Best way to deal with pulled tendon/concussion?

Question

If the horse were to have a pulled tendon and concussion from galloping on hard ground, what would be the treatment straight after and longer after?

Would it be okay to cool them with ice cold water?

Answer 1

number 1

Answer 2

Definatley cold hosing 20/25 minutes 3X a day.  Stall rest, and stall bandaged.  If its one front, wrap both fronts while stalled to ensure equality in balance and pressure.  Same goes for the backs.  Wrapping can help with stocking up issues (excessive swelling, after standing for long periods of time) and then, depending on the severity of the injury, I would hand walk, after about 2 weeks of stall rest and cold hosing, for about 15 minutes twice a day.  As far as the longevity of the treatment, it really depends on how severe. Some horses can be on stall rest for really lengthly amounts of time.

Good Luck :)

Answer 3

the first step woul dbe to make sure nothing is too strained but yes, then you would hose the tendons for about 30 minutes 2 a day to get swelling off. Then, you can rub some Alpine Menthol Gel  to the tendons to cool them off during the night. Or your can soak the feet in water with some epsom salt. Of course, you can not ride a horse with a pulled tendon and it takes several months for it to be completely heeled. If you are really worried you should contact a vet.

Answer 4

Unfortunately I have to say I have a lot of experience in this injury, both with my own horse and showjumpers I groomed for.   Best thing is to immediately get something cold onto the horse and box rest for several weeks.  I used to soak gamgee in water and then wrap it around a squash bottle and shove it in the deep freeze, though you could also use cold animalintex or ice bags.  Wrap thick gamgee around the leg, taking care not to have lumps and a lumpy join.  Then wrapp the cold thing around, then cover that with gamgee again and follow that by an excersise bandage which should go from below the knee to the top of the hoof.

I was taught how to bandage by my vet and it has stood me in good stead over the years.  Start in the middle of the leg and go twice around with a flap protruding.  Bring this flap down and start bandaging upwards.  Then bandage down.  Each layer should start exactly half way down the last layer so they are all absolutely even pressure all the way round.  Because you want absolutely no lumps whatsoever I would remove the tapes and secure them with sticky tape or those toothed bandage clips.

Next you will need to bandage the opposite leg, but  not with cold.  Just a stable bandage.  A horse with an injured leg is obviously going to stand on the good leg more and there is a likelihood that they might strain that.  Just evens the balance for them.

Change both bandages every 4 hours.  Cut down hard feed to a minimum and feed hay adlib.  If you can give the horse carrots and grass - freshly picked to help digestion and keep them from being bored.

Leave a radio for them and if possible, and the horse is not an escapolagist put breast bars accross the door way so there is plenty of air and a feeling of freedom.  Give lots of love and attention, do all those little jobs you have been meaning to do for ages outside the stable and that will give him some company.

Hosing is also a good idea but remember to put vaseline in the heals to prevent thrush and scald.  Hooves will need to be trimmed by the farrier.

After a few weeks when the vet says you can walk him a little, make sure you use a bridle as he is going to be somewhat frisky!  He is likely to still be lame, but it will help him a little less stiff.

He might after that be turned out in a small paddock - where he will not run around too much for a couple of hours a day, again to strengthen.

My own horse then started 20 minutes under saddle, in walk only, next day 10 mins more and so on untill he was walking 11/2 hours, followed by one min trotting 5 times, then the next week 5 more minutes etc.

You have to be rigorously strict with yourself and your horse to ensure that you do not rush things.  My horse became a top junior showjumper and eventer afterwards - and learned to drive in harness!  

I cannot emphasise the need for slow recovery if you are going to be able to use the horse.  Sometimes the tendons may be prone to breaking down, but other horses, mine included  came out of it with thickening of the tendon but otherwise sound.

Answer 5

cold hosing for 15/20 minutes, and bandaging up with some sort of cold padding. You can get like gel-eze wraps that you put in the fridge etc (for horses) and then bandage them onto the leg. Galloping on hard ground though..... you should try not to! If it pursuists or the horse goes lame on it then get the vet out and get some pain killers/ aniti inflamatorys....... Also, if he has got some heat in the leg, then dont ride or lunge or do anything strenuous with him. When all the heat and swelling is gone, i would say leave well alone for another month to be on the safe side.