Hock arthritis worse in cold weather - what can I do?

BOWS28

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This. It’s the warmth that works, not the magnets.

That's why we tried them without the magnets. My friends old pair had inserts where you could take the magnets out to wash the boots. We tried two weeks, mid winter, with and without magnets. My old girl 10000% walked out better every day after she'd had the magnets on and so did my friends gelding.
 

hopscotch bandit

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That's why we tried them without the magnets. My friends old pair had inserts where you could take the magnets out to wash the boots. We tried two weeks, mid winter, with and without magnets. My old girl 10000% walked out better every day after she'd had the magnets on and so did my friends gelding.
I agree, I always notice a difference when my horse wears her boots. However she is stiffer coming out of the stable when she turns when she has them on her fronts (her injury is on her front leg and I think it might impinge on it). She walks out of the stable to turn fine when they are on her hinds.

I agree - like Tiddlypom quite rightly says and what I have always thought - it is warmth (from the material) that controls any swelling as constriction will do that anyway, hence support bandages.

What most people don't realise though is that magnets also play a role in drawing fresh oxygenated blood to the surface of any injury and this in turn creates pain killing properties. This also revitalise muscles and tissues within the boy and relaxes tense muscles. They can also interfere with the pain transmitting pathways reducing pain by blocking the messages to the brain.

Pulsed magnotherapy where an electrical current passes through a magnetic field, is better than static, most of us can't afford this.
 

Gloi

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What most people don't realise though is that magnets also play a role in drawing fresh oxygenated blood to the surface of any injury and this in turn creates pain killing properties. This also revitalise muscles and tissues within the boy and relaxes tense muscles. They can also interfere with the pain transmitting pathways reducing pain by blocking the messages to the brain.
Of course they don't realise it because it is pure bullshit.
 

sidewaysonacob

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Lots of the sensible advice on here echoes what I've found helps my 17yo (diagnosed at 12) lad with arthritis in both hocks and pasterns - no schooling except occasional 'mounted physio' to maintain muscle supporting the hock joints, a heavier rug than the weather would suggest (YM's recent suggestion which made a definite difference and he hasn't got sweaty in it), hock boots, as much turnout as poss (weather permitting), not washing legs and not riding every day. He's on 1 bute, steroid injections and 4cyte and judging by today's rather lively hack it's working for him. If he deteriorates further my vet says there's an (expensive) course of 4 intramuscular injections that should help.
 

doodle

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Mine got hock arthritis. Got steriod injecrion which brought him sound and he carried on jumping, sj and xc. Never needed another injection. He would wear thick stable wraps in the stable and long turnout boots in the field to keep legs warm. After a xc he wore magnetic boots. He then got arthritis in his front fetlocks. 2 sets of injections didnt work so he was retired to hacking 3 times a week and a sachet of danilon. Again wore thick stable banadages in stable and turnout boots
 

hopscotch bandit

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citation welcome.
I don't need to provide a citation to prove this, this is common knowledge to anyone with a physics/physio background or anyone that simply enjoys learning about stuff online. But since you ask

https://www.healthandcare.co.uk/blog/does-magnetic-therapy-work.html
https://www.bioflow.com/uk/about-bioflow/magnetic-therapy-guide/
https://www.epainassist.com/alternative-therapy/magnets-and-pain-management - (how are magnets used in pain management)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3155400/ (in respect of cancer)
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/magnets-kill-cancer-cells (referring to cancer again)
 

hopscotch bandit

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Of course they don't realise it because it is pure bullshit.
Why is it bullshit? Its well known that when veins or arteries are subjected to an opposing magnetic field blood flow increases, which in turn speeds healing of tissue and provides warmth to the area. It's also known that this can provide pain relief by stimulating endorphins to reduce pain perception. It's not bullshit, its simple science!

Obviously it depends on what strength the magnets are and how they are placed in the rug/boot etc as to how effective they are. It's like anything you pay for the quality. Neodynium magnets are best - these are the worlds strongest commercially available magnet and these are what are found in Bioflow Boots.

I agree with Rabatsa that not everything works on every person/horse. All I know is what I see from my own horse as to how effective they are with her.
 
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rabatsa

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Magnets do not work for every horse or person. It is a try and see thing. My OH used to swear by his magnetic bracelet doing good until the day I pointed out that he had left it in the bathroom two weeks previous and not noticed any difference. My sister on the other hand can tell within 2 hours when she has left hers off.
 

TotalMadgeness

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He's a 'hot' horse so I have to be a wee bit careful with rugging otherwise he gets very sweaty and unhappy. I started to use liners a few years ago to increase warmth (and decrease should he overheat!) and these seem to be working nicely for him. Never thought about turnout boots though - that sounds like a plan - thank you! He did get mud fever in the past but I've sorted my fields out with hard standing areas at the gates to minimise him standing in mud for lengthy periods of time. This appears to be working - absolutely no mud fever for the past couple of years. He does have mud hosed off occasionally but a) it is usually seldom higher than his fetlocks & not on his hocks and b) I immediately rub him dry with towels and put quick dry (thermatex) wraps on. Stable wraps (other than his quick dry ones which I remove after a few hours) I haven't tried yet so that sounds like another very good idea. He can't have 24/7 turnout unfortunately - unless I do something radical like set up a 'permanent' track system where his grass intake can be restricted during the summer and where deep mud can be avoided (we're on clay).

Well I'm off to buy him some turnout boots and stable wraps! And put a lottery ticket on for the track system (Hey, I can dream can't I?).

(PS I've used magnetic boots and wraps but they really don't help him - apologies to all the magnet boot fans out there!)
 
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