bowed tendons

[Tom Blasdell]

I'm new to your group and it seems it is a nice thing going. I have a question about bowed tendons. Do you think once a horse has it it will always have so it can only have bar shoes. It was a very heavy discussion today.
My horse had it when I bought him but I have shod him for 3 yrs. and he is sound as can be. We use him outside on a cattle ranch and rope off him.
Your feed back will be very helpfull Thanks
Thomas westcoast

[Donnie Walker]

The chance of a bowed tendon repairing to normalcy is quite remote. Those with severe injuries take a long time to heal and generally don't return to their same level of performance without the worry of another tear. The injury occurs when force on the tendon exceeds the normal load strength causing the individual fibers to begin pulling apart from each other. Core lesions usually form. During the healing process, fibroblasts, or specific cells from tendon tissue produce new cells to begin repair. Unfortunately these new tenocytes are not as strong as the old cells they replaced, having less elasticity, thus the potential for recurring injury is present if the tendon experiences undue stresses or strains. This is quite common in race horses. Perhaps yours won't be subjected to the rigorous routines of performance horses and can remain at the level you have him now. The bar shoe keeps the back of the foot from sinking down in loose, deep dirt or other similar footings, such as found in roping arenas, which in turn serves as a stress protection for the tendon.
Good luck

[Tom Blasdell]

Thank you Donna your reply was great. thanks again :D
Thomaswestcoast

[Phil Armitage]

I use to shoe a racehorse that bowed his tendon, after a long p[erioed of time off, I shod him with aluminum wedge shoes and rolled toe for raceing. He stayed sound, the idea was to minimise the strain on the tendon. Addressing breakover is important if not more important than caudle support like Bar shoes. A bar shoe provides support and may minimise strain on the tendon while standing still, however easing breakover minimises strain on the tendon when the horse is in motion. I am not sure what a bar shoe will do the foot of a race horse or any other horse that competes to this level.

[Tom Blasdell]

Thanks Phil. We are in agreediness. We shod him with good break over and we didn't take alot of heel off. Some but not alot. We didn't want to wedge him up.
He doesn't show any lameness yet. If he does we agreed to go back to a bar shoe & I have to buy lunch! No lameness Jim buys!
We both thank you for the feed back

[nembula@mac.com]

I know this is an old post but I thought I could revive it because it is so pertinent to my issue. I have just been given an approx. 16 or 17 year old welch "pony" He is actually about 15 hands and very well fleshed out, good enough to be on a diet. Any way he bowed a tendon, superficial flexor, in Sept. of 2004. He is barefoot and I had my trimmer look him over and trim him to get him in synch with our schedule and she couldn't see any lameness at all. So he is obviously healed but it is a bowed tendon. My question is how risky would it be for me, at approx. 180 lb. to get on this old man and school him a little to soften him so my grand daughters and downs syndrome cousin can ride him with out having to wrestle him for his head. Please bear in mind I live in the north and the ground is frozen now. Would it be necessary to have him shod first? everyone else who would be riding him would be much lighter and no one is looking for anything more than a trot. I really don't want to re-injure him and ruin my grand daughter's and cousin's riding.

[calshoer]

So he is obviously healed but it is a bowed tendon. My question is how risky would it be for me, at approx. 180 lb. to get on this old man and school him a little to soften him so my grand daughters and downs syndrome cousin can ride him with out having to wrestle him for his head.I think that is too much weight for a sound pony let along one that has an old tendon injury. On a sound pony or horse figure about maximum 20% (saddle and all) of the weight of the pony. In a 700 pound pony (a large welsh) that comes to 140 pounds, tops. And considering the old injury, the tendon may not ever be as solid as it was before , so it could tear again, especially if you get into a spat with him and he has to make a sudden move, or he steps in a hole.
Could you send him to someone lighter weight for the schooling?

[nembula@mac.com]

Dear Patty;

Thanks for the input, but this is not a little pony. This boy is about 15 hands and pushing 1000 lbs. I don't know how they got away with having him in the large pony division but he would have had to duck a little to get in under 15 hands. I like the 20% rule though it gives me a starting point.

Thank you.