How many horses are still competing and hunting with bone spavin?

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Lucyad

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My 9y/o horse was diagnosed with bone spavin this spring. After a course of Adequan IV injections and being put on Cosequin, as well as a strict reigeme of 2 months of walking in straight lines, then a gradual increase in exercise, he became sound, and has been cleared to do pretty much what we did before - competing at riding club level SJ, XC and dressage. I have also been told I should be OK to hunt as long as I take it easy, warm up well, and maybe restrict myself to a half day on good ground.

I had hoped to start ODE with my horse this year, just at Intro level (and just a couple a year, on a ticket).

Does anyone have experience of a horse that has continued to compete and hunt, with bone spavin? Does maintaining this level of work eventually reduce productive working lifespan, or cause longer term damage? Or now that things have settled down, should I just get on with things again? How much should I hope for, and should I limit my dreams to avoid disapointment?

I have asked the vet about tildren but she doesn't think that it is required, and, because ot worked well, recommended using another course of Adequan just before my insurance runs out.
 
Mine
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Low level dressage, the odd bit of jumping and if I can settle him down, a fairly full season of hunting.

We're currently only doing Prelim dressage so nothing exciting but am hoping for bigger and better things. He's sound as a pound ATM and doing really well. He has spavin in both hocks. Vet said to keep working him, pick my surfaces carefully but be aware that the harder he works (in his case a lot of jumping, which he won't be doing, or dressage above Nov/Elem), the quicker he will go lame again. It's a case of lighter work over a longer period or potentially hard work but shorter useful life. He's had one lot of cortisone and two courses of Adequan so far. He's 14 though so it's less of an issue re. his "competitive life". I'm not going to suddenly develop a talent for dressage so I guess I'm lucky that I'm happy at the level he is capable of (make sense?).
 
I dont hunt with mine but I compete unaffiliated nov and elem dressage, combined training, one day events, pleasure rides. I am just careful with him, realise he sometimes is a bit stiff coming out of his stable, warm him up and cool him down for a bit longer than I used to, and keep him warm and well fed. I don't do a lot of cantering on grass and when I do a one day event I don't blast around not that I have ever done that with this one anyway - bit too unpredictable. He has another course of Tildren late next month before my insurance claim runs out. He is also shod with lateral extensions on the hind feet which helps him. As long as you are careful I think it all works out okay, but I suppose each horse is different. I was devastated to hear he had bone spavin last year but it really isn't that limiting anymore wiht all the treatment that they can have. Just be sensible and think about the hard ground a little more.
 
Thanks, a few success stories there then!

Sounds like taking it easy will be best for his long term health though - maybe more dressage than jumping, and stick to good surfaces.

Would love to hear of any more stories.
 
We compete in SJ, HT's, ODE's, DR etc etc
Hock spavin in his off hind, had cortisteroid jabs and is on NJS daily. Careful on hard ground.
This was us out on Sunday fence is about 2'8"
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My boy has low grade Spavin, he was slightly lame, he was diagnosed summer last year and was treated and came sound and back in full work within a couple of weeks!, he has the long lasting steroid injections as well as joint supplement- I aim to get him out to dressage over the winter at novice level and go from there, he schools, hacks out etc, I don't jump him and you wouldn't know theres anything wrong with him. It is degenerative though so mine will not get better but can be managed, am careful not to over push him or work on bad surfaces/ground and I won't trot him on the roads. I think theres probably lots of horses, even at the very top levels who have Spavin, but are still able to compete! good luck though with the competing and hunting.
 
good
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there is hope after hock spavin, have a look at some of my PG posts to see more pics of Pidge working, playing and jumping - which he loves most of all
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Tip - when jumping keep an eye on his hind legs as long as they are together on take off he is putting equal weight on both, if not he may be favouring his bad leg so keep an eye on it
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That's a good tip, thanks. He doesn't tell you when it gets sore (I guess adrenaline takes over). This was him the day before he went lame for the first time.
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Looking back, he probably had been feeling sore for a while, because he was having problems balancing in the trailer with the partition in, and started being reluctant to pick up his front hooves.
 
I take each day as it comes but won't stop jumping until we have to as he absolutely adores it and my attitude is he should enjoy life to the full while he can. Keep him fit, work him properly from behind, and don't let him get fat.
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Bronson was diagnosed with it in his back right leg in March, following a period of on-off lameness since boxing day... He never got the injections though, just bute and inhand walking, and I started hacking him out again in April, then he was given the 'all clear' by the vet in June. Since then he did three days at PC camp, jumping some of the massive fences
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and has showjumped, done a little bit of dressage and evented.
This is him two weeks ago:
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he did clear it, despite my best efforts to get him in at the bottom of the fence!

However, he's gone lame again now, so is back on bute - we'd nearly weaned him off it, but he'll probably need to stay on two sachets a week to keep him sound, or start him on No Bute when we run out of the proper bute...
 
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