SukiSuzuki
New User
Hi everyone. I’m new on here, so hello. Wanted some experiences with young horses who have been diagnosed with arthritic changes without having been in work.
I have seen other posts but they tend to be young horses that have been in work.
My 8 year old Arab mare had started to look uncomfortable behind, always has had a wide stance and one of her hocks twists slightly outwards on that leg landing, as does her fetlock. Her conformation has always been slightly off on one hind since she was a foal, I can see by pics.
The vet has diagnosed mild arthritis in her hocks from X-rays. She is bilaterally lame behind, mildly. More obvious on lunge in the opposite direction to the gammy leg. She shifts weight in front and behind and struggles a bit to back up and turn, and just looks awkward. Toe drags very mildly in walk. Stands arkwardly too. She is on day 5 of one danillon a day as a ‘lets see how that affects her pain wise’. Vet is confident the funny hind leg is conformation and not ataxia.
Important detail is she was lightly backed and ridden away very lightly 2 years ago. She’s spend almost all of her 8 years paddock munching. I’m obviously disappointed at the arthritis diagnosis with in mind I’ve got nowhere to go in terms of workload and she’s out 24/7 in a flat and dry field.
Clearly if I can’t get her pain free then I’ll PTS but wondered if others have had a positive experience in a non ridden horse that hasn’t worked per se. I’m weighing up possible diagnostic options and possible treatments available.
What have others done? Do we think there have been cases where steroids/arthrimid/cartrophen help? Prognosis of horse developing arthritis from doing nothing? I know it isn’t a good starting point and wondering if that affects how well treatments might help.
I’m really sad about this because I bought her 3 years ago as my last horse, left her to mature, had her backed by someone specific, rode her a little and then had a break to have a baby and now she’s lame and not looking great.
Thanks for reading and any advice/experiences appreciated
I have seen other posts but they tend to be young horses that have been in work.
My 8 year old Arab mare had started to look uncomfortable behind, always has had a wide stance and one of her hocks twists slightly outwards on that leg landing, as does her fetlock. Her conformation has always been slightly off on one hind since she was a foal, I can see by pics.
The vet has diagnosed mild arthritis in her hocks from X-rays. She is bilaterally lame behind, mildly. More obvious on lunge in the opposite direction to the gammy leg. She shifts weight in front and behind and struggles a bit to back up and turn, and just looks awkward. Toe drags very mildly in walk. Stands arkwardly too. She is on day 5 of one danillon a day as a ‘lets see how that affects her pain wise’. Vet is confident the funny hind leg is conformation and not ataxia.
Important detail is she was lightly backed and ridden away very lightly 2 years ago. She’s spend almost all of her 8 years paddock munching. I’m obviously disappointed at the arthritis diagnosis with in mind I’ve got nowhere to go in terms of workload and she’s out 24/7 in a flat and dry field.
Clearly if I can’t get her pain free then I’ll PTS but wondered if others have had a positive experience in a non ridden horse that hasn’t worked per se. I’m weighing up possible diagnostic options and possible treatments available.
What have others done? Do we think there have been cases where steroids/arthrimid/cartrophen help? Prognosis of horse developing arthritis from doing nothing? I know it isn’t a good starting point and wondering if that affects how well treatments might help.
I’m really sad about this because I bought her 3 years ago as my last horse, left her to mature, had her backed by someone specific, rode her a little and then had a break to have a baby and now she’s lame and not looking great.
Thanks for reading and any advice/experiences appreciated
