healed beautifully and vet was amazed at his progress. He returned to run and compete for another 5 years till a knee injury retired him. It is true that an ultrasound is best for soft tissue injury, my vet always ultrasounds, I didn't think you could see it with an X-ray. | |
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Regular
Posts: 62
| DashNDustem - 2016-09-07 7:54 PM
So my 5 year old got caught in some fencing wire and pulled a ligament about 2 months ago. The swelling has gone down quite a bit since then, I have been giving him Formula 1 Noni Blue Label for about a month, hosing down his legs, and using Lameaway rub for the inflammation and swelling, and I recently picked up some Back on Track wraps. The vet I took him to did xrays on his leg, and told me he pulled the suspensory ligament and it would take 4-6 weeks to heal, and that I can keep him turned out. He has not been lame since this injury. He's been on one acre pasture with a much older retired jumper, who is arthritic (he gets meds for it daily ) so it's not like that horse runs around a lot. Most he just mosses around.
But I am feeling kind of bummed. Yesterday I was getting his shoes done, and another boarder who I like.. never see, started asking me questions and telling me that I should have put him in a stall, and all this stuff. It made me feel like I haven't done enough. I originally wanted to put him in a stall, but none were available so I didn't have much of a choice.
Also I am concerned because I had read, that an ultrasound is what is needed to diagnose these injuries.. and this vet used an xray. It's been almost two months since then. I've also felt a bit down because I have read that reinjury is quite common. I have raised and trained this horse from when he was 11 months old to be my future barrel horse. But now.. what if he does get reinjured, or it's a risk? Would he have to be retired at 5? Turned into a trail horse? I am planning to take him back to the vet within the next week or two, I am just a bit sad thinking about it.
Oh how I feel your pain. Don't feel bad, you did what you needed to do to heal your horse. My horse had a similar injury a couple years ago and my vet was 95% sure but needed an ultrasound to be 100%. I treated her and kept her in a big pen to walk around in. She had inflamed tendons in her back right leg. You know your vet and I assume you trust them. As far as re-injuring it, I have learned that a horse can break a leg in the pasture dinking around. I had another horse break his leg making a barrel run at my house. I mean things happen no matter what you do. Not trying to be mean or anything like I totally understand your frustration and concern but things can happen whether you ride, run barrels, rope, or leave them out in the pasture. Good luck to you! | |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I think if you're concerned about correct diagnosis and the recovery protocol that was prescribed, a second opinion won't hurt.
We had 2 horses with torn suspensories at the last place I boarded. Both started on stall rest - 1 tolerated it better than the other and the one who didn't tolerate it went back on turnout, he was more likely to aggrevate it is his stall than in the pasture. Both horses have healed fine and since returned to work, but it was a long process.
I personally think recovery protocol has be a balance of what is best for the injury and what is best for the mental state and rest of the horse's body. I am okay with a slightly longer recovery if it means not having to deal with some of the consequences of a horse kept continuously stalled if I can avoid it. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Depending on the xray, some of the higher qualities can show damage done to the tendons. Only an ultrasound can determine how bad the injury is.
My vet always puts them on stall rest. I have stem cells injected into the damaged area to shorten the healing span. Generally I am able to ride in 1-2 months from treatment.
If the tendon heals properly and you leg the horse up properly, it should never be problematic. If there is a lot of scar tissue, it will be more prone to tearing again.
There is not perfect way to treat these horses, some heal perfectly in a pen, some heal in confined areas, some never heal. It all depends on the horse. | |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I would get a new vet. I spent 4 months babying on mine when the entire time I doubted the prognosis. He said mine had a stretched ligament (via xray) and when he took them I could tell the horse wasn't putting all his weight down on that heel so he obvoiously showed in the x ray. He had cut that heel months earlier and I think he was still having nerve damage issues. Wish I had just gone and spent the money on another vet. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
Location: Idaho | Well, I don't know if I can trust my vet? Only because I just recently moved to Oklahoma.. and I haven't had the opportunities to meet a lot of vets here yet. The one I have is literally right around the corner to my barn, and it is the "local" vet that I was recommended. I have heard mixed reviews on him, some love him, some like him, some say he is okay and some say heck no lol
I don't know if any of you know him, he is out of Moore, OK named Dr. Mike Wiley.
The other vet I hear a lot about, but is farther away is Dr. Bliss at Interstate Equine. I haven't heard anything bad about him.
So I am a bit conflicted, its the convenience of having the vet nearby but my truck is down, so I can't haul my boy to Dr. Bliss at the moment. Not sure if anyone has heard about any of them..?
And thank you all for your kind words! Made me feel a little better.
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