Arthritis success stories?

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EquestrianFairy

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Im posting here in the hope to get more replies.

I had some real bad news today, i knew my boy was a little stiff but after a flexon test it looks like hes actually got possible arthritis on all 4 legs (hes had a hard life) and may have to retire.

I am utterly and completly heartbroken, ive not had him long but we've clicked like no other horse ive ever owned, his passport says 16 but vet reckons around 23! My first horse was knackered after i was conned from a dealer and now this? I dont think i can handle much more bad luck with horses.

Has anyone had this sort of news and bounced back?
How can horse 18years old stil be competeing in badminton, why havent they got arthritis? To say im devastaed is an understatment, this horse really means the world to me.

Gutted, utterly gutted.
 
Try Feel Good 30 Joint & Relief Supplement and give it a few weeks and if it's going to work it will - my old mare had had a hard life too and could barely walk up the hill in our field. We put her on J&R and she was cantering around again
smile.gif


Sorry to hear about your horse x
 
Am sorry to hear about your horse I have seen a few with arthritis who were still in light work just take advice from your vet. You do get down when bad things happen to your horses one after the other I lost 2 horses to colic related symptoms one had a strangulated hernia and the other had trapped intestines that was within 2 years of each other I was so distraught but I learnt things like that happen I had prev had horses for 10 years and never needed a vet near and then as I said the 2 got ill try and keep your hopes hope sometimes its not as bad as you think I know I always do. Good luck for you and your horse.
 
I'm so sorry for all your bad luck. I am sure that all cases are different, but we had great success with cod liver oil on an arthritic veteran - he happily did several more pc camps after being diagnosed. We were astonished, as seemed too easy... Hope you're as lucky.
 
My boy is 12 & just started BSJAing again after steroid injections into both front coffin joints. He went lame in August & is back to his nutty old self again!

I use stable wraps on his legs & he gets Aloe Vera juice & NAF superflex.

Fingers crossed for you both
 
Hello,

That's horrible :-( BUT don't give up - my girl has arthritis in three legs (that I know of, I wouldn't bet my life savings against the fourth) and she is only 8 now, was diagnosed in the first joint at five. And she is still rideable, still comfortable - she currently just needs extra help and consideration to stay that way...

Joint supplements can make a world of difference - my horse will be on them for life, and it took a while to find one that worked for her. Cortaflex didn't, but the TopSpec one has been good so far. No doubt we will chop and change as her needs increase. Also magnetic boots are great, and things like homeopathy can be really useful.

I keep my horse warm and dry wherever possible, as the damp weather is the absolute worst. Remedial farriery made a huge difference to her too.

There will never be a true success story for arthritis, as the damage will always stay, but there are lots and LOTS of things you can do to slow the deterioration and make your horse more comfortable. Don't be disheartened, and never say never - gentle exercise is actually good for my mare's stiffness, and she loves getting out and about. When she's feeling well you'd never know that, in the specialist's words, she has the joints of a horse in its 20s. You simply have to take each day as it comes, but on the plus side, it makes you appreciate the good times all the more - and we have had many good times since her initial diagnosis!

PM me if it will help - I remember how devastated I was and how hopeless everything seemed, but it really doesn't have to be that way. :-)

Good luck!

x
 
Hiya,

My boy was diagnosed with arthritis last year. Thankfully, at the moment it is only in the one leg, but as he is only 10, chances are it will eventually affect the other legs. Since diagnosis, I have put him on Maxiflex Glucosamine, cod liver oil and apple cider vinegar. He also now wears a magnetic band on his affected leg. Not sure if it is a combination of all the various treatments, but since starting on everything, he hasn't been too bad. I got the band from www.magnetic.uk.com. Theresa_F also uses them on her Clydesdale and she has seen a great umprovement. (It was her that recommended them to me). Since the weather got a bit colder, I have also put stable chaps on him of a night to help keep the joints warm.

Also, I have noticed that the more he is turned out, ridden etc, the better he is.
 
My 23 year old mare has arthritis in one of her rear legs as a result of a stress fracture some 4 years earlier in one of the bones within her hock. It got very bad at one point and she was almost crippled on the leg but now is very much better (bones fused together).

She is still regularly ridden which she seems to enjoy.

I keep her rugged up at night in her stable with an Amega Horseware Ireland Rug and during the day when she is in a field she has a nice waterproof Rambo rug on.

She is on 1 sachet of Danilon Bute per day (evening with feed). Danilon because it does not damage their digestive tract.

She also gets some cod liver oil in her feed and also a scoop of Formulae Feet.

Her stable has been draught proofed and she is on a very thick bed of wood chips.

A combination of all these things keep her happy and hopefully she can continued to be gently hacked out for many more years.
 
Hi there SugarPlum!
I feel for you!
Benj was diagnosed with DJD in his coffin joints a couple of years ago. I was absolutely devastated. I thought I would never be able to ride him again.
With gentle rehab, new shoes, extra attention to turn out and keeping him warm has done him so much good, we even went on to compete at novice level dressage last year.
Please read my webby for the full story, but there is hope!
P x
 
Ok - been there - horse in yard is now 31 and is pigeon toed, had a hard life and still rideable at that age (and gets placed competing locally around 4 times a year just to keep him happy).

Put your boy on Cortaflex liquid - permanently - don't go onto the powder stuff - we had the old pone on powder and then he got stiff - he's been on permie liquid HA and is fine now. (If it works you can buy a big container of the liquid for around £165 quid - which saves 35 quid on buying the small 1 month bottles).

We also have magnetic boots for him - which he wears in the stable during the day and when ridden - but mainly in the winter with those - dry hot summer weather and he's fine as long as he's not been hammering round on a hard field - we tend to let him have his flings in the arena on the soft ground and then turn him out when he's sane and calm so he isn't moving on hard going.

He's on no bute or anything like that - but if he's got a bad day or after a jumping comp. we give him zerobute for a couple of days.

He's enjoying life and pulls his mum's arms out when ridden - but he's only ridden 3x per two weeks on average

try the liquid cortaflex and the magnetic boots (about 65 quid per pair)
 
I have Chex on a Danilon every other day for his arthritis. He's 24ish, and has been fine up until this year. Combination of being not worked and overweight has made it much worse. But on the Danilon he's been much better, and is fine being ridden and much happier.
 
well my lad was eventually diagnosed with navicular in both front feet and bone spavins (arthritis) in his hocks, he was lame far more often that sound and did not look promising. Steroid/cortizone injections did very little but he has been treated with Tildren and is now sound (a bit stiff for first 5/10mins of session if had a day or two off) and been consistently so for months *hugs a forrest full of trees*. So he is a success story of sorts though admittedly I have retired him from BSJA though there is nothing stopping me jumping him I just wish to preserve him for the future as he is only rising 13 this year and has many years as a dressage horse hopefully infront of him still.
 
One of mine has been diagnosed with the beginnings of athritis in her hind legs, probably due to the fact that she's never had the best confirmation anyway. Vet said her knee joints dont lock like they should so when she trots, they sort of jerk slightly.

Ive had my girl on NAF Superflex for a few months and she is happy as ever. Took her for a walk 2 days ago and she actually galloped off with me in tow (she's only a shetland luckily so wasnt going TOO fast)! She's acting like a 3yo again, its wonderful! Honestly Id definately put your horse on a joint supplement, I SWEAR by the Superflex (cured my other boys cold back... dont ask how!) but of course different horses have different things work for them. Definately worth a go though!
 
my horse has spavin in both hocks and after the initial 2 weeks rest she has been back in full work and vet says thats the best way to keep her, working fairly hard. shes on a supplement called corsequin that i get throgh my vet but same horse she was before
 
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