My hurt horse with shoulder injury

Question
Hi i woke up this morning and called my Appendix barrel racing horse in to eat at about 5 am before we headed off to a race. he was uninterested in coming to the fence and so was my other barrel horse (very untypical). I walked out to get my appendix (RED MAN) .. he started limping as I called him. I stopped him immediately and looked at his shoulder which appeared to be what i would refer to a dislocated. It was about 4 inches lower and 3 inches back and probably 6 inches wider then where his other leg attaches to his shoulder... After 20 min of very slow walking which was early impossible for him. I got him to the barn. I walked the fence line and realized he had cornered the fence.. (around the edge of the corner ... a 270 degree angle)there was hair all over the fence post. I called the vet immediately. She said dislocated shoulders were rare.. and she didn't know what this injury was. He is on stall rest and iced for 20 min every few hours and given bute. He still sways and hobbles when he walks. Can you please help me. Will he live ? Will he ever run or be ridden again? I know you cant answer these questions for sure.. The vet said it was probably torn muscles in the shoulder and only time would tell.. ( and the swelling had to go down#.. There are not any puncture wounds simply a 3 inch indentation in his shoulder ... If you would like picture please let me know.. any advice or counsel you can give me is much needed and appreciated thank you
  Meredith (Powhatan, Virginia )

Answer
Meredeth,

Unfortunately, your vet is not up with the times.  I've seen lots of horses with dislocated shoulders, hips, ribs, necks, you name it.  My mare used to dislocate her hip regularly, now it's her sacrum.  A dear friend had a horse who seemed to dislocate his shoulder regularly.  Vets are not trained to look at this.  Until recently, chiropractic for animals, just like it was for people, was regarded in the same class as voodoo!  

First off, you will need to locate an equine chiropractor.  Some are vets, some are not.  One I know works on horses and people.  It's great, he comes out and adjusts both your and your horse!  Also locate a equine massage therapist.  With the right care you can bring him around.  Will he be able to race again, that I cannot say.  The damaged muscles will take a long time to heal and the ligaments are going to be sretched out so it will be easier for him to dislocate the shoulder in the future.  I know from personal experience having dislocated my shoulder 3 yrs. ago and it still gives me problems, I haven't fully dislocated it again, but it pops in and out way too easily.  The sooner you can get the chiropractor to see him the better.  It would be best to get him massaged the day before the chiropractor sees him to get the muscles relaxed so that the adjustment will go more easily.  Then he's going to need regular massage work to help the muscles heal properly.  This isn't going to be a "quick" fix, you are probably looking at 6 mos. of rehab and conditioning before you'll really be able to evaluate him fairly as to what he can and cannot do.  

Get to a health food store and get some bryonia and some arnica montana.  Both are homeopathic remedies and come in little sugar pellet form.  Give him 3 pellets at a time, just pull out his lower lip and dumpt them in it.  Don't touch the pellets with your fingers, dump them in the cap and then in his lip.  Start with every 3 hours for a couple of days then back off to 3 times a day for another couple of days.  This will help him with recovery.  Don't use the bute any longer than necessary; it's really counterproductive for healing and very hard on his stomach.  

I would pull him off all grain and just give him all the good hay he will eat.  He'll be a lot calmer without the grain and the hay will keep food in his stomach to help counteract the problems bute can cause in the stomach with ulcers.  

Good luck with him and keep me posted on his progress.  I want to help as much as I can.

Lyn