Two Mares: Leg Swelling and Skin Growth

I use my Bioptron light regularly on my two mares to treat bumps and bruises, muscle strains, sole bruising, and viral infections in fact it has now become my number one line of treatment.

Leena came in from the paddock one June morning profoundly lame in her right foreleg. After an ultrasound examination on 27 June 2005, the veterinary diagnosis was :

Right Fore: Thickening of the palmar annular ligament and of the synovial membrane of the digital sheath. Left Fore: Slight thickening of the palmar annular ligament.

Prognosis: In many horses, PAL desmitis becomes a chronic condition requiring surgical release to resolve pain from traction on the ligament during weight bearing and eliminate pressure from structures with the stenotic canal.

A decision was made not to use veterinary intervention: instead, after purchasing my Bioptron light in November 2005 I started a treatment of blue light, followed by orange light over the affected area, followed by the broad spectrum light.

After an initial 10 days of treatment, the unsightly swelling at the back of the fetlock had dramatically subsided and Leena was gradually returned to work. She has even returned to jump schooling with no recurrence of the swelling or unsoundness.

Elle developed what I initially thought was a sarcoid on her hind pastern but because of the rapid growth, size and appearance, I began to suspect (as did my vet) that it may have been a tumour, although tests were never carried out.

As it began to grow I became concerned although it was some time before I thought of treating it with Bioptron light. I read that Ann Browne of Cambridge had successfully treated a sarcoid with it. I began daily treatments with blue (and very occasionally purple) light of 6 minute durations once a day in September 2007 and 2 months later I was left with only a flat scab which then continued to wear off and the mare now has only the very slightest hint of a mark on her pastern with no indications of regrowth.

Both mares will stand unrestrained in the stable and in fact normally go to sleep while I am treating them.

By Kathy Drake, Pukekohe