Superficial Tendon Tear - Realistic Prognosis?

[Blueeyedroan]

Another “talk me out of it” post.

OTTB posted for a modest $1500.
In post, says he suffered a tear in his superficial tendon. Stall rest and hand walking for 4 months, turned out in paddock in September.
No treatments, no rehab plan.

In your real life experience, how does the prognosis of this type of injury usually turn out?

What actually concerns me more is that he’s 5 years old and has only had 1 start. And he won that start.
If he’s fast and he ran well, why are they not running him again? Why did he not make it to the track more before his injury? Soundness issues?

Buuuut he’s big, red, and chromey. So cute. But I got a bad gut feeling!

[Aussie_2020]

When was he injured? It seems odd that he was injured in training this past year. That would leave a couple year gap.

Anyone from his past you can track down to get more info?

[punchy]

I would do a PPE and ultrasound the tendon. At a minimum you can ask to talk to the vet who ultrasounded him. I might have different feelings about taking a tendon horse without an ultrasound if I know the trainer and the vet and spoke to them, but if they are strangers to you I’d do some due diligence.

The horse is 5 and only ran once, so no surprise they aren’t trying to bring him back again. He could be hard to keep sound for racing, but be fine for other things, or he could have just been hanging around because the owners lacked money, he was stuck in a probate/estate situation, trainer didn’t have room—lots of non-nefarious reasons. You can’t possibly know unless you ask.

[luvmyhackney]

I would ask if they would share his vet records from when it happened or do an ultrasound in a PPE.

[NancyM]

I have successfully turned a number of bowed horses off the track into show hunter/jumpers. Have never had a problem with the tendon again. I bought one that was back to racing on his bow (not very successfully), and he jumped some big stuff for me, and others after me. I had another given to me with a fresh bow… he ended up as a hunter. Another one was a giveaway with a fresh and nasty big bow, a friend of mine took him and was happy with him I heard. One was my own when he bowed, in training to race. It was a BAD one. I never bothered to scan it… it was more than obvious. And he wasn’t a very good patient because he was a bit of a nut. Had the pocket of fluid under the pastern. He went on to be a successful medal horse I heard. I jumped him over some quite big stuff too, he was more than game, and the tendon got nothing but tighter. My vet at the time was amazed… she joked that we should promote jumping as a preferred treatment for bowed tendons. This one was presumed to be more than just a superficial one. So yes, a bow that is healed, or a fresh one that looks OK wouldn’t bother me much if I liked the horse. Why they did not put the horse back into training to race… racing is harder on a bow than jumping is. A bowed tendon on the track is like being “a little bit pregnant”… it’s likely to get worse. But not as a show hunter or jumper. It’s likely to get stronger with h/j work.

[merrygoround]

Front or hind? It makes a big difference.

[Simkie]

If you’ve got a bad gut feeling, then pass.

But tendons are usually nbd. A five year old with one start who blows a tendon doesn’t really raise any red flags for me, although I’d ask why he didn’t run earlier. It’s just not that uncommon that money runs out, plans change, whatever. It’s a lot of moving parts to get a horse to it’s first start.

I have one in my barn right now that bowed, they ran him back a few weeks later, he bowed the other, and I took him with two hot tendons. I kept him wrapped in gel cast and iced for a month, then turned him out. He’s fine. His legs have never been a problem.

Of all the “typical” racehorse injuries/wear, the standard bowed tendon is low on my list of things to worry about.

[Blueeyedroan]

He’s a pretty big chunky guy, they said he was not physically ready to start running at 2 so they waited. Slow maturer. Then raced in beginning of 4 year old year and tore the tendon in April. So that was the end of his career.
He’s 16.1hh with a dumptruck of a hind end on him. Really lovely looking boy with huge chrome.

No visible bow in the leg at all.

Not going to do a PPE - will cost me at least $700.
I’ll offer $500 and a plan to bring him back into work properly and assume the risk,

[Simkie]

Offering a third of the asking price on a horse that bowed nearly a year ago and doesn’t look to have any current rehab or lameness issues very well may be construed as an offense. If I were selling, I would certainly find it offensive.

Nbd if that’s the price you’re willing to pay and don’t have a relationship with the seller, but be prepared that an offer than low may be taken poorly.

[Blueeyedroan]

I’m confident with it.
The horse did not have any checkups, the horse hasn’t been ultrasounded since, and no rehab plan was made or followed - which is pretty important with this kind of injury.
Minimal work and money was invested, and my offer matches that.
He’s a gelding, no value as a broodmare.
He’s never been ridden off track , no “light right lesson horse” potential.
He’s a big , fat, risk.

If they say no, they say no. And that’s okay - someone else can pay $600/month board to rehab and retrain. Saves me the heartbreak lol!

I also see it differently I suppose. Any horse i’ve ever rehomed after serious injury, or needing any form of rehab has been given away for FREE (to a very closely inspected home). I’m not trying to make a dime off someone willing to take on a risk and a broken heart. I want the horse to be rehabbed and have the best possible chance at a good life. Any extra money can be spent on therapies and vet checks, it can stay out of my pocket.
So, that does sway my offers on horses needing the same.

[findeight]

OP, what are your goals if you buy this one? do you keep at home or board out? Do you have a place to put him if he does not work out and something else to ride if he is laid up?

PPE with imaging can as much as double that asking price. Is there at least a video of him trotting? Can you see him yourself and bring an experienced person for a neutral, educated opinion?

IIWY, would not pay for imaging, maybe pay for that neutral opinion from somebody with personal experience with these, like a restarter. But if my gut was telling me no, I would not argue with it nor would I carry an unusable horse in a boarding situation for an unknown period of time.

There are also a few other questions that need to be considered too. Depends on your risk tolerance and budget.

[beowulf]

@Blueeyedroan

What actually concerns me more is that he’s 5 years old and has only had 1 start. And he won that start.
If he’s fast and he ran well, why are they not running him again? Why did he not make it to the track more before his injury? Soundness issues?

Based on what you shared, because he’s big. Big horses sometimes are slower to mature, need more time, or just physiologically do not have the same scrappiness as a smaller horse. The really big ones might not run their second or third year at all – and the really big ones tend to hurt themselves in training.

Do you have experience with OTTBs? Do you have a support network to help you retrain him?

From their perspective, they have a partly-started prospect who has a good chance of a career in another discipline - just not theirs – so $500 may be insulting. Whether you offer $500 or not, really depends on your reputation and the shed-row. You don’t want a reputation for being a lowballer or tire-kicker, or worse, being ignorant to how things are done backside.

I’ve offered below asking before on horses at the track, but that was only done when I knew the trainer and their situation well enough to gauge how the offer would be taken.

Even horses with major rehab needs are being sold for more than that in racetracks around the U.S The $500 diamond in the rough days are gone. Add a zero to that figure and you’re closer to what the market is paying for OTTBs these days.

[Blueeyedroan]

The closest track is a 5+ hour drive away. I’ve bought all of my OTTB’s sight unseen, pretty standard.
I don’t pay more than $2,000 for a horse - ever. So for the price I take the risk and work with it.

There was video, he looks fine but he’s also been out of work since April.

Board, my horses are boarded. Down time costs just as much as up time. I am not looking for anything particularly at this time. Just miss having a project and would take one on for sheer enjoyment if the right opportunity were to present itself. View it as an addiction.
I’ll claim it’s to “make a little extra money” but we all know that’s a lie and there’s no money in it anymore, not with OTTBS anyways. They almost never fully “vet” and 90% of todays riders cannot ride them.
Unfortunately there’s very little in life I enjoy as much as restarting TBs. It’s a curse.

They responded politely to my offer - sale is already pending. Said she’d let me know. Hope he goes to a great home, saves me the trouble haha!

[Blueeyedroan]

Years and years of riding and restarting TB’s from tracks all across Canada. In my younger years I started them for the track as well for an owner.
Have had my most recent OTTB for just over a year and she turned out to not be a horse I plan on re-selling. We clicked. She’s my girl. Every social media post I make of her gets commented on by her owner, and her trainer… some horses are meant to move on, and some aren’t. She’s also under 16hh, has 47 races under her belt, and has some serious opinions so is not really a marketable critter.

I’m probably fairly well known for being a lowballer.
But I’m equally as well known for the start I put on these horses. With me you’ll find them moving cattle, riding down the side of the Trans-Canada Highway , clamouring up a stream in the rocky mountains, swimming across a river, or cantering down the local beach past screaming kids and flamingo floaties. When I’m done with them they are BROKE BROKE and end up in amazing, mostly long-term homes that use them across multiple disciplines.
I have one who got sold to a western trail rider and stayed with her until he passed.
Another went to California to event.
They are everywhere!
I’m also known for taking the ones with some behavioral issues that are not the barn favourites at all. I prefer mares, and like them red.

Although I know the good ones may be worth 5K to some, there’s lots that aren’t. And i’ll take my chances with those ones. Leave the best to the rest lol!

[Simkie]

@Blueeyedroan

The horse did not have any checkups, the horse hasn’t been ultrasounded since, and no rehab plan was made or followed - which is pretty important with this kind of injury.

But…it’s really not. This isn’t a suspensory. This horse HAS been rehabbed. Rest is part of rehab. This horse has been rehabbed carefully.

Tendons like this rank among…idk like bucked shins and osselets. It’s a nothing burger. Especially a YEAR later.

You know how many times my fancy sports med vet ultrasounded my gelding who came off the track with two hot, active bows? Zero. I don’t even think she wanted to SEE him. Because this is nbd.

[punchy]

@Blueeyedroan

I’m confident with it.
The horse did not have any checkups, the horse hasn’t been ultrasounded since, and no rehab plan was made or followed - which is pretty important with this kind of injury.
Minimal work and money was invested, and my offer matches that.

In the original post you said he was on stall rest and hand walked for 4 months and then turned out. Hand walking is work for people (and not the fun kind with an ottb on stall rest). That’s a rehab plan that was followed. Turnout, ditto. Also, they spent 10 months paying board, or keeping him at their place if it’s private. That costs not insignificant money. Then they make sure he’s not going for meat market money, so they’re not just dumping him. I’m not arguing with your lowballing—just sayin’.