Re: RC: need feedback on tendon injuries

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>My seasoned 8 year old gelding, 1000 miles combined NATRC and AERC, was
pulled > the vertical tendon that runs down the >back of the lower leg >
I hope to try a 50 in late Sept. if he's >doing OK, but go SLOW. > 

Don't know if it's the same thing, but Kaboot injured a tendon sheath on
a foreleg when he was 6.  At first they thought it was a bow and I almost
had a mental breakdown. I iced him almost 48 hours  and got him to my vet
for ultra-sound. He said I stopped in time, no real damage. He asked what
time frame I would *give* him to work in. I said, "I want to be competing
on this horse when he's 18, I'll do whatever it takes. He said, "Great,
let's give him 4 months off". I almost died, but ended up giving him 6
mo. (4 mo. ended in late Sept. so what the heck).  He never had any more
problems of any kind there. 
Now, my vet is very conservative. And I am conservative/paranoid. I keep
hearing about people getting them right back out there in 6 weeks, etc.
and who knows I might could have, but every time I even think about
taking a short cut, it ends up costing me far more time. I've learned 6
mo. is nothing compared to starting over.  

As far as the "come back" I was supposed to start out riding him 15 min.
slowly. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! 
After 6 mo. off I got him out once, saddled the perpetual motion machine,
jigged and spooked and skittered 1/4 mi. up the road, barely made it home
with my life, and the person who was riding with me said, "Now what good
did *that* do?"  I decided after 6 mo. off, he could just go straight up.
So next time I took him to the mountain and let him climb it at the speed
he chose (which was fast).  Sometimes you just gotta be flexible and
choose to live.

Angie


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