Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Mare with broken leg: update

We've had a couple of horses come into CSU (the vet hospital at Colorado
State) with badly broken humerus and, agreeing with what you've already been
told, the criteria for survival has been 1) whether the opposite foot and
leg was healthy enough and of sufficient size to be able to support the
weight for several months without causing laminitis or soft tissue damage,
and 2) does the horse have the disposition to stand in a stall, in a sling,
for several months while the fracture has a chance to stabilize.  In the two
cases of broken shoulders I've watched come through, one was a 1400 lb
quarter horse with tiny feet that wouldn't have lasted a week without
foundering, and she was euthanized.  The other was a 950-lb Morgan with good
feet that happily hung out (literally) in a stall sling and I hear has
recovered enough that she can be a pasture pet and possibly a broodmare.

The thing about a broken humerus is that it can't be casted, can't be
effectively pinned or plated, but the surrounding muscle is heavy enough
that it does a pretty good job stabilizing the broken ends and providing
blood flow (very important to healing).  The issue is just whether the horse
will tolerate complete and total stall rest until the fractures have had a
chance to stabilize, without laminitis, tendon strain or colic.

JME.  Good luck.

Susan G
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rae Callaway" <tallcarabians@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 4:30 PM
Subject: [RC] Mare with broken leg: update


>
> First - thanks so much for all the responses.  I forwarded them to my
friend.   Tamette, the mare,  has been taken to Texas A&M and further
research has shown that her leg is broken in 2 places.  The vets there say
there is nothing they can do and recommend putting her down.  However, they
also say IF she can stay off the broken leg and IF her other leg doesn't
give out, there's a CHANCE that it could heal, but she would always have a
bad limp and would never be
> ridable.  My friend has no problem with that.  This mare is a pet first,
brood mare second and they are furiously looking into every option they can
find to help Tami to survive. :o)  Thanks to a recent story on Ridecamp
(Bunny's saga - thanks Bette!!), I was able to direct them to a horse that
had recently had to spend several months held up by a sling, so there is
hope that this could work for Tami, also.
>
> --- Rae Callaway
> --- tallcarabians@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> --- Tall C Arabians - SE Texas
>
>
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