people with arthritics

[weesophz]

Fox hasnt always had the best legs, being an ex racer i always expected he'd end up arthritic at some point.

hes always had quite stiff back legs, and over the last year his hock joints have become quite clicky, only in walk though.

Today when i was up i noticed his hock and fetlock joints (only his back legs) were quite warm. He's not lame and doesnt seem to show any pain, and theres no swelling. All thats running through my mind is that he's developing arthritis and its the beginning of the end

what were the first signs or your horses developing it? am i being paranoid, and if its not arthritis, what could it be?

vet is coming on tuesday to do his teeth so will ask them what they think then

 

[Boulty]

My boy was a bit erm odd. He had no heat, no swelling, none of that initially. All we had to go on was intermittent lameness. It was so slight and so intermittent that it took a few months before we thought it was anything more than a slight strain and then a few more to get him lame enough for long enough to get a lameness workup done. (he kept coming sound the day before the vet was due out!) That was maybe 5 or 6 years ago now. He does now have visibly different sized hocks and can be quite stiff picking them up sometimes. He's been on various treatments through the years from tildren to bute to steroid injections and have just put him back on bute again as he's starting to stiffen up, until I can get a proper word with my vet as to what to do with him next. It definitely doesn't have to be the end. We managed to keep my boy just about sound for several years on a very low bute dose and he was happy popping small fences and going for a gallop. Just trying to see how comfy I can get him again at the moment but hoping to continue hacking in walk, trot and canter with him.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

My mare had clicking hocks, they got warm and swelled up when she was particularly sore. She was 16 when she had her hocks injected. 5 years later she is fine, well she is off danilon only had it when she tells me she is sore or doing a long distance ride, it's frosty or snows.

She acts like she is two most of the time and still jumps in the school. In the winter I have leg wraps on at night to help keep warm and am going to get her some hock wraps from harpys(?) equestrian this year.

It's not the beginning of the end if you are able to help keep them comfortable. I.e lots if movement t/o, riding. My mares stable is huge(she is only 14:3) so has plenty of room to move when they have to be in.

Keeping there weight right is also needed as it takes less pressure off hocks.