If he doesn’t get better after 30 days he may be a candidate for surgery. He is an older guy. I have a show horse that is insured, this horse is not.
How much does a fasciotomy/neurectomy cost??
Am I risking him getting worse and worse (assuming he doesn’t get better) instead if I don’t do the surgery?
r – surgery itself for my mare was $3500. The rest of the vet bills more than doubled that, but hers was not a simple case.
BTW everyone: we HAVE CANTER. A bit too much actually. All it took was getting her to the outdoor arena and letting her, you know, actually canter without walls holding her in. We’ve also been cantering poles, which as with anything that reminds her of her eventing days, makes her very very happy and speedy.
[QUOTE=reay6790;6206384]
If he doesn’t get better after 30 days he may be a candidate for surgery. He is an older guy. I have a show horse that is insured, this horse is not.
How much does a fasciotomy/neurectomy cost??
Am I risking him getting worse and worse (assuming he doesn’t get better) instead if I don’t do the surgery?[/QUOTE]
mine was uncomplicated…did both hind legs…less than 3,000. Sounds similar to yours. No serious lesions but looked chronic. Tried stall rest, shockwave and then slowly…I mean slowly…legging him back up. Felt great when we finally started trotting (after lots of walking). Adding a minute every 3rd day. When he reached 7 minutes…he didn’t feel as good. Ultrasound confirmed so we scheduled the surgery.
Honestly…mine was pasture sound but not right for work. He is only 8 (an OTTB) and very talented. I did the surgery to give him the best shot at being useful as a riding horse again.
He would have been very manageable and comfortable as a pasture decoration if I hadn’t done the surgery—I would ask your vet. It isn’t a minor surgery—and they are pretty painful for the first week or so. So not a decision to be taken lightly.
My guy is doing great now (2 months)…walking 40 minutes. But whether he will return to full work is still unclear.
Good luck. Hopefully the rest will be enough for your boy.
I would do the surgery again in a heartbeat even though it was very difficult to watch him be in pain for the first week after. I would also do the ethyl alcohol hock fusion again. With the two combined my horse has been sound since.
For a young horse…I agree. An 18 year old makes me pause.
Mine would have been very comfortable retired—just NQR for riding. He was happily bombing around his field before we locked him up on stall rest. I just didn’t want to retire him at 8 but if he was 18…I’d consider it. It would depend on the horse and what the vet told me about his particular case.
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;6207239]
For a young horse…I agree. An 18 year old makes me pause.
Mine would have been very comfortable retired—just NQR for riding. He was happily bombing around his field before we locked him up on stall rest. I just didn’t want to retire him at 8 but if he was 18…I’d consider it. It would depend on the horse and what the vet told me about his particular case.[/QUOTE]
Ahh totally missed that- and agree. Although it really depends on the horse and her goals but I’m with you on considering it. Insurance helps a TON, though! If you have it, Reay
Sigh, slowly raises hand
For those who do have shoes, my vet recommends for my horse bar shoes…on his hinds. Didn’t see anything about bar shoes on hinds in previous threads on proximal hind end bilateral suspensory inflammation. Sorry I missed! Although seems like a pretty common suggestion on the farrier threads I’ve been searching.
I do appreciate this thread very much, and I have been following for awhile. Although work does get in the way!
Just wondering what has beem working for others with shoes.
Again, horse is insured, but I put him through a surgery for a broken elbow one year ago. I am very hesitant to put himunder general anesthesia ever again.
Quiet Anne- Congrats on the canter! Ours is coming along but we aren’t into enough of it to take Merrygoround’s suggestions. We have added transitions between circles. Now holding breathe to see how today’s ride goes after that.
Happy H. Haffy-I think if you read back through the thread, your shoeing question will be answered. We are still barefoot all around, despite our cool out hacks over rough ground. Some require shoes, but I will still remain with my original comment, that some strain is necessary to help those fibers line up. Rehab is all about controlling the degree and frequency of strain.
Kiwi- that’s great news! Now the real work begins.
I’m so glad to be able to do something besides trot round and round the arena. But it worked.
My only wish is that we had gotten to the surgery sooner. If wishes were horses…
[QUOTE=quietann;6206533]
BTW everyone: we HAVE CANTER. [/QUOTE]
Woo Hoo! Ours has been cantering for a while, gradually working up in duration. At the moment, he’s getting 50-60 minute works daily, 7-8 minute walk to start out, then 6-8 minute trot, then I just go to normal work, with trot-walk-trot transition, and then trot-canter-trot transitions over the next 35-40 minutes, then finish with a nice walk. He’s been great, other than as we get his weight back up (he was practically a skeleton!) and his work back up, all he wants to do is BUCK! The canter was getting dicier and dicier to get let alone maintain so we went back to “better living through chemistry” and have him on a very low dose of ace to ride.
He gets an ultrasound check today (as we speak, probably!) and if it’s okay, then we’re cleared for TURNOUT! Poor thing, just can barely contain himself any more. He’ll be very dopey for turnout, for sure, but just having liberty will make suck a difference to him, I’m sure. Fingers crossed that ultrasound comes out fine…
Meanwhile, my horse (who is the only one of our three to not have surgery this year) is on week 7 of an eye injury that started out simple, turned into a stromal abscess, three weeks at New Bolton on meds, then SURGERY (yep, perfect 3 for 3 now!) when the meds stopped working, and now three weeks at a layup. He gets a recheck on Friday, and may get to come home Saturday! I’m running out of fingers to cross.
So much for a spring season.
Glad to hear others are progressing as well, good luck to the newcomers, and no, the worry never goes away.
Horse is ~18 (rescued 10 years ago)
not insured. my show horse is but this one is not.
He evented last year at college after having 3 years off due to me being kind of large on him in the hunters.
I would love to use him…but I will be in vet school (HOPEFULLY) in 1.5 years.
We have the money for the surgery…I just don’t know if it would be better to just permanently retire him. I guess we will see what the ultrasounds say in 2 weeks.
Today he had to be aced for the first time in the 12 days he’s been in.
He is one that looks much better in a program. Also he loves to jump.
May 2011:
[Quote] Am I risking him getting worse and worse (assuming he doesn’t get better) instead if I don’t do the surgery?[quote-Reay6790]
Only have my experience to go by. And that was, that after a year of stall rest and hand walking, there was no gain. Well, maybe minimal. Essentially still lame.
Now after surgery and a long, rocky road,we are back to sound, starting lateral work, building the canter.
Others can chime in or out
Another anecdotal response to that (my story is in here but probably a ways back)…
I did surgery IMMEDIATELY on diagnosis – like, within days.
Horse was sound after something like 45 days on checkup and has never looked back.
Has returned nearly to previous work (Prelim eventing – I say nearly because totally UNrelated things have slowed us down) and has never had a lame step behind in the now several years since the surgery.
The fasciotomy he got was a very minor procedure – he was ready to come home later that same day. It was very hot and sticky and he had a reaction to the Elastikon, so I had the opportunity (!) to see his incisions 24 hours out= – there were no stitches and I could barely even see the scalpel lines.
I am very happy I moved so quickly with the surgery. He was insured, so I did not have the $ issue to think about.
[QUOTE=asterix;6210744]
Another anecdotal response to that (my story is in here but probably a ways back)…
I did surgery IMMEDIATELY on diagnosis – [/QUOTE]
I’m with Asterix… we went the surgery route immediately. This is a young TB with high potential and was insured, so it was really the only decision for us. As our vet said “if this was a pleasure horse, I probably wouldn’t recommend the surgery.” It all depends on your own situation.
So far so good for us… ultrasound was very good and he’s released to turnout (albeit VERY well sedated to start!) and can start back to lateral work, trot poles, and cross rails. SO Excited!!
We have survived our canters with endless transitions. Have added trots up the hills, as well as whooo-hoo!!! :eek: canters up slight grade. The first attempt deteriorated into a flat out gallop. There was a slight discussion before the next try and subsequent attempts have been far more dignified.
We will soon be booking our final ( I hope!, I hope! )ultrasound.
Dubarry-How did your first trots go?
colliemom-Are you finished single handedly supporting NBC?
Well it has been 6 months since surgery and I think we are headed in right direction. Yesterday vet saw my horse and flexed him on both hind legs. He considered him sound even after flexing him. Ultrasound showed 90 percent healing in left and 85 percent in right. Cleared us for cantering and large turnout. Vet was really impressed with his healing and said he was in the 10 percent of horses coming back so soundly in 6 months. He was even surprised that he came back sound. He was never a big believer in the surgery but now has changed his mind. Coupled with PRP therapy and controlled exercise/turnout has made a huge difference. So happy that I might be competing late fall. Anyone new to thread I would suggest if you have the funds and patience, this surgery is a way to go. Next ultrasound in six weeks. Fingers crossed!
[QUOTE=kiwifruit;6295372]
Well it has been 6 months since surgery and I think we are headed in right direction. Yesterday vet saw my horse and flexed him on both hind legs. He considered him sound even after flexing him. Ultrasound showed 90 percent healing in left and 85 percent in right. Cleared us for cantering and large turnout. Vet was really impressed with his healing and said he was in the 10 percent of horses coming back so soundly in 6 months. He was even surprised that he came back sound. He was never a big believer in the surgery but now has changed his mind. Coupled with PRP therapy and controlled exercise/turnout has made a huge difference. So happy that I might be competing late fall. Anyone new to thread I would suggest if you have the funds and patience, this surgery is a way to go. Next ultrasound in six weeks. Fingers crossed![/QUOTE]
Very cool. We had do surgery twice with my guy but he is looking great now. He got a complication that no one had heard of happening before (of course) but all looks good now. Will hopefully be starting trotting soon but looks sound.
Kiwi-great progress. Hope all continues well. Enjoy the canter. He will enjoy the turn out.
kiwifruit-Great! Enjoy the canter.
He will enjoy the turn out which will make everyone’s life happier!
An update on Echo- he has now completed 2 BN events finishing on his dressage scores at both! He is scheduled to go Novice at Kelly’s Ford and VAHT. I’m very excited with his progress and SO happy I decided to go for the surgery and hock fusion 
[QUOTE=vicarious;6257306]
We have survived our canters with endless transitions. Have added trots up the hills, as well as whooo-hoo!!! :eek: canters up slight grade. The first attempt deteriorated into a flat out gallop. There was a slight discussion before the next try and subsequent attempts have been far more dignified.
We will soon be booking our final ( I hope!, I hope! )ultrasound.
Dubarry-How did your first trots go?
colliemom-Are you finished single handedly supporting NBC?[/QUOTE]
Not sound 
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