Hock Spavins

[Sparkly]

Xrays reveal my horse has a hock spavin which has been causing his lameness
Vet said he can have anti inflamm or steroid injections and he will still be workable and eventually bones will fuse and he will no longer be in pain, but will have a technical mechanical unlevelness (I know this can happen as it did in my mare's knee)

Just appreciate any experiences/ thoughts

 

[_daisy_]

My old pony (now 20) was diagnosed with this approx 2 years ago. She was lame behind without bute. Our options were to have the steroid injections, bute, joint supplements etc. We decided not to go down injection route as she is prone to lammi. We were also advised that if we kept her on bute till the joints fused she would then be pain free and nearly be back to her normal self. We tried the bute and joint supplement and she came sound. She didnt seem to have much unlevelness after that though.
Unfortunately in December last year she was diagnosed with bony changes to her near side stifle joint. We did decide to have the injections this time and it worked well for her but showed up that the same seemed to be happening to her off side too. Shes now retired but shes going to go back for further xrays/injections in a couple of weeks.

 

[seabiscuit]

My event horse has just been retired as a hack because of his hock spavin, t simply did not fuse after 4 years. He swings that leg out instead of flexing it underneath himself, causing pain over his saccroliliac muscles.Joint supps help a teeny bit. Cortisone is only a temporary solution as while offering pain relief it also causes extreme permanent damage to ligament/muscle regeneration ( a one of injection is ok, but a lot of injections will cause ligament/muscles to snap)

Good shoeing, physiotherapy, shockwave treatment, H wave therapy will offer temporary pain relief.

On the other hand my dressage trainers young horse has hock spavins and has never had a days lameness and he is doing adv medium dressage having won loads at medium/elementary

 

[Butterbean]

Our 8yo horse was diagnosed with bone spavin last year, after about 6 months of lameness. We were advised to keep working him, to help the joints fuse, he's been on bute (just 1 a day) and farrier has added wedges to his hind shoes. The wedges in particular have made a huge difference, he isnt unlevel and is actually working better than ever, even jumping again.
So outcome might not be as bad as vet has suggested.

 

[catembi]

I think it makes a difference where the spavin is. My mare had one but it was in the wrong place for it to fuse (between the bigger bones / in a more mobile spot?) & I had to sell her lame as a brood mare. Whereas a girl up the road had a pony with a spavin, but a year later it was perfectly sound & back in full work.

 

[loopylucifer]

mine develpoed spavin after getting bd kick to hock. has changes in two different places. had injections made very little differance is on daniolon daily and senequin. also shod in natural balance. also has front leg problems is in light work no real hill work, schooling or jumping (difficult when stabled at foot of s.downs!) hoping to up work load soon. friends pony diagnosied with spavin 7yrs ago had injections evry 1yr 18mths with one but evry other day and has done evrything jumping dressage (up to medium!) with no problems he is also now shod with n.b shoes. so every horse is differnt! gd luck!

 

[Safina]

My boy was diagnosed with a hock spavin in Jan 2006 after suddenly falling very lame.

My vet was of the opinion that steroid injections and corrective shoeing would be the best treatment and he was right. Within 2 weeks he was only 1/10 lame (not on bute) and has only needed one top up jab since in June 2006.

He is now on a joint supplement, has a lateral extention shoe and has a magnestic hock boot (might just be a placebo but anything that might help eh?) and is sound and in work. He would not pass a vet and needs regualr exercise to stop him getting stiff and on the odd frosty morning he can take a while to warm up but is otherwise ok.

We compete in prelim dressage and XC/SJ up to 3ft without any problems although I doubt he'll progress much further in dressage as his stiffness does show a little more when we extend and do lateral work.

Good luck with the treatment, bone spavins are not always the end of the world especially if they are managed well and you listen to what your horse is telling you