GiGi, I would consider you very lucky and not the most preferred course of treatment.
GiGi, by ālayupā do you mean āturnoutā? You are really lucky, because everything Iāve ever read or heard indicates that movement is bad for that type of soft tissue injury.
I agree with vxf111 and alteringwego. In my case of DDFT injury pasture rest only made the injury worse. And I turned out only 4 months after initial injury, after going through IRAP and shokewave therapies.
On the other hand, stall rest and 3Xday handwalking were a PITA but horse has been sound for almost a year.
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Has anyone had experience with a high DDFT tear? My horseās is a couple of inches below the knee.
Did it tripping badly on a tree root on a trail ride. He was not lame, but obvious swelling and heat the next day. An ultrasound showed the lesion.
Iām in the 8th week of hand walking and no turn-out.
Had three shock wave treatments in weeks 3, 4 and 5.
Massaging glycerin into the area twice a day before walking, and then icing with shaved ice afterwards.
Farrier has taken all four toes back, rolled over the front toes, and extended those shoes under the heels for support.
He is completely sound at the walk, but is still off when he starts jogging. After the first three or so strides, he is sound, but my vet says no weight-bearing till he is sound in hand.
This is the first tendon injury Iāve experienced, so I am really appreciative of reading other peopleās experiences.
Thanks.
Hi everyone,im wondering how everyones horses are doing now?? My mare after 3 years of scans and blocks to no avail,we finally did contrast imaging and found a big longitudinal tear to ddft inside sheathā¦i am gutted and very depressed
Mine was retired about a year ago due to progressive navicular. The foot with the DDFT injury is a ravaging mess. I am fairly convinced that will be what gets him in the end. For now he is probably 1/5 lame on the right front most days on 1/4 tab of previcox daily. When he looks worse, I switch him to bute. He seems happy and still has his zeal for life. If/when he tears the DDFT or becomes lame to the point of having no quality of life-- I will put him to sleep. For now heās lame but seems pretty happy with his life. He is retired on my farmette.
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Quinn is still going strong. Turned 19 in May and I have never had another DDFT problem. I make abundantly sure to keep her hocks healthy but am very happy with how well she healed.
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My mare had a somewhat high DDFT tear on front left and I did no treatment besides stall rest and hand walking for three months (5 mins 1xday first week then increased up to 45 mins 2xday), then limited turnout in a VERY small med pen for 3 months while introducing under saddle walking starting with 5 mins for 2 weeks, then increasing. We finally cantered for the first time after 7 months. She is completely sound with no limitations. She spent nearly every night in BOT quick wraps, which I eventually weaned her off of and now only use after particularly strenuous rides.
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On the previous page you said it might not be a DDFT tear. Did the vet end up determining that it is a tear or is it ājustā inflammation? (I say ājustā so as not to discount it, I know all inflammation is bad news!)
@clarity I donāt know if you noticed when this thread started-- when I originally posted on this thread it was 2010. Now itās 2018. This thread is so old that many things have happened in between when I originally posted and now. So I think that probably makes it confusing. Sorry.
He had a tear of the DDFT. Rested, recovered, came back to work. Then he went lame again. No soft tissue injury found. Determined it was navicular syndrome and bony changes. Nerved him. He went back to work. When the nerve wore off years late he was lame again. Did an MRI and x-rays again. Not soft tissue, still bony but now in both fronts. DDFT is sitting on top of the most ragged bone youāve ever seen and itās probably going to cause damage/tear but at the moment that doesnāt seem to have happened. He is retired with wedge shoes to get the hoof angles up to reduce the rubbing and heās on NSAIDs for the navicular changes. Not much else can be done.
My mare had the problem in her hind - many months of treatments sheās now pretty well sound. Best help has been a reverse aluminum shoe with a normal aluminum shoe on the other hind. Sheās been rehabbed (its been 9 months)
and would be good for light work, even low level dressage.
Iād not take her any higher - she did it doing a canter pirouette.
@vxf111 I did not realize that! I am bored and was on the second page of posts on this board, so I assumed it was a recent thread! So sorry to hear about your horseās poor foot 
No, itās ok. I figured!
I am just happy I had him as long as I did. Heās retired and happy and I am okay with that except heās proven IMPOSSIBLE to replace.
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Thanks everyone for your feedback after such a long timeā¦ prognosis for my girl isnt good but i have to keep trying right?especially after it taking 3 years to even get a diagnosis!
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