tendonitis and endurance

[Cheryl Newbanks <horsetrails@inficad.com>]

Hi group!  I have a neighbor who conditions with me a couple times a week
and he has a gorgeous quarter/tb cross that he would like to try ld's with.
 My questions are these:  This horse has tendonitis and always starts off
on a nod but warms out of it pretty fast and is pretty sound once we are
into the ride.  I doubt the horse will vet in, but since it does improve
with time, it may if the legs are kept warm and some therapy is done on a
daily basis.

The therapy part is where I am really debating this tendonitis thing.  The
horse was diagnosed with an ultra sound as having tendonitis in both front
legs.  I can't recall having a horse on the track with tendonitis so I am
not sure about the required therapies to help aleviate some of this horse's
discomfort.  Off the top of my head I would say keep the tendons warm, but
then I am concerned that on the days that he carries heat a warm therapy
may blow his legs up with fill.  So do we sweat, or do we paint?  It is
completely unacceptable that we do nothing at all though.  I was thinking
hot/cold therapy myself, like cold water hosing and furacin and dmso sweat,
or a light iodine leg paint that we used on the track to induce circulation
to the area.  

What do you think group?  Have any of you ever had a horse with tendonitis
that competed successfully and those of you who have what kind of therapy
did you do for the horse?  This horse is 14 going on 5 and has had this
condition for many years before my neighbor got him.   
Thanks!
   
                                 Cheryl Newbanks 
                ~~ ^ ^       Just In Time Ranch
~~~\   _  ~~/ /\ /       Buckeye, AZ
       ( )__     ) ' '        horsetrails@inficad.com
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