Hock arthritis, best surface to school on

[I don’t like mondays]

My daughters pony is an older chap (20) and is starting to get a little short/stiff behind (esp in trot) before he warms up. It’s worse in the cold weather. I’m going to speak to the vet but I’m thinking a bit of hock arthritis. Is schooling/lunging in a grass arena and doing more road work hacking be a real no no if there’s hock arthritis? (obvs weather and ground permitting...). We’ve got an arena with a surface where we are now, but the current set up isn’t suitable for other reasons so looking at other yard options (one of which has a grass arena then 1 for hire a short hack away). Want to do everything I can to keep him happy and sound
Thanks

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Also are back shoes better if the hocks are sore? He was shod in all feet but I thought we’d try to take the back shoes off a few months ago (so he could go in with my horse). Not sure if taking the back shoes off has exasperated things

 

[spotty_pony]

Generally circle work in general, regardless of the surface isn’t great for them. My boy has hock arthritis and we just hack in straight lines. I give him 20 mins walking to warm up and make sure he cools down properly too. Trotting on the roads is very limited - as long as the ground is good most of our trotting is done off road and in the summer I rarely trot on the road at all.

 

[spotty_pony]

Also are back shoes better if the hocks are sore? He was shod in all feet but I thought we’d try to take the back shoes off a few months ago (so he could go in with my horse). Not sure if taking the back shoes off has exasperated things

In regards to the shoes. No - in fact barefoot may be considered better as the frog is in contact with the ground and acts like a sponge which helps to pump the blood leg and in turn keep better circulation in the leg.

My boy is shod due to us doing road work and him getting foot sore without but he is shod with extra support behind to help him.

There is no right and wrong answer - it depends on the individual horse

 

[Caol Ila]

My n=1 experience of managing an older horse with hock arthritis:

Pulling back shoes was the best thing I ever did. Should have done it earlier. For the reasons spotty_pony mentioned.

Hacking on hard surfaces in straight lines was a lot easier than schooling. I tried to keep up with the dressage because it is definitely beneficial in terms of building muscle and helping them carry themselves. But eventually, she could not do it anymore but had a few months of being an exclusively happy hacker. I would write off lunging. That repetitive strain will not be helpful and is in fact quite hard on their joints and tendons. I only lunge when I'm trying to achieve something specific with it, but not just as exercise. Once I fix the thing I am trying to fix, I won't lunge.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Best to get your vet confirm the diagnosis first, but hock arthritis does sound likely in a horse of his age.

Many horses with hock arthritis cope well continuing in light to medium work if they are well managed.

My equine vet had a top jumping pony with bilateral hock arthritis who continued jumping happily at a high level as long as she was warmed up in a steady canter for at least 10 mins before being asked to do anything more.

Getting his hocks medicated with gel or steroid can work well, and has worked well for mine. There's always bute/danilon too.

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Thanks everyone for the advice. If it is hock arthritis, is riding on grass a no no (compared to a school with an ok surface?). Yes good point about lunging- today was the 2nd time we’ve lunged him since we’ve had him, so I think we’ll switch over to in hand poles and long lining. I really hope it’s easily managed, I’ve had a really tough year with my horse (who is young and physically broken), it’s so hard when they aren’t right :-(

 

[ester]

Grass is fine. Mine did superbly well with a steroid injection at 23 (no xrays, vet happy to do it as diagnostic), still doing everything inc hunting at that point (that in hindsight I wished we done 6 months earlier but he'd previously improved well just by adding boswellia in).
I think it's a balancing act re. schooling etc, I liked to try and do enough to keep the rest of his musculator in good shape to support his joints so usually one school session a week, 1 long rein/ big ovals lunge/in hand session and 4 hacks.
Shoes off absolutely if possible - mine had a home grown lateral extension on the lame side.

He retired to lighter hacking 3x a week at 24, and retired fully at 26 as being just not comfortable/needing bute/always was going to be happy to do nothing in a field anyway.
The reason for just doing the hacking was issues with his annular ligaments, which isn't unusual for his type but it was worse on the side without the hock (hence why I say in hindsight I would have medicated it earlier).

 

[SEL]

Mine quite likes grass unless the ground has turned to concrete. Cannot recommend arthramid gel injections enough though for helping - cost is worth it IMO

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Mine quite likes grass unless the ground has turned to concrete. Cannot recommend arthramid gel injections enough though for helping - cost is worth it IMO

Thanks SEL that’s reassuring. Do you know how much you paid for arthamid gel? Thanks

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm not SEL, but I paid £740ish for 2 x hocks per horse 18 months ago in 2 x horses, with excellent results. One had had steroids in twice before, which worked well for a few months but then wore off. The Arthramid is still working.

Worth every penny, though some HHOers have since said that Arthramid is no longer recommended for hocks? Not sure why that is.

 

[cauda equina]

My arthritic horse likes turf best, then roads, then anything deep or soft least (mud or a deep school surface)
He's good in straight lines but struggles with circles
He's barefoot and booted when necessary and I do feel it's helped
For joint supplements I really rate Feedmark's Best-Flex HA

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Grass is fine. Mine did superbly well with a steroid injection at 23 (no xrays, vet happy to do it as diagnostic), still doing everything inc hunting at that point (that in hindsight I wished we done 6 months earlier but he'd previously improved well just by adding boswellia in).
I think it's a balancing act re. schooling etc, I liked to try and do enough to keep the rest of his musculator in good shape to support his joints so usually one school session a week, 1 long rein/ big ovals lunge/in hand session and 4 hacks.
Shoes off absolutely if possible - mine had a home grown lateral extension on the lame side.

He retired to lighter hacking 3x a week at 24, and retired fully at 26 as being just not comfortable/needing bute/always was going to be happy to do nothing in a field anyway.
The reason for just doing the hacking was issues with his annular ligaments, which isn't unusual for his type but it was worse on the side without the hock (hence why I say in hindsight I would have medicated it earlier).

Thanks ester. That’s good to know yours did well on steroids and was older. Our pony is such a lovely chap and loves his work I want to do everything to support him to keep going. The shortness behind is intermittent but I want to nip it in the bud

 

[I don’t like mondays]

I'm not SEL, but I paid £740ish for 2 x hocks per horse 18 months ago in 2 x horses, with excellent results. One had had steroids in twice before, which worked well for a few months but then wore off. The Arthramid is still working.

Worth every penny, though some HHOers have since said that Arthramid is no longer recommended for hocks? Not sure why that is.

Thanks Tiddlypom, it’s good to know a figure (he’s not insured due to age). I’ll ask the vet

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of mine has mild arthritis in the hocks he comes out a bit stiff so I tend to walk for a good 15 minutes, I find riding him after he has been in the field for a while is better than if his been stood in.

I find any extreme weather can make him a bit stiffer in very cold weather I will use leg wraps on him I just pop them on while I am getting him ready to be ridden.

I do lunge him but I use the whole school rather than small circles and his schooled more than hacked out as he won't go out far on his own.

His barefoot and has been for years now as he also has navicular I avoid deep mud and don't trot on the road or hard ground, his fed boswelia which I find works better than a few joint supplements I have tried in the past.