RE: Suspensory...Boots....Recovery....Long

["Snodgrass, Bonnie" <snodgrab@ncr.disa.mil>]

I can speak from some personal experience on the subject of support boots
and suspensory injurys.  Not scientific mind you, just personal observation.
The only type of boot IMO that offers support to lower leg tendons/ligaments
are the type with the sling strap under the fetlock joint. It can help
prevent over extension of the tendon/ligament. When my mare hurt her
suspensory (just below the brach of the check and suspensory ligaments) Dr.
Ruth recommended stall confinement and use of a magnetic boot. She suggested
using the boot 24 hr/day if it caused no irritations. My wacko, herb bound
horse went bonkers in her stall, did some aceing then finally built an
electric pen outside 18'x18', filled it with sawdust to keep the surface
non-slippery and stuck her outside where she could see her buddies across
the fence. Much calmer horse. I found a nice magnetic boot that was also
built very much like a sports medicine boot with the ankle support. I
figured "Great!" give her support and protection plus the EM treatment.

She wore this boot at first just for daily turnout then later 24x7. After
about 2+ months I noticed something odd. Her pastern was starting to drop.
Her leg was becoming dependent on the support of the boot and when it was
removed the weakened tendons were too loose to hold the joint angle in it's
normal position alone. At this point she was already being exercised daily,
wearing a Professional Choice sports medicine boot. I removed the magnetic
boot for good, continued to give her support during exercise and within 2-3
weeks her leg was back to normal. 

I had observed before this that horses that wore support wraps on a daily
basis would become dependent on them and would have filled legs when the
wraps were removed, sometimes for weeks afterwards. Eventually they seem to
recover back to normal, if their owners don't panic and put them back in
support wraps. This was the first time I had ever seen a horse become
dependent on a support boot, but if you think about it, well it's not
surprising.

I wouldn't recommend using a boot for any long period of time, not even for
daily turnout if it will be longer than a couple of hours. Instead I would
suggest confining turnout to a small space with non-slip footing till you
have the injured horse back working at W/T/C for a while. This was my vet's
suggestion (who is also a horse owner/rider/competitor) and it works.

Bonnie Snodgrass


-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Musick [mailto:janm_97@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 3:23 PM
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Suspensory...


I haven't seen (have I missed it?) any mention of suspensory ligament
"support".  There are leg wraps that are constructed in such a way that they
give the suspensory ligament some support.  Anybody have experience with
them? 
Sounds advisable to help a horse healing up from an injury.  I've never used
them.  At least it would prevent reinjury while the horse is playing in its
paddock, I would think....

But I don't know that for sure.



=====
Jan Musick
http://www.geocities.com/janm_97/

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like nobody's watching.

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