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I need your opinion on old tendon injuries :)

3K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  smrobs 
#1 ·
I have recently brought a horse that I have been riding for a few months before I got him. I have only been walking and trotting while riding him, and getting him to develop his canter more in a highside round pen. I have taught him to jump, and he is amazing, and cleared 40cm without a rider. He then threw a shoe and I didnt jump him or do much till he got it back.Then I found out he has had a old tendon injury and thats how he stopped being a racehorse (hes a Standardbred). I got told it shouldnt affect him, and he hasnt been lame in the time since this injury, 5 or so years ago. I looked up what horses with old tendon injuries can do. Many said most can go back to doing almost anything after a year off (he got his tendon injury when he was 9, hes now 14). His old tendon injury isnt visable, and he hoons around the paddock like he owns the world. But some people say that they should only do light hacking. I only want to do walk, trott, canter, small jumps no higher than 60, and he will be hacking around the farm walking and trotting most of the time.
What would you do if you brought a horse with a old tendon injury?
Does it more depend on how bad the injury was?
I have talked to a few others and they said he should be fine, but if I start doing a few jumps, wear tendon boots for a bit more protection :)
So, like I said it hasnt come up in the past 4 years while he was doing flatwork and galloping around the paddock. Horse Mammal Vertebrate Mare Mane


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#2 ·
I have recently brought a horse that I have been riding for a few months before I got him. I have only been walking and trotting while riding him, and getting him to develop his canter more in a highside round pen. I have taught him to jump, and he is amazing, and cleared 40cm without a rider. He then threw a shoe and I didnt jump him or do much till he got it back.Then I found out he has had a old tendon injury and thats how he stopped being a racehorse (hes a Standardbred). I got told it shouldnt affect him, and he hasnt been lame in the time since this injury, 5 or so years ago. I looked up what horses with old tendon injuries can do. Many said most can go back to doing almost anything after a year off (he got his tendon injury when he was 9, hes now 14). His old tendon injury isnt visable, and he hoons around the paddock like he owns the world. But some people say that they should only do light hacking. I only want to do walk, trott, canter, small jumps no higher than 60, and he will be hacking around the farm walking and trotting most of the time.
What would you do if you brought a horse with a old tendon injury?
Does it more depend on how bad the injury was?
I have talked to a few others and they said he should be fine, but if I start doing a few jumps, wear tendon boots for a bit more protection :)
So, like I said it hasnt come up in the past 4 years while he was doing flatwork and galloping around the paddock. View attachment 131498

View attachment 131499
my new arabian has an old bow in his left front leg..i was told he too is sound and it shouldnt effect him..but im always paranoid...id love to jump him but i dont wanna push my luck..so im just keeping him on flat work...your kid should be fine though :)
 
#3 ·
be sure to use the boots if you are going to jump him. are talking like the
hunter jumps that are only 2 feet high and such ? If he even starts a small head bob i would not jump. The tendon will have scar tissue in it and not be 'flexible' . he is kinda older , so I would probably just do flat work and mile trails, no steep stuff . have fun .
 
#9 ·
be sure to use the boots if you are going to jump him. are talking like the
hunter jumps that are only 2 feet high and such ? If he even starts a small head bob i would not jump. The tendon will have scar tissue in it and not be 'flexible' . he is kinda older , so I would probably just do flat work and mile trails, no steep stuff . have fun .
Nh, only jumping maybe 50cm, around 1 foot I think, not very high
 
#4 ·
Hi;

I don't want to sound like I know anything more than what I have experienced in the year I have had my older horse. This is the only experience I have.

My horse has tendon issues. The only way to really know what is going on in the tendons is an ultrasound. I had my horse's rear leg tendons ultrasounded and it gave a much clearer picture of what was going on in her back legs and fetlocks.

I don't jump my horse because of her previous tendon issues. Maybe it would be okay to do so, but I am not going to push her luck. You don't want to turn a sound horse into an unsound one just because of jumping.

Sounds like you have a really nice horse there.
 
#6 ·
A friend of mine has a 3yr old OTTB, she only raced once, because she jumped a paddock fence at a young age and got a tendon injury. The vets have said that it should only agitate her if you do hard galloping for high jumps. So use protection, know your horse, and be careful! Beautiful horse!
 
#7 ·
Ditto the ultrasounds - it really is the only way you will know what he can safely do and set your mind at ease.

Also ditto, he is very handsome:D
 
#8 ·
As old as his injury is it really shouldn't be a problem. The best thing you can do for him is keep regular appointments with your farrier, when their feet get long and angles change, then more stress is put on the tendons. Enjoy your standardbred, they make great riding horses.
 
#11 ·
I had a TB with old tendon injury. He had one flare up, was treated and had a little more rest than prescribed and was fine after that.
Ultrasound would be the best to be sure it'll be okay jumping. Protection for jumping is never bad, I had good results with above mentioned horse with SMB's.
Enjoy your standie, he's a pretty boy:)
 
#12 ·
My boy has just come back from a torn DDFT and Suspensory. He came back into work sound, but as he is older (17) I have said he won't be doing any galloping or jumping higher than below knee height. Though he has done some gallops unintentionally and still pulled up sound. I would rather be safe than sorry though, and rather he go on working happily and sound into his old age than risk his soundness by pushing him too hard. He is an old boy, he deserves the easy life :)
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#13 ·
Its a strange one.... He used to live in the steep hills, and galloped up and down them before I knew him, but after his tendon injury. He was then on rolling-flat land, but I moved him to a paddock where there are a couple of massively steep hills (I wouldnt have done this if I knew of the injury) and he Galloped up and down them, and it never injured him, and he would gallop over jumps, but He hasnt pulled up lame yet.....
I am not even sure if he has had one tbh
 
#14 ·
If it hasn't bothered him in many years and is sound, then he should be just fine for riding and low jumping. My friend has a TB that bowed a tendon at the track, and she healed up just fine and now does prelim level eventing and 3'9" jumpers. Many horses are just fine doing almost anything after it's all healed up. I would use boots for jumping and just keep an eye on it. As long as he's sound there shouldn't be any cause for concern.
 
#15 ·
As long as it is "old and cold" you sould be fine for low level type stuff. Just keep a close eye on it for any lameness, heat or swelling. Protective boots are always a good idea, and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt top put him on an anti-inflammatory type supplement like MSM to be on the safe side if you are going to do do higher stress activities.

Cute horse!
 
#16 ·
It depends on the severity of the injury, IMHO. I've known lots of horses that came back sound from your typical bowed tendon to go on back to full work with no further issues.

The only thing that I would suggest is to lengthen your warmup and cooldown regimens so that he is darn sure warm and limber before you ask for anything strenuous and make sure he's fully cooled down before putting him up to keep him from getting too stiff.

At the very first sign of any lameness, immediately stop and have the vet check him out.
 
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