can i still jump on my horse if he has had bad tendon injury?

Question

he has had 4 months rest and bringing him back in to work now.

i got him with tendon trouble but he was sound when i got him .he use to be a show jumper.

Answer 1

best bet have a vet do a check on him. most likely if he's been on stall rest for 4 months he should be ok to do light work. ride him in trot for about a half hour each day to build up his muscle again. give him some bute too. that will help with the pain. 1 tab of bute crushed up in his feed with some warm water. if he starts limping take a few days off and continue with the bute. after a few days of letting him get some rest get on and just walk him for a few days. continue doing this till he seems to be ok and then start him off with LOW jumps. first in walk then in trot and then in canter. but only if he seems to not be struggling. he needs to build up his muscle and strength back first though before you jump im again otherwise you're going to be back where you started with another 4 months of no riding. try not to push him hard and only ride for 20 - 30 minutes a day at first untill you see he's back up to shape.

Answer 2

if he has recovered from his injury i would reccomend drawing up a training programme to bring him back into work slowly. Start with walking, road work will be good as it will help strengthen his legs.

Then after maybe a week introduce some trotting, avoid tight turns as they will put strain on his legs. After 2-3 weeks of walk and trot, as long as his leg is still fine (check for heat or swelling regularly in case injury comes back) you can start to introduce some canter. But still no tight or small circles until about week 6.

You have to remember that having not worked for 4 months he will not be as fit or strong as he was so you can't just get on him and kick off where you left it before his injury.

I would also reccomend exercising him in bandages or tendon boots at all times to give him some support.

If he hasn't been ridden for 4 months i would put him on the lunge before you get on in case he decides to explode.

If all goes well you should be able to jump him when he is back in full work, but this may take up to 6 months, so be patient. It will be worth it when you have a happy, sound horse at the end of it.

Good luck, hope all goes well

BEANIE

Answer 3

I would not jump him if he has only been off 4 months. If he had the injury when you got him, then he was not sound, and the people that you got him from should have know this. Did you get a vet check done when you bought him. I would not jump him any more, and if he gets a clean bill of health from the vet to ride, then just light rides on him so that you don't hurt him more.

Answer 4

Yes I would definitely check with your vet. Did he bow the tendon or just strain it ? Was it a laceration? Any scar tissue? There are many different factors, including on how high you plan to jump him, how often and competing or not. If he is sound now I would be leary on jumping him for at least 6-12 months after he is back to work. You want to make sure he is sound on the flat and his muscles are built back up so he doesn't injur himself anywhere else.

Answer 5

4 months is too early to go back jumpin - bad tendon injuries need at least 6 months rest.
You can start gentle work with him now - hacking out and the likes but if you go back jumping this early you run the risk of doing even more damage.
I also think it would be no harm to get your vet up and assess what he thinks of the tendon now - I know its frustrating to have a horse you can ride - but push him too fast and he could be out of work for a year or more.
Wishing him a speedy recovery! xx

Answer 6

Well I own several horses and I have been in the situation you have been in now. If he has been resting all this time don't jump on his back right away or it will defiantly hurt him, just let him run around a little and see if he is doing well if he is then let him trot and canter after this ride him slowly and see if he is doing well. if he is then trot with him and canter and he will probably be fine. But, before you do any of this get the doctor and ask her op ion and make sure he is OK. Also this will not just happen in a week it probably will take a couple weeks but, Yes your horse will be healed soon.

Answer 7

Yes you can and you must. It will help the horse to balance and the tendon will heal more quickly. In fact, the horse is out there now, waiting for you to jump on it. Go on. Climb up the hay loft, get really high, then jump on the horse.

Answer 8

You need advise from a vet. Every injury is different and only an on hand vet would be able to assess your horse properly for you.

You wouldn't want to get it wrong by jumping him if it were going to cause the injury again. Also it may seem healed, but deep down it may not quite be there yet.

Good luck

Answer 9

If you can, have an ultra sound to check the tendon, failing that, bring him on very slowly, I personally would avoid jumping him at the moment, and you will have to use your own judgement, you know your horse, you will be able to assess his movements & fitness better than anyone

Answer 10

I have a dutch that has had a tendon problem, he is very sound now, i gave him six months off, and after that i did allot of walking with him for another six months, i have had my vet out and she said he is good to go,i do allot of dressage with him and find that small circles (under 20 meeters) still bothers him a little, but other than that he is fine . good luck.