You wrote:
> My question is: Has anyone out there heard of similarly injured horses
> being able to compete in endurance rides?
My horse, "Rocket" recovered from a similar accident & has gone on to
do well. He ran thru a wire fence & opened a similar wound involving
the shoulder and right foreleg that was neglected for the several
years before I purchased him. No work/rehab was done, so he was
stiff, short gaited, and had developed a club foot w/ a contracted
heel on that leg. His musculature on that side was weak. That
leg/shoulder/side of the withers was noticeably smaller! With lots
of slow miles, bending excercises, stretching, etc., he redeveloped
so that he is sound & even.
This year was his first competitive season doing 50's and an 80 as
well as some fun limited distance. We completed 230 miles to date
this season with one more 50 planned in November. We haven't chosen
all "easy" rides, either - The Old Dominion 50 is on his list of
accomplishments!
Go slow, making sure that you work the weakened side a little more than
the unaffected side until strength and mass are similar. Consider a
heart monitor to watch for any signs of excess stress or reinjury
during the workouts.
It is possible to bring a good horse back after a devastating
injury like this. He may never live up to his previous potential.
But then again, you will put so much effort & love into him that you
will know him better & perhaps manage him better than if he was never
injured.
Good luck! If you want any specifics on the rehab that Rocket went
thru, let me know.
Linda Flemmer
ABF Challenger ("Rocket") & Eternal Point ("Major")
Blue Wolf Ranch Chesapeake, Virginia, USA
"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"