DefinitelyDressage.com

Has anyone dealt with a suspensory injury involving the branches on a rear fetlock?
If so, what was your method of treatment and how long was your horse laid-up?

My guy had a pasture injury doing zoomies some years ago - rear fetlock as you described. I recall he was on stall rest for minimum 4 weeks (maybe 6 weeks?) with standing leg wraps with daily linament and topical. Initially I applied poultice to removed heat and swelling. Next I slowly introduced daily hand walks for several weeks starting out slow 1 moving up to 3 times daily until it became necessary to walk with the chain over the nose. He was feeling good by that time trying to buck. Early on my vet did several cold lazer therapy sessions which I believe helped with healing. I did not do steroid injection because he had some minor skin issue at the time - so we did not want risk any possible infection. (He has 4 white stockings and very skin sensitive to bugs or wet grass.) So I spent months doing a slow rehab plan with him and I got plenty of exercise myself with hand walking him. I felt better to be conservative with time spent healing and rest for a successful recovery. Initial free turnout was in a smaller paddock until his brain had settled as he likes to run and buck. When I started him back under saddle we did lots of long walks before trot. Trot work was lots of straight lines and minimal circles.

Search the forums as I recall some others had long recovery and rehab with their horses too. Rest for healing is critical to avoid re-injury and future soundness issues.

My biggest advice with any suspensory injury is to take the rehab program your vet gives you and double the time for each phase.

And accept the fact that you will have at least one setback when either the horse tries to behave like a moron or some well intentioned person does something stupid.

I beg to differ with Mountaineer's advice. I think it is important to stress the tissue during the rehab so that the new tissue fibers are laid down in the correct orientation instead of amorphous mess. I have seen many rehabs done too gingerly and the new tissue isn't strong enough and gets reinjured. But all of this advice is hearsay. Follow the vet's program. Drugs may be your best friend.

Ah, yes. There is a matter of degree here. My vet is an excellent diagnostician and technician but he is a bit of an old track vet and always assumes that the goal is to get the horse back into productive work asap. I'm more about longevity, so with him, I always tend to add in additional time!

For instance, Potters had his joint injections on Tuesday. He told me I could put him back to work on Friday. I questioned him, told him I wasn't in a rush, I was happy to wait until Monday, and he was like "oh, well, yes , if you don't mind giving him more time, that would be great!"

Did any of your horses still experience occasional swelling of the area after healing?

There is barely a small wind puff observed on his hind lower ankle. Frankly, it is so small compared to other horses with ankle blemishes that you might not notice it. I am cautious when riding or lunging to use SMBs (old style 4 staps) on his hind legs - that have the bottom strap wrapped for ankle support. It makes me feel that I am proactive to provide some protection for support there. Note - my guy injured himself at age 19 and is still sound age 23 - low level riding. He was never schooling upper level work or shows - but he could really tear around bucking in turnout.

Not sure this will be pertinent since not a suspensory injury but…. My oldest guy (25 at the time) shattered a hind splint bone nicking an artery. It was in the middle of an Arizona summer. I ice wrapped it several times a day and hauled him to a rehab place for cold salt water therapy among other things. Now three years later it is perfectly sound but it still looks puffy much of the time. It doesn’t bother him at all. It just looks a little puffy if you compare it to the other leg.

Every suspensory I have ever healed ( at least 6 over 50 years or so) has had a permanent thickening from scar tissue as it healed, but does not swell or heat with work once fully set.