How do i treata strained tendon in my horse??

Question

my 15.2hh dutch warmblood strained a tendon in the field. i'v had the vet out but he was quite vague in his prognosis and course of treatment. what would be the best course of action??

Answer 1

Stall rest and hosing with cold water ten min a day 2x day assuming its a leg,at leat until you actually talk to you'r vet!  15.2HH is a bit small for a Dutch warmblood, is it ayearling  or young horse?What area is the tendon strained? Belly, neck, leg, shoulder,back? . Hand grazing will keep him happy for  a week,cut the grain if hes been on a sport ration. I'd call the vet back tomorrow and ask which tendon and what  is recommended, perhaps he/she was really tired from something like a long night of foaling or the colic. If your not great at wrapping legs leave off and bed him deep in the barn, untill you know the severity of the injury.   Luck!

Answer 2

Cold water soaks ( hosing) will help with pain and discomfort, as will bute. Light exercise will help keep the area from becoming too stiff- this means handwalking if possible. You need to either have your vet come again, or get a different vet to look at your horse to give you some clear instructions on how to help him.

Answer 3

dependin on how bad it is, resting is completely the wrong thing to do, the fibres won't mend in a uniform pattern if you rest the leg.

If the horse is sound the best thing is to ride it for a few minutes a couple of times a day, cold water hosing as many times as possible, but not too long at any one time or you could blister the leg, do this until the heat has gone, then turn the horse out in the field on its own in a small paddock so it can't gallop round, sedate if necessary the first few times.

You could always invest in a really good pair of magnetic boots too, to leave on in the stable,

if you have had the leg scanned your vet should be able to tell you how bad and how much damage there is and to which tendon exactly.

But what ever you do, please give the horse 12 months off from serious work, then it will want 6 weeks road work, just walking to harden the tendons again.

Hope it all goes ok, and just be patient!!!!