Lulu hooked up to the TENS unit

 Lulu is a very special little Appaloosa Miniature Horse. She has had a bit of hard luck & is currently being rehabilitated.
 As a foal she had an injury to her left front fetlock.  She then had to wear a special shoe to help her foot stay straight. Finally, she was able to go without the shoe. But out in the pasture, one day, she was acting like a racehorse & overdid things. Unfortunately, Lulu seriously injured her shoulder.
 The lady who owned her, cared for her well, but Lulu just could not use her right front leg & all of her weight was putting a strain on her weak left leg. I was constantly in touch, as we thought of different things to try. It was very hard for my friend to deal with her, as well as a family member who was very ill. So, she offered Lulu to me.

We picked up Lulu & brought her home after Christmas. She had been unable to walk since Nov. 15, 2006. But she had gotten pretty good at hopping. She rears up on her hind legs and carefully comes down on her bad left leg. She had an injured nerve in her shoulder causing her right  leg to be paralyzed. Her shoulder was atrophied.
I started a routine of morning massage & leg exercises. ( take note: NEVER use mineral ice when it is -24c ! )
I feed her Glucosomine HCL & MSM on a daily basis.
 In the afternoon, I hook her up to a TENS unit for electrotherapy. Over it she wears her terry shoulder blanket with a special heating pack which fits over her shoulders. So I think it feels quite comfy.
 It takes me a good 1.5 hrs a day for her physio. She gets a day or two off from the TENS per week.  This was purely an experiment as we didn't know anyone that had tried this on a horse.

It is amazing! It has really started to help!. Eventually, her ice cold leg started to get a little warmth down to the knee. Then about a week later, I could feel a little warmth at her fetlock. I could tell when Lulu started to get feeling in her leg. It must have felt like pins & needles, as she squealed & bucked & threatened me. She really hated her frog massaged! lol!
Gradually, I was able to move her leg more each day. Then she started putting a little weight on it.
 Now, Lulu is starting to take a step between some of her hops. So I am very optimistic that she will be walking again. She has a long way to go, but I don't give up easily and she is quite determined. .

 Lulu is happy & playful. She is getting bored with the makeshift toys I have put in her stall. So, I am always looking for something to occupy her. She is quite mischievous & likes to try & grab the wires of the TENS & if I have her tied so she can't reach, then she likes to pull the threads out of her shoulder blanket & fray it. She is quite a character!
As of April 1, Lulu is actually walking without the hop. She has a rather awkward gait, but it is improving gradually. If she wants to play or go fast, then she will do a semi hop or canter & will use her leg so the shoulder is gradually getting stronger.
Unfortunately, due to the strain of taking most of her weight, it is starting to take its toll on Lulu's original injured leg. We are hoping that as her shoulder gets stronger, her fetlock will improve.

Update: August 9, 2007
Lulu is walking well. She can even do a little trotting, though we don't encourage it. Her fetlock is not great as there seems to be a bony type growth to the inside. So, her hoof wants to roll over on the inside. A corrective shoe would help if Lulu  is able to walk without hitting the inside of her fetlock with her hoof. So in her case, we are unable to use a shoe on her. But we have an excellent farrier & Ron comes & trims her foot to keep it balanced between her regular trims. For some reason this hoof grows much faster than the others.
I would love to be able to take her to a specialist for xrays & to find out if surgery could help. But unfortunately, that isn't in our budget at this time as there are no orthopedic Vets near our area.
October 28, 2007
In 2008, I am hoping we can get her some additional Veterinary help. In the meantime, we are still experimenting with shoes off & on, support wraps, etc. As Lulu is in good spirits & not suffering, we have every hope for her. She is such a love & climbs in my lap so she can balance easier when the farrier comes. Her bad foot is trimmed every 2 to 3 weeks.  Her bad fetlock seems to be lacking a ligament to hold it in place. I need to find out if this can be diagnosed without surgery so we can know what we are dealing with. Since our loss of little Bess, I am really hesitant to risk a surgery if not needed.

Here is Lulu relaxing over the bale of hay we had her propped on to trim her feet. Pictured with farrier, Ron Burfoot
July, 2009 update.
Lulu has continued to do well. We have found the extension shoe made from Vettec Superfast glue works wonderfully for Lulu. She can stand for her hooftrims like a normal horse now. Though periodically she checks to see if she can get away with climbing in my lap. She is rather spoiled and is always into mischief.

This shows Lulu's glue shoe July 22, 2008

Here you can see how Lulu's hoof tips. But with the glue extension, it balances her nicely.
We have had great success with the Vettec Superfast glue and of course, with our terrific farrier, Ron!
We have a big place in our hearts for the special needs and geriatric minis. We rehabilitate the needy as much as we can. Unfortunately, finances don't always allow us to achieve every goal.
 We are not a funded retirement home & we raise a few foals each year for sale to approved homes.

  Back to Lulu's page

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