# Impar ligament damage experiences please



## nikkirip (13 August 2012)

My 10 year old 11.2 darty has just been diagnosed with impar ligament damage to navicular area. He is receiving shock wave therapy then will put cushioned pads on front feet and possibly tildren. Has been given a less than 50% chance of being ridden again.

What are your experiences and what else can I do give him (supplements other therapy etc) to maximise his chances. 

Thanks


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## criso (13 August 2012)

Quick reply as I'm on the phone. 

My tb had strain to the dsil (as well as ddft and collateral ligaments in both feet, diagnosed by MRI.

I was about to give up after 18 months and he wasn't coming sound and as a last resort I sent him to rockley farm in Devon to be rehabbed barefoot and that helped.
Came back to full work including jumping. Unfortunately he's now managed to injure his shoulder but that's another story.


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## Oberon (13 August 2012)

The impar ligament (orange) is basically what holds the navicular bone in the hoof capsule.

Years ago your pony will have been diagnosed with navicular.

The cheapest and easiest way to treat this (IMO) is to remove the shoes and allow the hoof to develop at the back.

Vets won't recommend this until they've exhausted all the traditional 'treatments' first though


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## nikkirip (13 August 2012)

Thanks both. Unfortunately he has upright feet which have a tendency to get high ob the heels which are normally managed from very regular trins not the usual flat heel long toe foot that is normally associated with this. My vet says it isn't caused by confirmation as such so that makes it harder to treat.


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## nikkirip (13 August 2012)

And I've read a lot about Rockley Farm on here and I'm tempted to out a call in straight to them. Anyone know how the Rockley farm thing works? X


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## Oberon (13 August 2012)

nikkirip said:



			And I've read a lot about Rockley Farm on here and I'm tempted to out a call in straight to them. Anyone know how the Rockley farm thing works? X
		
Click to expand...

FAQ on rehab.

http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/p/rehab-horses.html

Don't be afraid to contact Nic for more info. She's a good egg and won't hard sell you.


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## Oberon (13 August 2012)

nikkirip said:



			Thanks both. Unfortunately he has upright feet which have a tendency to get high ob the heels which are normally managed from very regular trins not the usual flat heel long toe foot that is normally associated with this. My vet says it isn't caused by confirmation as such so that makes it harder to treat.
		
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Quarter horses are notorious for this too.

Any hoof shape where the frog, heels, digital cushions, lateral cartilages are weak and under developed, causing a toe-first landing - can develop navicular type problems. 

I disagree therefore that certain hoof shapes are harder to treat. A healthy hoof is a healthy hoof - the shape matters little compared to it's ability to function properly.

Allowing the back of the hoof to develop and therefore have an appropriate amount of leverage will ease the pressure on the DDFT, navicular bone and impar ligament. 

This is what wedges and remedial shoes attempt to do. 

Removing shoes and allowing the horse to build up the back of his hoof himself is more lo-tech....but more successful and a longer term solution in my Barefoot Taliban opinion


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## nikkirip (13 August 2012)

Thank you Oberon. I can't quite get my head around the building the back of the foot thing though. He always has had high heel growth so much so my farrier says the angle of his feet are very upright with one being close to club foot and we've carefully managed his feet to get the angle right on them.

He was shod on vet's advice in April and hates shoes being put on so is a real nightmare. As he had spent just about 10 years unshod, hacking and jumping with no apparent problems, I have no issues with going barefoot and feel he would be better off with natural wear to his feet. But I would have thought we would  need to keep the growth off his heels which get really high.

I'm at a bit of a loss. A call/email to Rockley will be my first port of call tomorrow.

Because of his tendancy to get very fat I feel I need to try and keep him ridden to manage his weight but if he can only ever be a field ornament after I have exhausted everything then a field ornament he can be. Just seems a shame so young. I've had him wrapped in cotton wool all his life. I wonder whether if I had been more robust with him it would have made a difference.


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## Oberon (13 August 2012)

Calm down and stop kicking yourself. This isn't your fault and does not need to be the end of his career in any way.

The parts that need building up are the frog from this






into this






The digital cushions (red) and lateral cartilages (green) are internal.






I'm not talking about building his heels as in making them like this 
	
	
		
		
	


	










But making the soft structures muscular and robust, rather than flabby and weak.

Nic will make more sense when you talk to her . Tell her you want her to put the celery down for a minute and talk you through it


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## nikkirip (13 August 2012)

Thank you Oberon very much. I really appreciate the time taken to explain this and I now understand what you mean. I will try and talk to Nic tomorrow and as the pony is due for the farrier next week is it worth my while just get his shoes off there and then?

Many thanks once again.

N


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## Oberon (13 August 2012)

nikkirip said:



			Thank you Oberon very much. I really appreciate the time taken to explain this and I now understand what you mean. I will try and talk to Nic tomorrow and as the pony is due for the farrier next week is it worth my while just get his shoes off there and then?

Many thanks once again.

N
		
Click to expand...

No problem.

Talk to Nic first.

There's more to it than just removing the shoes


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## nikkirip (13 August 2012)

Thanks Oberon


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