Bone Spavins!!

[Alchemy]

Hi

Looking for advice and any information about bone spavins. How do you manage it? cause? excersing a horse who has it? your experiences?

Thanks

 

[Birker2020]

my horse was diagnosed about 12 months after I had him, and had three lots of tildren but then he did his suspensory by which time the tildren had worn off. Because he was throwing his weight from his off hind spavin hock to his near fore leg we decided to try fusion using ethanol which is alcohol.

Its very effective as it kills the nerves in the hocks so the horse is pain free immediately. Its around £300 for both hocks. The hocks will eventually fuse in 12 - 18 months and will therefore stabilise.

It seems to be a really good option.

 

[TheBigPony]

Hi I'm sorry your horse has been diagnosed with spavins. My horse has bone spavins in the end we gave her cortisone injections into the hocks, these have lasted just over a year and the vet is mentioning that we may need to do them again. I think the problem with the cortisone injections is the time they are effective for decreases every time that you do them. We also changed her joint supplement to cosequin it is expensive but her hocks have been clicking for a few years (even though been on a joint supplement since 8 yrs old now 19yrs) - after the change in supplement her hocks no longer click.

Exercise - we pretty much carried on as usual ie hacking at weekends and riding in school during winter - we try and hack more in the evenings in the summer. We have laid off jumping although we ocassionally do low jumps as she loves it so. Just make sure that you warm up gradually - we find just walking for an extended period helps loosen her off.

She also has physio as the hock pain have gives her pain in her back although actually since we had the hock injections her back has been great.

I hope you manage to sort your horse out soon, I think it is just a case of working out how best to manage it. I know people say that it is good to have them living out 24/7 so they can keep moving around - I would like to do this but I don't think my horse would appreciate it!