lameness work-up

[Kirstd33]

So after approx 6-8 weeks of worsening hind end stiffness and reluctance at the mounting block I had the vet out yesterday to the yard to give (nearly 15 yr old) coblet the once over. As a first time owner I didn't know what to expect really but a fellow livery was with with me and she said that the attending vet conducted a very thorough check over, both static and moving at walk and trot. Unfortunately coblet failed both the flexion tests with the right being the worst and the left less so with the vets suspicions being his hocks as the culprit but obviously only on his gut feel at this point. He took his time to thoroughly explain everything to me but as this point he recommended that the pony goes into his equine hospital next week and undergoes further tests starting with xrays and nerve blocks to hopefully confirm his diagnosis.

Coblet is fully insuranced with NFU so am I right in thinking that I now have to contact them and start a claim? Any advice would be so appreciated as I'm a bit lost with how to proceed and along with any good stories and outcomes?! The vet was keen to stress that gentle exercise is good for coblet and that if it is arthritis then there are some very good treatments we can start him on and that he sees no reason why he can't return to being the little happy hacker is he, just that he doesn't recommend schooling/lunging or much jumping> I did ask about painkillers for him but he said not at this point until we have a clearer diagnosis and plan.

 

[Birker2020]

Once you have a diagnosis of bone spavin (hock arthritis) its more of a lifestyle change than anything:

• Your horse will need as much turnout as possible, he will need to get those joints moving
• You will need to keep his weight down as much as possible (as carrying less weight helps enormously with joint function)
• You will need to reduce or eliminate trotting on the road and other hard surfaces due to the concussive effect of doing this
• Reduce or eliminate very soft going
• Regular exercise in smaller amounts is beneficial than two hours once a week
• A decent joint supplement to be fed daily
• The use of an excellent farrier who can look at the xrays and assess the horses foot balance and work and making the best hoof placement possible, possibly remedial shoeing for your horse if he does what mine did and placed his foot midline in an effort to stop the discomfort - so he had lateral extensions. Regular shoeing (like every five weeks)
• Pain relief (with an intra articular injection of steroid & HA)

There is no reason for your horse not to go back to what it was doing before but you just need to modify your competitions, i.e. not jump so high, stop doing XC on hard ground, etc.
Lunging puts undue stress on joints so isn't really recommended.

I continued competing my horse on vets advice for many years afterwards but I did very little XC, still did fun rides, SJ and dressage.

She had the joint injections which didn't work.
She went on to have Tildren that didn't work.
Se then went on to have chemical arthrodesis and never looked back. They don't do this much anymore though.

 

[Alibear]

Yep, let NFU know now. They have a right to know about any vet treatment regardless of whether you claim it, and letting them know sets everything in motion.

As mentioned above, there are a lot of very effective treatments for hock arthritis, so try not to worry too much. It is well worth going in for the x-rays etc, to identify exactly what the problem is before you start treatment.
That said, sometimes it takes a few trips, so try not to build this up as a big thing; it's just a step on the way to getting your horse comfortable again.
It's usual not to use pain relief directly before tests as it would mask the issue and make diagnosis more difficult.