Hi

Our 18yr old 17.1hh TB has been on vet ordered stable rest for almost 3 months now due to slipping in field & rupturing his tendon/check ligament (vet did scan to revealed this is probably a major injury on top of various previous minor injuries that were never noticed/rested/healed by his previous owner & that he has been line fired probably in his racing days) we have done everything the vet said - total stable rest, bute, boots/bandages, cold hosing... but the leg is still red hot & 4 times the size of the other :S the horse doesnt help himself as he weaves when the other go out in the mornings, he bashes his legs about when rolling & when you take him for a wander & nibble of grass he jogs about bucking & rearing (no wonder after 3 months of being imprisoned!!! bless him) i would love to let him out in the field for a couple hours but if he slips again or does something stupid, its just not worth it. i hate seeing him in pain & locked up causing more issues. i will be getting the vet out for review this week, but in the meantime, does anyone know of anything else i can do to help this situation (healing the leg/problem solving the other stuff?) or does anyone know of any stories like this & there outcome or anything anyone can help with please? because i dont think its looking very good & i am fearing the worst for my sweet boy when the vet comes many thanks helen

hi there really sorry to read about your horse
My 15yr old Irish cob did his tendon and check at a ODE, you are doing everything right and as hard as it is you dont want to turn your horse out in any mud as it will risk making the injury worse and i imagine youve heard this a 100x but time really is a healer, it took 18months for my horses leg to look normal but the vet did say it was the worse hes ever seen yet he was never lame?!
keep cold hosing 15mins as many times a day as you can and small walks 5mins on the flat road if poss if the horse is a bit wild perhaps consider sedalin(sp) or tranquil to take the edge off!
we also used ice bandages and very gentle massage more cold hosing! its the time and care you put it now that will count in the long run and i realise the horse is 18 and this may make the decision harder as it is a long haul, i retired my horse as he started dropping a hip compensating for the tendon BUT and its a big but after 18months you couldnt tell which leg he pulled and now at 20 hes back in work, competing a bit, fun rides and acting like a 5yr old!
please give this leg time, like in a human they need to heal, and unlike a human they cant put a leg on the sofa for a week!! hope it goes well