Bone Spavin Experiences/Help Please

[superpony]

My 14.1hh welsh x was diagnosed with bone spavin in one hock about five years ago (when he was 8 - hes now 13). At the time it was before all the injections, treatment etc that you get nowadays so the vet adviced bute and work to attempt to get the hock to fuse. After about 8-9 months he was sound without bute so took him off it.

Fast forward a few years he has had lameness periods over this time partly due to other injuries, lami etc but also I think due to the spavins. Since then we now believe he has spavin in his other leg too.

I've noticed as hes got older he seems to be stiff for a day or so after lesson or a competition (we do dressage) and during one particularly rigious clinic he was stiff/lame for a couple of weeks afterwards. His hocks now tend to swell up occasionally and recently the inside of one leg around his hock has swallon up (no heat etc). Over the past few months he has also had more days when he isn't 100% right, especially when he hasn't been worked much.

So I was wondering how you manage your horses with bone spavins to see if I can improve on anything? He no longer jumps, Im careful on hard ground, he isn't worked as hard as he used to be (still competes but not regularly), hes given cortaflex, wears stable wraps overnight in winter and also magnetic boots if hes having a 'stiff day'. In the summer he is also out 24/7.

I would be greatful for any help/advice?

 

[abbieandfiona]

I leave my girl out all year round now and she is less stiff, i also give cortaflex and feed aloe vera to her.

She has had tildren but didnt work, with her back shoes off and one lot of steroid injections. If she is kept fit she stays sound so i have found the best way is to keep her in work. If you ever want any advice or info i have done a lot of research on spavins or just a chat feel free to PM me x

 

[MiCsarah]

My boy has spavins. They are worse in the right than the left. He was only slightly lame at first so was given steroid injections plus a drug that was injected into his neck every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. He then got worse so moved onto tildren. This made no difference what so ever and he got very lame. So we have had to fuse them surgically. He had this done 7 weeks ago and is being brought back into work slowly and is feeling fantastic. He is alot less stiff even though he only walks for 40 mins a day and is in a stable sized field. He is on glucosamine and msm (found the expensive supplements didn't really work). He gets stable boots on in winter and his hocks are kept as dry and warm as possible.