Hock arthritis and what were the symptoms

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NeedNewHorse

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Hello,

Has anyone's horse been diagnosed with arthritis in the hock, and could you please tell me if at all possible what the symptoms were for your horse?

If ridden, what gait was it most obvious/had the most impact?

Thank you. x
 
With Reg, it wasn't one big thing but an accumulation of noticing stuff as his way of going improved.

He would go stiff behind if he was working properly and got tired- this was only noticeable late in the year as initially him working properly long enough to be tired was unlikely. This showed in a slight unlevelness in trot- his canter work was still good. He was dragging his hinds over bigger fences and stopped SJ if they had a spot where he had to really push off. But they'd had a big knock earlier in the year and the stopping we thought was initially part of that. And finally, he had recurring back problems and needed regular physio to keep him level.

ETA: he had his hocks medicated and he is a new horse. 95% of problems gone and his performance is considerably better. Al might even try a BE Novice on him he's going so well... Obviously she has to listen to him carefully and moderate his work (he is competing less and training more, and she is very good at feeling when to stop) but he is so well now.
 
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Ah, thanks. That's interesting, yes looking into cortisone (though worried about the lami risk) but I am just wondering if canter is the worst affected gait, as this seems to be case here (or, is there something else too)!
 
Canter circles worse for my boy, and he kept getting a bad back. He had his hocks jabbed and is a new horse, it was so wroth it.
 
I retired my horse because he was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the hock and he also seemed very uncomfortable in his back, in spite of treatment/ checking saddle/ rest etc. Interesting to read the above esp. Lolo's account - sounds just like my boy.
 
My horse has just been diagnosed with arthritic hocks at equifest as he wasnt hopping lame (only2/10ths on the straight) but trotting up short behind untill you hit ancorner wherd it became more apparent, hed gone from spending most his time out grazing to penned up at a show and he got fluid around the lower hock joint and is on bute for a week
 
My retired mares symptons were dragging toe downhill, refusing jumps and reluctance to hack down steep hills, xrays diagnosed djd of hock, treated with course of adequin injects which helped but she then developed copd so was retired.
 
char3479 said:
I retired my horse because he was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the hock and he also seemed very uncomfortable in his back, in spite of treatment/ checking saddle/ rest etc. Interesting to read the above esp. Lolo's account - sounds just like my boy.
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What muddled stuff up a bit with Reg was he's an ex-p2p/ hurdles horse and had a horrendous fall just before he came out of racing which also was causing issues from the top of the neck down. It was only when that was sorted we began thinking he might have other issues.

Now he's been medicated he has the physio every 6 months for routine checks and she couldn't be happier with how he is.
 
Lolo said:
What muddled stuff up a bit with Reg was he's an ex-p2p/ hurdles horse and had a horrendous fall just before he came out of racing which also was causing issues from the top of the neck down. It was only when that was sorted we began thinking he might have other issues.

Now he's been medicated he has the physio every 6 months for routine checks and she couldn't be happier with how he is.
Click to expand...

Same with my boy - National Hunt, had a fall & broke a bone in his knee, ended up with a pinned knee, did P2P then passed around a bit before landing on his feet with me as a happy hacker. I concentrated on treating his back as the problem and the hock diagnosis came along later. Really tempted to try injections - so sad to not ride him nowadays. Thanks - very interesting reading.
 
My lad started bucking in canter and became increasingly cold backed, also started to grind teeth quite badly, and would be very tense in the school - turned out to be bilaterally (sp?) lame :-( hocks injected but not much improvement, tildren given which seemed to help a lot but only for 6 months and second dose didn't have same effect BUT hocks are now mostly fused (18 months since diagnosis) and he's a much happier horse although I do have to manage him differently. As much turnout as possible, minimal lunging/schooling and lots of hacking. Hoping he'll be able to get back to RC activities soon but he also has bony changes in his pelvis/SI so everytime I ride is a bonus!!
 
Arion struggled with canter - he would disunite behind a lot, and bucked going into canter and when walking down steep hills would almost be doing sideways behind. When trotted up he was a mildly lame. He was diagnosed with mild arthritic changes in one hock and had 3 cortisone injectionso over 3 years - we think his hock has fused now as its not bothered him in ages
 
Thanks very much. Actually that's all pretty much spot on too, with the grinding of teeth and difficulties in going downhill as well - thought canter is the worst.
Thanks, big help!
 
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