Chocca, the beloved pony of 15-year-old Anna, was always full of beans. She without a doubt had a “wild streak”. And she was well known within their local Pony Club to tackle every fence on the cross-country course without so much as a shred of reservation. Anna had been very fortunate that, apart from the odd cut or graze on her legs from leaping through brush jump fences, Chocca had never had any serious injury or ailment… so far!

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However, her parents were very aware that although Chocca was a fantastic pony and brought their daughter immeasurable joy, she also had the potential to be a financial liability, should anything happen to her while they were adventuring around the cross-country course. They had taken out equine insurance for her on the day they bought her. And also had her vetted by the local equine vet in a detailed pre-purchase exam to ensure she was fit and healthy for her adventures with Anna. 

Another summer one day event

It was the same as any other summer day at the Pony Club one-day event, the rain was pouring down! This didn’t stop Anna and Chocca’s enthusiasm though. And, despite the weather, their family was out in full force to support them both through each of the three events; dressage, show-jumping, and cross-country. 

The dressage was smooth sailing (although as on-brand as ever, Chocca kept her head above the bit for the entire thing!). And they breezed through the showjumping with a clear round. After a quick lunch from the chippy van, it was time for the cross-country round. 

Anna was always careful to do a thorough warm-up with Chocca to get her muscles, tendons, and ligaments stretched, warmed up, and ready for the course ahead. She also had taken the precaution of having Chocca tacked out in protective tendon boots on her front legs. After a 20-minute warm-up (with some excited bucks from Chocca who knew there was a cross-country course to fly around!) and some practice fences, they were ready to go. 

The first portion of the cross-country course was terrific, with the pair making a great time

Unfortunately, though, disaster struck at the water jump! Despite her usual bravery, Chocca got spooked by the water splashing her belly and landed unevenly on her front legs. This caused her to slip and then fall on the exit bank. Thankfully, Anna was protected by her helmet and body protector and fell without injury (save a few bruises!). But poor Chocca was lame on her left front leg and feeling very sorry for herself. 

The vet on call for the event immediately came to Chocca’s aid

With the help of Anna and the fence steward, they got Chocca into the horse box and drove her to the safety of the Vet’s exam tent. Poor Chocca’s front leg was very hot, swollen, and tender when the vet examined it. The vet gave Chocca an injection of pain relief and applied an ice pack to her leg to help make her more comfortable. Anna and her parents were also advised on how to treat Chocca that evening when they got home, by the vet.

The vet recommended to bed Chocca on a deep bed of shavings; hosing down both her front legs with cold water for 20 minutes; and applying an ice pack overnight to help with the swelling. The vet explained that it was important to hose both front legs, not just the affected one. This is because the non-affected leg would be carrying extra weight because of the lameness on her left front leg. And therefore it would be susceptible to strain. 

Anna of course was extremely worried about her pony; would she be okay?

And would they ever be able to compete again? Fortunately, the on-call vet was able to give Chocca that valuable immediate first-aid treatment and advice for the next best step for her beloved pony. Ever organised, Anna’s parents had Chocca’s insurance details with them at the event. And they were able to get the claim started there and then with the vet on-call. 

The on-call vet advised that the main priority was to get pain relief on board for Chocca as the first step. The pain relief the on-call vet gave Chocca also contained an anti-inflammatory to help bring down the swelling in her leg. The on-call vet advised that Chocca would need further investigation tomorrow. But thankfully it was very unlikely that she had broken anything, as she was able to put some weight on her injured leg. 

Back at home, Chocca’s usual vet called out the next day to check up on her

Chocca was still lame, but the pain relief and ice pack had kept her comfortable overnight. Chocca’s vet was able to examine her leg again and found it to still be swollen and sore. The vet recommended taking x-rays of her leg and foot to check for any chips or fractures on the bones of her foot and/or leg. The vet also recommended an ultrasound of Chocca’s leg. This was to check for any injury to the soft tissues (tendons and/or ligaments). 

The x-ray came back clear for any fractures and the bones of Chocca’s leg and foot were given the all-clear. However, the ultrasound diagnosed Chocca with a tendon injury to her Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon (called the SDFT). The vet explained that Chocca would need to have the tendon scanned again by ultrasound in a week to assess the level of tendon injury. Chocca would need several more ultrasound scans in the following weeks to assess her response to treatment. The vet also explained that depending on the level of Chocca’s injury, she might benefit from stem-cell therapy to aid her recovery. 

Anna’s parents were quite worried at this point

The cost of the on-call vet on the day of Chocca’s injury had already been reimbursed by Chocca’s insurance company. But the cost quoted by the vet for stem-cell therapy was enormous! The vet advised it would be a good plan to get in touch with their insurance company; and discuss with them Chocca’s level of insurance coverage. And whether she would be insured for stem-cell therapy if she needed it when the vet rescanned her tendon in a week. Anna’s parents were glad to have the week to get this sorted out. Fortunately, the process of contacting the insurance company about this was very straightforward. A couple of emails and a phone call with the insurance policy advisor later and Anna’s parents were relieved to be informed that Chocca’s insurance would cover the stem-cell therapy and all of Chocca’s monitoring ultrasound scans and vet checks. 

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It was an anxious wait for Anna and Chocca for the next week. In the meantime, Anna was kept busy applying cold water hosing, ice packs, and compression bandages to both of Chocca’s front legs. She also gave Chocca a painkiller and anti-inflammatory called phenylbutazone that the vet had prescribed. Chocca had to spend most of the week in her deep bedded stable. But she got out for a very gentle lead walk once daily up and down the stable yard to help prevent filled legs. 

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The day for the repeat ultrasound finally arrived

The vet confirmed that Chocca would indeed benefit from stem-cell therapy. As Anna’s parents already had the go-ahead from the insurance company for this, the vet could start the procedure the next day. Thanks to the vet’s skill and some local anaesthesia, Chocca painlessly received stem-cell therapy from the comfort of her stable. 

Over the next few months, Chocca was on a rehabilitation regime of anti-inflammatory medication, stable rest, leg bandages, and three times daily cold hosing of both her front legs. The vet also prescribed a carefully planned exercise protocol for Chocca to help with her recovery. Three months after her injury, the vet performed another ultrasound on Chocca’s leg. They gave the good news that her tendon injury was slowly but surely improving. Chocca was responding well to stem-cell therapy and rehabilitation. The vet was hopeful that she was going to make a full recovery from her injury. Anna followed the vet’s rehabilitative plan carefully. And within four months Anna could take Chocca for a gentle trot during exercise. After six months, the vet’s ultrasound revealed that she was able to build Chocca up to one hour of gentle walking and trotting. 

It was a very long road to recovery, but eleven months after her injury, Chocca and Anna were back to normal exercise

They were both delighted and very much looking forward to being able to compete again. Thankfully, all of Chocca’s medical treatment was covered by her insurance. This was a huge relief for Anna’s parents. And meant that Chocca had been able to receive the very best veterinary treatment possible. Hopefully, Chocca and Anna will have many more years of adventures together in the future!

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