Dexter was the first horse through the research project, although he was far from our first rehab. He is a TB who came to us at 9 yrs old with a caudal hoof pain diagnosis, though MRI later showed that in fact (as his vet suspected) he dad suffered from a deep digital flexor tendon lesion. He had terrible feet - flat, underrun and incredibly weak.
Dexter went home in June 2008 and since then has been in full work, competing in dressage, SJ and XC and more recently turning his hooves hunting.
Project Dexter is our research project into rehabilitation of horses with "navicular", caudal hoof pain, DDFT/collateral liagment injuries.
Project Dexter is our research project into rehabilitation of horses with "navicular", caudal hoof pain, DDFT/collateral liagment injuries.
Every horse who comes to Rockley with these diagnoses is included in the project, which runs entirely due to the help, goodwill and support of Prof. Peter Clegg at Liverpool and numerous horse-owners and their vets, to whom I am eternally grateful!
The research project started in 2008 and as at February 2012, 43 horses are included. 35 have completed their rehab and 8 have rehabilitation ongoing.
Of the 35 horses who have completed rehab, 3o horses - 85% - returned to the same level of work or higher than before they went lame.
2 horses worked well during rehab but have had recurrent issues since returning home; 2 other horses improved but did not return to full work; 1 horse's rehab was interrupted by colic surgery - he is in light work but has not yet returned to the same level of work as before he went lame.
