One of our horses tore her left hind high suspensory. She is on two months stall rest and balancing on that toe. I’ve ordered the Hoofix comfy boot so we can put a wedge pad in it to try and support her during the initial healing. Anyone done something different that worked? Thanks
I’m not usually a big supporter of static splints because of the occasional unintended consequences of immobilization, but in your case, it sounds like maybe a Kimzey splint would help support your mare in what she considers her comfy position.
Your horse is standing on it’s toe with the heels not touching?
Consult your vet. Just because lowering the angle decreases force to the suspensory doesn’t mean you should force it.
Let me think as a horse owner for a second. Are all three feet standing flat and she’s resting the other one on her toe?
She won’t put the heel down on the hind leg with the torn suspensory. Vet mentioned splint but then today suggested hoof boot with wedge pad to support her while it heals. Once it heals I suspect we have to use lower and lower wedges until she is flat again just like you would with a human. No one else has had to do this?
The horse won’t put his heel down. So the wedge pad is supposed to wedge the foot up even further than it currently is? Or a wedge pad that the horse wont place his heel on? Neither sounds like a good idea. I’d get the vet back out and ask him to reconsider.
Get a second opinion…propping up that heel isn’t a good idea.
[QUOTE=eruss;7753891]
The horse won’t put his heel down. So the wedge pad is supposed to wedge the foot up even further than it currently is? Or a wedge pad that the horse wont place his heel on? Neither sounds like a good idea. I’d get the vet back out and ask him to reconsider.[/QUOTE]
I agree. In fact, wedging will actually put MORE stress on the suspensory. It seems odd given the injury that the horse is standing on it’s toe. I would definitely have the vet out–you could be dealing with more than one issue here.
Thinking good thoughts for you and your horse. Hind suspensories SUCK. 
[QUOTE=Herbie19;7753906]
I agree. In fact, wedging will actually put MORE stress on the suspensory. It seems odd given the injury that the horse is standing on it’s toe. I would definitely have the vet out–you could be dealing with more than one issue here.
Thinking good thoughts for you and your horse. Hind suspensories SUCK. :([/QUOTE]
I agree have the vet out. Being a hind foot, anatomy and experience, even if the suspensory is hurting I have a hard time believing he doesn’t happen to be resting that foot. Or there is more involved than just the suspensory.
You walk the horse and he won’t put his heel down either?
The vet was here yesterday and ultrasounded the leg and did a full examination of the whole leg. She has two high tears in her suspensory just below the hock. No other injury. She hops on the toe of that leg. Does not want to put the heel down. Our vet didn’t seem to think this was so odd. We wouldn’t be wedging her up higher… just supporting her heel up in the position she’s more comfortable.
Not sure why everyone thinks there is something else wrong. How would you expect a high suspensory tear to present? Leg is still swollen from fetlock to hock but we are giving her dex twice a day along with bute 2x and banamine 1x. Swelling is definitely starting to come down.
Sometimes vets will recommend putting a bar shoe on the hind feet. My mare had a high suspensory on her right hind. We did stem cell and shock wave therapy and she healed wonderfully. PRP also has been known to help suspensories heal better. I’d also recommend giving your horse more recovery time than the vet says. Take things very slow, and your horse should heal properly. For the swelling, I’m always a big fan of poultice and wrapping. Managing the swelling is very important.
I think a boot and wedge is about the most unproductive way to ensure weight bearing of an injured limb. What degree wedge did your vet say? Did he say that standing straight up? Will he pick up the other foot? If so, is he comfortable, not comfortable? how’s the trim?
You have an acute injury. research stay apparatus. In short, your horse injured itself. Take a vacation so it can heal.
I don’t know about this - my horse had bilateral hind suspensories, faciotomy to relieve the pressure. He never showed any reluctance to bear weight, and my vet (very experienced lameness vet, worked at Olympics and for Teams many times) said wedges were contraindicated for suspensories. But if the horse won’t put full weight on the foot that is maybe a different issue…
[QUOTE=SomethingSpecial;7753992]
Sometimes vets will recommend putting a bar shoe on the hind feet. My mare had a high suspensory on her right hind. We did stem cell and shock wave therapy and she healed wonderfully. PRP also has been known to help suspensories heal better. I’d also recommend giving your horse more recovery time than the vet says. Take things very slow, and your horse should heal properly. For the swelling, I’m always a big fan of poultice and wrapping. Managing the swelling is very important.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, we are poulticing and doing a light support wrap as well. Compression wrap is contraindicated. We have no thoughts of bringing her back as a riding horse. Would love if she could be pasture sound and possibly be a broodmare. She is a lovely hunter mare.
[QUOTE=asterix;7754087]
I don’t know about this - my horse had bilateral hind suspensories, faciotomy to relieve the pressure. He never showed any reluctance to bear weight, and my vet (very experienced lameness vet, worked at Olympics and for Teams many times) said wedges were contraindicated for suspensories. But if the horse won’t put full weight on the foot that is maybe a different issue…[/QUOTE]
First of all I’m so sorry. Were yours high suspensory injuries up near the hock?
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Argh, soft tissue injuries are such a pain and her’s sounds like a doozy
I do wonder though if it’s really that she’s more comfortable with her heel raised, or if it’s just that’s the only way she can take weight off the limb. Even if her toe hurt, for example, she’d still walk on her toe because that’s the only way a horse can stand/walk and not fully load a limb.
Just throwing that out there. Good luck!
I think this is consistent with what we have and the recommended support for healing:
http://www.ckequinehospital.com/page/184/Degenerative-Suspensory-Ligament-Desmitis-DSLD
There is no doubt CrowneDragon that she is trying to get the weight off her limb. She is lying down a lot for the same reason. We are very focused on getting the inflammation out and her pain relieved then maybe she will act differently. I know many suspensories can be milder and intermittent but we definitely have a severe acute case right now. She can physically put her heel down but she does not rest that way. She’s resting on the toe or on the ground.
[QUOTE=equisusan;7754097]
First of all I’m so sorry. Were yours high suspensory injuries up near the hock?[/QUOTE]
Based on the information asterix provided I can answer that question for her. Yes. 
I apologize for my lack of reading comprehension if you have already answered these questions but does your horse walk flat? Is she lame at the walk?
I usually have at least one suspensory layup in my barn (coming in from the outside–I don’t keep breaking them! ;)) which is why I find this case so intriguing–every horse is different but I’ve never had one present like this.
The good news is with time and patience I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t be able to get her pasture sound.
DSLD makes the ankle sink to the point the horse is unlikely to be able to stand on the toe in my experience. I personally would look into more effective pain meds, possibly even nerve blocks to get her standing square then use a Robert Jones type bandage on her if at all possible.
Yes, they were, equisusan, but as I said we never had any weight bearing reluctance to deal with.
He recovered very nicely and back to full work (this was a number of years ago; he’s now 19, sound, and “semi-retired”…no longer eventing but about to show 1st level this fall).
This does sound acute - mine were chronic. Horse was sound and running preliminary, and then one day he was not. Carted him off directly to fancy lameness clinic and they diagnosed the bilateral tears. The surgeon who did his fasciotomy said he see this ALL the time – horse is totally sound and working and then turns out to have tears have been brewing for quite a while. He thinks there is a minor issue on one side which doesn’t result in perceptible lameness, horse compensates and stresses the other side, and it keeps going until one day it hits the point where the horse is visibly lame.
I will also say that my horse has had hock arthritis for a decade and I am a little bit suspicious that picking up the very early signs of a high suspensory can be hard to do if you know the horse has hock issues.
Best of luck!
