Arthritis in hocks - Would you buy ??

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shmoo

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So, my gorgeous little TB ex-racer has just gone to her new permanent loan home where she'll get the reschooling and work she needs to flourish. I don't have the knowledge/time/facilities. Now the tears have dried (3 days - pathetic as she isn't dead - and not even far away !!) I am looking for something I can actually ride without mortal danger and have stumbled across a little cob x who is 7 but has arthritis in his hocks.

Would you buy? Do you own a horse with this problem?

I haven't contacted the seller yet asking questions as she's clearly upset he has to go and I don't want to waste her time.

I've scouted around and found conflicting stories. Some have gone well into 30's, others been PTS before reaching 10.

He does look lovely, but I just don't know the implcations.

Advise needed please :D
 
I have a cob with hock arthritis, he is very limited on what he does as he soon goes lame on this leg if he does a lot of trotting /cantering round his paddock. I personally would walk away
 
That is very young to have arthritic changes and will limit what you can do, you will find insurance exclusions mean any treatment needs funding by you for the rest of its life, with every chance it will develop somewhere else.
 
At that age definitely not. In an older horse it's more acceptable but at that age is abnormal and I would be concerned about the future prospects.
 
Walk away, I'm afraid. I have a 15 year old who has recently been diagnosed with arthritis in one hock. Although she's sound and in regular work, hacking, dressage, jumping, competing, it's a pita to manage and it's degenerative. I wouldn't want a young horse with it!
 
Agree, walk. My 11 year old has an arthritic hock, is forever going lame and all it takes is a bit of hooning round the field. :(
 
Definitely no! Sadly arthritis is a degenerative disease and if the horse is showing arthritic changes at such a young age then it is likely to indicate either trauma or infection of the affected limb or a conformational defect. It won't improve, will likely require regular treatment/drugs and is likely to severely limit the work that horse can do.
 
NO!
As the owner of a 7 year old with arthritis in his hocks I would never knowingly chose to buy a horse like that.
 
No. I bought mine sound at 6 and by 8 he had arthritis in both hocks. Luckily insurance paid for an operation and he is fine at the moment but has Danilon every day, can't jump, is worth next to nothing and will probably not Be rideable past early teens. Don't buy him! Poor pony.
 
Hi, we lost our mare last year who had arthritis in her hocks. We brought her at about 15 yrs old as a light hack, having had a rough life and a tendon injury. She stayed in light work until she got a bad injury from getting caught up in black thorn which caused her lots of problems. Its only once this happened and she was retired she got worse. She was always a bit stiff but we kept her on global herbs old age which made her feel like a spring chicken, their stuff is great, and we tried to keep her out as much as possible.
In the end it was her hocks that gave up and when we got up the yard one day last summer her back end was giving way on her so we decided that was the day to let her go, she was about 22 yrs old.
This horse your looking at is quite young, if he has a gentle riding life he should be fine for quite a while, I would never jump him though if he was mine or expect him to carry a lot of weight or do long hacks. Also you won't be covered for your insurance if the vets already know about it.
Its a hard decision, if you only like gentle hacking and your prepared to pay out for treatment and supplements to help then go for it, if not then look for another.
Check out www.horses4homes.co.uk they have lots of free horses in need of homes, and maybe reccomend this to the owner of the horse if you decide you don't want it.
 
Surprised everyone has said NO without knowing price?

What do you want the horse for? If it's low level, as in hacking, you and it could be perfect for each other. Just a thought!
 
SkewbyTwo said:
Surprised everyone has said NO without knowing price?

What do you want the horse for? If it's low level, as in hacking, you and it could be perfect for each other. Just a thought!
Click to expand...

As you can spend £1000 treating arthritis in a blink I think the price is pretty irrelevant I would not take on a arthritic youngster at any price.
 
SkewbyTwo said:
Surprised everyone has said NO without knowing price?

What do you want the horse for? If it's low level, as in hacking, you and it could be perfect for each other. Just a thought!
Click to expand...

Does that not tell you something OP? :o

If a horse is forever going lame from either running about in the field or stiff from being stood in overnight I doubt you would be able to do much hacking.

The issue is not about money for me. For me its a matter of- I dont want to buy a horse that I might have to PTS in a year or two. Arthritis is a degenerative condition which means it will only get worse- not worth the heartbreak. Think I am qualified to say this after having bought a horse in the past (not vetted) within 9 months she was crippled. Spent the whole time getting vets called out etc and daily bute which in the end did not keep her sound. I did VERY little riding in the 9 months i had her and it ended in me having to make the heartbreaking decision to PTS. She didnt cost me alot to buy but I spend a fortune on vet treatment etc. She was also a young horse :(
 
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