Rehabbing Coal: First Post June 2017. First posted to Facebook/Little Red Horse

Blog site started August 2017

The picture to the left shows how we initially hung Coal's hay bags: High so that he doesn't have to bend over to eat.

I have many pictures to add, but it will take some time...so here's our story to get you started.

You can see all the pictures on our Facebook Page: (At this time you will have to copy and paste, because I haven't figured out how to link to this page yet):

https://www.facebook.com/amy.barnett.9237/posts/10213798206334863

I have searched the internet for hours looking for progressive pictures/video of a horse coming back from a severely bowed tendon. I cannot find anything, so I am creating my own.

Hopefully we will have a positive outcome and we can give someone else hope.

• Horse: Coal, 2001 gelding, Tennessee Walking Horse, has been with us for about 7 years
• Date injury occurred: May 17, 2017
• Circumstances of injury: The horses were running and playing. Suddenly Coal let out a groan, and when I looked up he was holding up his leg. I could tell something was very wrong. I thought his leg was broken. Vet was on scene in 20 minutes. Leg not broken, but suspensory ligament tear was suspected. We thought we would have to put him down, but decided not to for reasons I will not get into here.
• His pain did subside over the next three days or so. Gave him 2 gms Bute 2x/day for first 4 days or so, then 1 gm Bute 2x/day
• Confined him to an area 10 ft x 15 ft. Iced leg twice a day and kept it wrapped.
• June 6, 2017: Took him to UF Large Animal Hospital for ultrasound. Findings: Tendon severely torn and barely hanging on at knee.
• Our current treatment regimen:
• Still on 1gm Bute 2x/day
• Icing once a day for about 30 minutes
• Wrapped continually
• Still confined to 10 x 15 space.
Hopefully scar tissue will fill in to replace tendon. He will not have full range of motion. Rideable? Don't know. Will see.

Pictures show our current daily routine.coal

The Beginning

Amy