He's a 20 year old Arab/Quarter gelding who's " been there, done everything." And he pulled a tendon in his pasture! Have a call into the vet and I have him in a stall. What a bummer! Any advice, please. I've owned him since he was a 2 year old. I could care less if he's not rideable anymore. Just want to give him the best treatment. He deserves it. From my observation over the years, it appears that horses heal themselves better than us over medicating them and fussing over them. The best results occur when we allow the process to happen, and not rush it. I would appreciate advice from those who have had experience with this particular injury. Thanks

I would generally agree with you over letting nature cure most ails but would, as it is a tendon injury give him a sachet of bute twice a day as this is an anti inflammatory and will help to stop the swelling. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Hopefully the vet will scan the leg to see exactly what the damage is. Keep him stabled for six weeks minimum and then you can hand walk him or turn him out in tiny area. After a month of this he can go back out in the field and be rested for several months. During this time the vet should periodically scan to see what the improvement is.

you have a vet coming, i suggest you ask them and listen to what you say, tell them your concerns. but remember, they've been through 3-4 years of pre vet, 4-5 years of Veterinary Medicine, and then taken the exam. So, in the end they will probably have alot more knowledge than the average person here.

I undedrstand that it takes about one year of lay off for most tendon injuries to heal.

Well, I appreciate what you're saying. But i've worked in the medical profession for over 40 years and would emphatically disagree that acting against medical advice, or denial of medical attention in hopes that the injury will just heal itself makes any sense.
The goal of medicine is to enhance the ability of the body to heal itself, which may require considerable help. If you suspect incompetence on the part of a vet, then it is best to seek a second opinion from another vet, and not from just anyone who is not a medical professional.

I do agree that there are many cases where horses are being over-supplemented and often it is done irresponsibly. Interactions between various supplements or giving supplements when they aren't needed can be lethal. But that usually happens because the people are not acting on the advice of medical professionals, and just do it because someone else they know convinced them to.
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A competent equine vet can ultrasound your guy's injury to grade the injury, and treatment will be geared to the findings. You should discuss your concerns with the vet as you work together to determine a good treatment plan, and realize that the vet should be consulted before you act on advice from anyone. Certainly a second opinion from another vet is appropriate in some cases if you question your diagnosis or treatment plan, and ideally the two vets may consult on their opinions.

Tendon injuries always take time to heal, no matter how minor. Direct exam and ultrasound findings will enable your vet to give you a more reliable prognosis.

Registered Nurse and 57 years with horses

Talk it over with your vet and do exactly what he says. See if he has a copy of "The Bowed Tendon Book", if he doesn't it is like $15 on Amazon. This will go over all the same stuff your vet does with you, treatment, bringing back into work and prevention. If the bow is a mid bow or a low bow the prognosis is much better for further work than the prognosis for a high bow. The presence of these in a combination isn't as good though. And definitely give him at least a year off of riding.

The bow will NOT take care of itself on its own. The inflammation and swelling in the area can cause further damage if you don't cold hose and treat properly. This injury requires a lot of fussing and some medication because your horse is in a lot of pain from this type of injury.