Re: Tendon Injury

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Kathy Myers magnumsmom@aol.com
If you truely have a tendon or tendon sheath injury
you really should give your horse a full 4 to 6 months
to recover.  Blue had a tendon sheath injury last August.
It's in the archives.  Be sure to do an ultrasound so
you know exactly what you are dealing with.  My very
good UC Davis vet worked closely with my very excellent
regular vet and while I could have been back to full
*training* (note I did not say competing) at the end
of 4 months, we opted to take an extra 2 months because
it was winter and muddy anyways... and beside Angie said
she gave Kaboot 6 months off and he recovered 100%.  ;-)
Blue has recovered from his injury last August 100%.

The UC Davis tendon regime (this works):

All Flat! No Hills!  Period.

6 to 8 weeks total rest in a 20 x 40 flat paddock
and hand walking 20 minutes once or twice a day.
Paddock must not allow the horse to run in circles.

If horse trots fine and ultrasound is clear after
6 to 8 weeks (depending on vet) start:

Week 1:  Walk 20 minutes under saddle 4 times a week.
Week 2:  Walk 25 minutes...
.. add 5 minutes of walking under saddle per week
until horse is up to walking for 1 hour under saddle.

*if* horse goes off, back to square one.
If horse is still sound:

start adding trotting under saddle 5 minutes.
Add 5 minutes of trotting under saddle each week
until horse can do unlimited walking and trotting
under saddle on the flat and is still sound.
(I figure for most people 30 minutes of trotting
is "unlimited" trotting).

*if* horse goes off, back to square one.
If horse is still sound:

Add back the canter on the flat.

*if* horse goes off, back to square one.
If horse is still sound:

You can add back hills, turn horse out, and horse
is considered recovered.

This works.  It takes patience.  But if you try
to rush a tendon injury you risk having it not
heal and then having intermittent lameness issues.

:) - Kat Myers
in No. Cal. with Magnum the TB ex-racer
and Mr Maajistic... resident endurance Arab
ps...  The UC Davis vet also suggested with the
tendon sheath injury we start on joint-lubes.
So Blue now gets Sure-Flex.