Feeling Daunted re: Hock Arthritis

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southerncomfort

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Apologies for starting yet another hock thread!

My lovely old mare (24) has just been diagnosed with mild arthritis in the hocks. Plan of action is that I'll use bute for now, test for cushings in the Spring and then consider having the hocks injected depending on the results. Also added oil to her feed and giving Devils Claw while I investigate joint supplements.

Vet encouraged me to keep her in light work and says she may be capable of a bit more during the warmer months but to basically play it by ear and do what she feels happy with. Also stressed the importance of warming up etc.

Was very windy this morning and she can be a bit dippy in the wind so I gave her some bute in her brekkie and then just led her out for a short walk. Unfortunately, she was feeling very jolly and wanted to jig jog everywhere (did I mention that she's welsh??). We had to walk past a field of geldings and apparently madam is in season. Cue ridiculous snortiness and an impressive passage past the field despite all my best efforts at calming her down.

Managed to get her past without being flattened but noticed that she was very obviously stiff afterwards. She'd definitely over done it. :(

I just feel completely daunted by the whole thing. I've never had a horse with arthritis before. This morning I went from thinking that she couldn't be that bad if she was able to jog everywhere to feeling almost despair when I saw how sore she was afterwards. It made me think that I can't trust her to be sensible no matter how stiff she is.

Going forward I think I'm going to be better off riding than leading so that I can control her speed better. Other than that I suppose I just need to be guided by my vet but I do feel a bit lost and worried about the future with her.

I should say that I lost my old mare last year and the feelings are still a little raw so it's entirely possible that I'm overthinking things.
 
Mine's 18 and has had hock arthritis for 3 years but I think he's actually had it undiagnosed much longer.
He is ridden 3 times a week and walk/trot/canters, when he gets lively he'll gallop and likes a little jump occasionally. Sometimes he likes to look smart with his head tucked in and do 10 min of schooling but he struggles with that now.
He does sometimes overdo it when we're out with other horses, but I tend to go with however he's feeling. He still enjoys his work. Yes he needs a day or two off afterwards but don't we all when we get older? He's intelligent and he gets really miserable when he's not in work.
 
Many horses get hock arthritis. Try not to worry. Sounds like your management plan is good. Anti inflammatories when needed, keep him moving so he doesn't stiffen up, steroids if he gets miserable. Ethanol alcohol if you want to try fusion. Didn't work for one of mine though, so wouldn't have it done again? That's about all you can do. Mine likes a nice physio massage once a month in the colder months and he wears the back on track hock boots for a bit of infrared warm too ..... It's all part and parcel of getting older ....
 
My boy was diagnosed with hock arthritis when he was 13 - he is now nearly 18 and still hunting! He has had three lots of HA injections since then and the improvement was huge. The last one was nearly two years ago - my Vet thinks his hocks might have fused because he has managed to stay sound and continue working since diagnosis so she doesn't think he will need the injections as often now. I am reviewing it at the end of the summer and will decide then whether he needs to have them down again, but if he seems ok still I am going to carry on as we are. He has Danilon on the evening after he has been hunting in case he is feeling stiff. Also, since last summer he has had his back shoes off which has increased the circulation in his legs which in turn has made him feel more comfortable - maybe something to consider if yours is shod. I limit the amount of trotting on the roads we do now - partly due to being barefoot behind and partly because of the concussion it causes. He very rarely goes in the school and when he does I am careful to not do too small circles and not to ask too much of him as understandably he struggles to work from behind correctly especially in canter so as long as he is bending the right way, he is allowed to go how he wants to.
 
My vet has a hunter. He says "I jab him in the hocks every now and then and he's fit for hunting season" ...... My farrier says, " years ago we would stick them on a bit of bute, hammer them down the road to set up a bit of extra inflammation and in no time at all they'd fuse" ....... Extreme examples, yes, but ...... Hock arthritis is no biggie if managed well with anti inflammatories and pain management, during the worst bit if you manage realistically your Olympia fantasies
 
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You've done well for her to get to 24yo and only just having mild arthritis diagnosed.
My last horse was diagnosed with hock spavins aged 13 or 14, and then ringbone around the age of 16 or 17. He continued to work and just needed to be managed properly. I had his hocks medicated 3 or 4 times and kept him ticking over on a low does of Danilon. Some days he was stiff, other days he behaved like a 4yo. You just have to be led by how they feel. On a stiff day, I would just go for a potter around the lanes. Even though he was a bit sticky to begin with, he would always loosen up and felt better for getting out. On good days, he did fun rides and hunted (only 4-6 days a season though as more was too much).

Hock arthritis, especially in a horse in her 20s, really wouldn't concern me in the slightest. You just need to work out how best to manage her which can be trial and error to start with. Hock medication won't cost a lot, even if you're not insured, so personally I'd probably start there and get her on a low dose of Danilon. Plenty of turnout, rugged up well as mine was worse in wet weather if he got cold, and gentle exercise in straight lines.
 
I personally wouldn't give bute and Devils Claw at the same time. Both can be very hard on the stomach.

You could switch the Devils Claw for boswellia serrata, which is kinder to the stomach, but I think that giving it with bute is going to be overkill.
 
Thank you all for your replies and for sharing your experiences. :) I'm feeling a lot more optimistic now.

Hock injections sound like the way to go once she's been tested for cushings.

Thanks again. Much appreciated. :)
 
Casey76 said:
I personally wouldn't give bute and Devils Claw at the same time. Both can be very hard on the stomach.

You could switch the Devils Claw for boswellia serrata, which is kinder to the stomach, but I think that giving it with bute is going to be overkill.
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Oh ok. Never heard of Devils Claw being hard on the stomach before.

Vet said either Devils Claw or Boswellia but not convinced about the effectiveness of Boswellia to be honest. I do have Danilon as well so might be better switching to that and forget about the Devils Claw. Will have a think and another chat to the vet! :)
 
Casey76 said:
I personally wouldn't give bute and Devils Claw at the same time. Both can be very hard on the stomach.

You could switch the Devils Claw for boswellia serrata, which is kinder to the stomach, but I think that giving it with bute is going to be overkill.
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I once asked my vet about stomach issues with Danilon. The horse was aged 17 at the time and his answer was that the arthritis would be the end of the horse long before such a low dose ever affected his stomach.

OP ask for Danilon rather than bute as it's kinder to the stomach. There is also a new one now (well, it was new 5 years ago when I still had that horse!) which you give as a liquid... called something like Equicox. More ££ but stronger and much kinder IIRC. Vets will also prescribe the canine version (tablets) if there's a reason your horse won't/ can't have the equine version. Dog one is Previcox though it isn't licensed for horses so your vet needs to have a good reason for prescribing it.
 
Hi I would certainly keep riding. In my experience as soon as you stop work the stiffness worsens ( same as with us). As long as she's happy and your vet agrees keep going. There are some things that can help arthritic hocks, warming her hocks before exercise either with a warm towel or similar/ massaging her legs to get the circulation going. After riding gentle stretching can help ( you can ask you physio to show you some). Ideally turn out rather than stabled after exercise. Hock fusion can be encouraged if the arthritis worsens and injections can work wonders. Once hocks have fused the horse doesn't experience the same amount of soreness and, rather suprisingly, it doesn't tend make a huge difference to movement. Sounds like you and your vet have the options covered. I see lots of horses with arthritic hocks and it really isn't a major issue for them. It comes to us all as we age and she's done really well to get to this age without stiffness, just shows you have been doing all the right things for her.
 
Mine is 6 with quite severe changes in her hocks for a horse which has barely done anything. We're planning steroid injections in March when I know I can do the rehab work.

The other week there was a field invasion and she was galloping, bucking & rearing with the intruders - & was very, very sore for a few days. I load up on danilon when she's like that & keep her workload to walk. I've tried joint supplements - no noticeable effect - so just stick with danilon when she's sore.
 
Lots of really good advice. Thank you, much appreciated. Feeling much less daunted now.

I must admit that I'm pretty dubious about joint supplements having read a study that said a very large percentage of them were destroyed in the horse's gut before they could have any effect.

Will think about maybe getting some hock boots and maybe using a warm towel to warm the area before riding in the meantime. Lots of things to think about.

Thanks again. :)
 
My veteran mare who is 24 has arthritis in one fetlock and in her hocks. I manage these by giving her glucosamine and chrondoitin (NAF) and Turmeric black pepper and micronised linseed as daily supplements. She has Bioflow magnetic fetlock boots on overnight and I have just bought some Premier Equine magnetic hock boots to use nightly too. I really noticed the difference using the Bioflow boots. My mare now lives out 24/7 with a field shelter and I keep her in regular work all winter. I will be careful when the ground gets hard and limit her hacking but still keep her in work in the manege.
 
YasandCrystal said:
My veteran mare who is 24 has arthritis in one fetlock and in her hocks. I manage these by giving her glucosamine and chrondoitin (NAF) and Turmeric black pepper and micronised linseed as daily supplements. She has Bioflow magnetic fetlock boots on overnight and I have just bought some Premier Equine magnetic hock boots to use nightly too. I really noticed the difference using the Bioflow boots. My mare now lives out 24/7 with a field shelter and I keep her in regular work all winter. I will be careful when the ground gets hard and limit her hacking but still keep her in work in the manege.
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Thank you that's really helpful. I have to admit I've been wondering if my mare has it in her fetlocks too.

To be honest, I'm not happy that I've got things quite right just yet. Even if I give a sachet of bute 20 mins before we hack out, she still feels stiff and when she places her near hind it's more of shuffle and she turns the toe out slightly. So she is still clearly uncomfortable.

I think the next step might be to book a physio just to check she doesn't have any secondary issues with her back or SI area.
 
southerncomfort said:
Thank you that's really helpful. I have to admit I've been wondering if my mare has it in her fetlocks too.

To be honest, I'm not happy that I've got things quite right just yet. Even if I give a sachet of bute 20 mins before we hack out, she still feels stiff and when she places her near hind it's more of shuffle and she turns the toe out slightly. So she is still clearly uncomfortable.

I think the next step might be to book a physio just to check she doesn't have any secondary issues with her back or SI area.
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I might be wrong here but a sachet of bute would take longer than 20 mins to work, it is a drug absorbed by the stomach lining.If its an injection of bute it works that fast but not orally.It has to be given more of a long term daily thingto have an accumulative affect.
 
SC I have found it helps frank (also Welsh,24 and full of it!) if I keep on top of his Physio or he makes himself look wonkier. He had the left hock injected for the first time nearly a year ago and i couldn't have been happier with the result. The vet is due soon to blood test so I wanted to check whether I wanted him to soundness check him at the same time (I'm 200 miles away ATM) sent vids to vet and he agrees he is now worse on right than left so vet is going to see him in person and flexion but likely inject both. He was cushings tested last year and had had a few jabs without problems now. I did say that maybe when it was more than one side I would Bute him instead but his liver isn't great so probably best avoided until we have to.
He feels ok but I suspect that is equal wonkiness to a certain extent and the adrenaline of being a prat
I do think the boswellia and linseed help him though.
 
hopscotch bandit said:
I might be wrong here but a sachet of bute would take longer than 20 mins to work, it is a drug absorbed by the stomach lining.If its an injection of bute it works that fast but not orally.It has to be given more of a long term daily thingto have an accumulative affect.
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I actually find it more effective given the night before if I'm riding first thing
 
hopscotch bandit said:
I might be wrong here but a sachet of bute would take longer than 20 mins to work, it is a drug absorbed by the stomach lining.If its an injection of bute it works that fast but not orally.It has to be given more of a long term daily thingto have an accumulative affect.
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I think you are probably right. I stupidly thought it would be like me taking a couple of paracetamol! ;) Anyway, having read your post last night, this morning I gave her the bute and then wandered off and did some poo picking before bringing her up for a good groom etc and she was SO much better on our walk this morning. The warm sunshine might have helped too but either way I was very pleased. :)
 
ester said:
SC I have found it helps frank (also Welsh,24 and full of it!) if I keep on top of his Physio or he makes himself look wonkier. He had the left hock injected for the first time nearly a year ago and i couldn't have been happier with the result. The vet is due soon to blood test so I wanted to check whether I wanted him to soundness check him at the same time (I'm 200 miles away ATM) sent vids to vet and he agrees he is now worse on right than left so vet is going to see him in person and flexion but likely inject both. He was cushings tested last year and had had a few jabs without problems now. I did say that maybe when it was more than one side I would Bute him instead but his liver isn't great so probably best avoided until we have to.
He feels ok but I suspect that is equal wonkiness to a certain extent and the adrenaline of being a prat
I do think the boswellia and linseed help him though.
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Thanks Ester. Good to know I'm not the only one with a wonky welsh! I'll definitely get the physio to have a look at her and I've got some Boswellia on order.

I think I need to get back on board so I can get a better feel for how she is doing. I've been putting it off 'cos I'm convinced I'll break her which is daft, I know. :)
 
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