Re: RC: deep digital flexor strain

[DreamWeaver <nvrider@home.com>]

Lucy --- The best thing for these kinds of injuries is therapy.  You can't 
just give the horse 4 to 6 weeks off and then expect them to return back to 
work.  By therapy, I mean you need to start out walking your horse daily 
and gradually increase the time.

A typical rehab schedule is as follows (I just happen to have a copy of one 
that was put together by UC Davis):

This is for a "mild" strain, horse should be confined to a small paddock or 
stall
0-30 days  Hand walk 15 minutes twice daily
30-60 days  hand walk 40 minutes daily
60-90 days  Ride at a walk 20-30 minutes daily

If it was a 'moderate' injury, you'd still be hand walking 60 minutes daily 
at 60-90 days.

continuing:

with a *good* prognosis, after 90 days (and probably after another ultrasound)
90-120 days, ride at walk 30 minutes daily
120-150 days, ride at a walk 45-60 minutes daily
150-180 days, add 5 minutes of trotting every two weeks

180-210 days, add 5 minutes trotting every 2 weeks
210-240 days, add canter 5 minutes every 2 weeks
240-270 days, full flat work; no racing, speed work or jumping

Good luck!

Karen
in NV

At 05:39 PM 04/22/2001 -0700, you wrote:
>Lucy Bagot bagot@fgi.net
>Early in March my 17 yr mare strained her deep digital flexor
>tendon.  There was swelling and pain upon palpating the
>leg.  This was confirmed by an ultrasound done by my vet.
>He had said it would take somewhere between 4 to 6
>weeks before she could return to work.  It has now been 5
>weeks and all swelling and pain is gone.  The exception
>being when she is kept in her stall, there is a slight
>'stocking up' in the leg.