b'SPORTS MEDICINE CORIE TRAYLORTheHorse.com/Sports-MedicineThe Journey BackHow three equine athletes returned from injury to the show ringA t some point in your horse care journey, youve likely ridden a beau-tiful round, brought your horse in from turnout, or unloaded him from the trailer and realized something was off. Maybe it was a lame step or the slightest bit of swelling but, either way, it prompt-ed a call to your veterinarian. If you were lucky, the root cause was something minor that would resolve with time off and anti-inflammatories. With the more challenging cases, however, you and your veterinarian might have pursued further diagnostics to determine the cause. After reaching a diagnosis and settling on a treatment plan, you began the ardu-ous process of healing and rehabilitation. This stage can be trying for even the FRANK SORGE/ARND.NLmost patient equestrian. But, with a good equine care team and some time, it can be smooth and fruitful. To see what effective rehabilitation looks like, we found three real-life ex- Aquatic exercise can help horses rehabbing from injury because the waters buoyancy reduces limb amples of equine athletes that made fullloading while increasing joint range of motion, stride length, and muscle strength.recoveries from their injuries. Well share each ones diagnostic challenges, rehabThe case was pretty routine, saysthe MRI, I was not only able to confirm modalities, and recovery details.Schlachter. We nerve-blocked (used localmy diagnosis of the bone bruising and anesthesia to numb and pinpoint theremodeling but I was also able to see the Chanel painful area) her foot, then we X rayedreason for it.Chanel, a 10-year-old Quarter Horsethe area, and the X rays showed someChanel had likely been compensating mare competing in Western pleasure, hadmild abnormality in her coffin bone. Wefor the collateral ligament injury by bear-been struggling for years with a naggingrecommended an MRI so we could looking more weight on one side of her foot, intermittent left front lameness. Herat the area more deeply. creating the bruising in the coffin bone. owner and veterinarian managed this withThe MRI showed that Chanel actuallyThe injections helped initially because they routine coffin joint corticosteroid injec- had two injuries to her left front foot.suffused the area with steroids, reducing tions for about two years. However, theThe first was mild coffin bone bruisinginflammation and allowing her to con-injections ultimately proved to be ineffec- and remodeling in the area we had beentinue working soundly for a brief period.tive at keeping Chanel completely soundlooking at radiographically, SchlachterWith a diagnosis in place, Schlachter and comfortable, so she was referred tosays. But, on the opposite side of therecommended putting Chanel in a bar Carrie Schlachter, VMD, Dipl. ACVSMR,foot, she also had a collateral ligamentshoe to support and stabilize the col-who founded and designed Circle Oakinjury. Collateral ligaments are locatedlateral ligament and the coffin bone. She Equine Sports Medicines rehabilitationon either side of most joints. and her team also injected the coffin joint and fitness programs and also foundedThis was the aha! moment, she says:and the collateral ligament with autolo-Animals In Motion, a practice that focusesWithout the MRI I wouldnt have knowngous protein solution (a biologic therapy on integrative sports medicine, rehabilita- about the collateral ligament injury so,that stimulates the bodys production of tion, and injury prevention.because the owners were willing to doanti-inflammatory mediators and growth TheHorse.com|The HorseAugust 202029'