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View Full Version : Check ligament strain


nicholap
10th Oct 2003, 11:33 AM
Hello - I'm new to this - sorry to start with an ask but wondered if anyone had experience of treating a check ligament strain. I'm hoping it's only minor (or even more hoping it's just a soft tissue injury but probably kidding myself) as he only wrenched a shoe off in the field but vet coming tonight so then I'll know for sure.

It happened on Monday and there was a slight spongyness and heat in the check ligament area the morning after. I've used cold compress boots and rested him (although still turned him out as was not lame and only slight swelling) and the swelling has gone now even without wearing the cold boots (lasted less than 40 hours in total) but it is still slightly warmer than the other leg. Still no lameness.

Problem is its hard to tell whether the remaining heat is from a new strain or an old splint that happened at the beginning of August. He was rested for a month till it was bony and then Sept was spent getting him back up to fitness v slowly. Throughout that time the splint has been fine although sometimes I'm sure it's still slightly warmer than the other leg although I may be paranoid.

Having been so patient and careful with the splint it's horrible to be facing another prolonged rest period when everything was going so well and pulling a shoe seems such a small thing too? Bruno is an 5 yr old ex racer that I'm reschooling with the aim of going eventing. There's been loads of ups and downs in the year I've had him but we were really starting to see the light, our first solo HT was next weekend and he was looking and going brilliantly after recovering from the splint.

I just wondered if anyone had personal experience / insights / recommendations that might help me get Bruno back on the road as soon as possible (without compromising recovery obviously). All my books say it takes months to heal unless a minor strain (how do you tell if minor) and there is no mention in there of any other therapy (over rest) that might speed recovery e.g. magnetic therapy, TENS etc - you all seem very clued up on the latest gizmos :-)

THANKYOU Nikki P.S I promise my posts won't normally be this long !

tasha
10th Oct 2003, 12:40 PM
Our ArabX has recently had a tendon injury, not quite the same but pretty close.

She did hers jumping, and the vet saw it the next day, took one look and grimaced. To cut it short she had scans that showed nothing, but tendon injuries can take 2weeks to show up. So she had the leg strapped up tightly by a nurse and was box rested for 2 weeks.

She came out to be mucked out and that was it. She was stable bandaged all round and the bandage came off after 1 week and was replaced by a stable one. She had 2 butes a day for a week, then 1 a day until 2 days before the next scan when she had none. The scan showed...nothing!!

The vets were amazed! So either it was very minor and healed after the 2 weeks off, or her leg went into panic mode after the knock and over-reacted.

Im no expert with injuries like this but we think our saving grace was the factthat she had treatent pretty soon. I think you should get the vet out to be honest.

Splints-unless he is lame on it, forget about it! I think most people over-panic about them. There's nowt you can do about them and most of the time, unless they are lame they dont affect the horse.

nicholap
10th Oct 2003, 12:49 PM
Thankyou! Called the vet yesterday am and he is coming tonight (although he wasn't going to come till Monday - so much for rapid response) I'm just trying to be as clued up as I can on any other treatments (I have a suspicion my vet is rather traditional in approach).

Fingers crossed catching it early and with a minor strain it might not be as bad as i'm thinking at the moment.

tasha
10th Oct 2003, 06:54 PM
That's fine..let me know how you get on!