Bone Spavin

[emmarachel]

My mare has been diagnosed with bone spavin in her left hock. The vet has recommended 6 months complete paddock rest and then re-xray. I am unsure whether to get another opinion as she has just had 7 months rest as she had a hair line fracture in her right leg. Any advice much appreciated, one of the things the vet suggested was to put her into foal and let her heal, would any one else agree with this?

 

[Shilasdair]

I hope your poor mare gets sound soon. As to whether you should put her in foal - why should you?
Do you want a foal? How old is the mare - if she has been sound all her life and is now over 12 say, then she may be a good breeding prospect. If she's young and unsound, do you want a young, unsound foal? Cos that's what you'll probably get.
Don't mean to sound negative but you need a really good reason to breed another equine life.
S

 

[cyearsley]

HI, my last horse was diagnosed with this when I took him to the vets because we couldn't identify the reason for his unsoundness. I'm trying to remember the sequence of treatment......think it went xrays and nerve blocks etc, returned a week/two weeks later for medicating the hock (don't think they like to go into the same area twice in one session) then once they medicated the hock (ie injected it with steroids or cortazone??) he had a further 2 or 4 weeks off and then was brought back into work gradually and was sound. He returned to normal work including jumping and XC but nothing over 2'9 ish and was just about to get the hock re-medicated again (about 9-12 months later when I lost him to another injury. Think it depends on the sverity and the individual but hope this helps (sorry timings seem a little vague but was a few years ago). They also mentioned a drug that was being trialed at the time but can't remember what it was called, may have been Tildren ?? Good luck

 

[scaremcclare]

my gelding had one as a 6yo. he had 1 month in the field, 2 weeks walking, and an injection into his hock(cant remember what it was). he was on and off lame from may to july. unfortunelty in november he had an operation where they drilled holes in the hock, the bone then re-grew and they fused together so there was no movement, he then had a month box rest then back itnto work. hes now completley normal can jump 4ft and all pony club so hasnt hindered him at all.hope yours doesnt come to that!!! good luck.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

If the bone spavin is due to a fracture then if you want a foal there is no reason not to have one. If it has occurred for no apparrent reason, i.e general wear and tear, poor conformation, inability to stand up to work etc then I would say no don't breed from her as she will like pass the predisposition onto her foal so as Shilasdair says you'll end up with another lame horse!

Good luck, I hope she is ok.

 

[Flicker]

Hi - hope your baby is much more comfortable soon! The mare has a bone spavin in her off hind hock. By the time I got her it had already partially fused so the vet advised to bute her for 6 months and do flatwork and hacking to encourage fusion. We then took her off the bute and have continued flatwork and hacking (not jumped yet). We took her off the bute about a year ago and (touch wood) she has seemed fine. She is working much better through her back end and we are starting to do some lateral work in her schooling sessions and she's handling them fine.
When I got the diagnosis I thought it was all doom and gloom but she has come through it all beautifully. She takes a little bit longer to warm into her work, but I compete her in local dressage and showing competitions and no-one has ever commented that she is stiff or anything (in fact we get comments like 'pleasing trot work').
I really, really hope your horse's prognosis is as positive. There are a couple of horses on our yard with them (mostly older horses that have hunted etc young) and all of them are healthy and happy and still do lots of useful work (although Hickstead might be out of the question).
Good luck!!

 

[emmarachel]

Thank you every one for your replies, the advice given and success stories have made new hope. But i have to be honest i think the decision to sell her has been made, now all i need to do is find the right home. Be it as a brood mare or possibly going of on loan as a riding horse for the disabled. She is such a gentle giant and has been such a good mare to me, but if anything else does go wrong i wont have any insurance to cover to hind legs and i cant afford to pay for any further treatments, i really need to do the best by her. I know the bone spavin isn't hereditary and the hair line fracture has healed so the nicest thing would be that she becomes a mummy.