Riding arthritic horses...

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itsapiebald

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Hi,

I have a 17 year old pony who has diagnosed arthritis in his left hock, he had a steroid injection into that hock in October. Since then he's been full of energy, striding out fully in both back legs and he's been loving life. I only hack him out in walk now because I don't want to make him any worse.

Although he hasn't been diagnosed with arthritis in his knees, he's very stiff and the farrier agrees that he's gotten more stiff recently.

When I rode the other day he seemed to be lacking the energy and 'sparkle' that he normally has when hacking out. I know this is only one ride, but I'm always worrying about him...

So the question is, do I keep riding him to help his arthritis or do I give him abit of time off and see if he's happier being ridden in a few weeks?

To be honest he doesn't seem happy in general, he hates being turned out because he doesn't like mud, he doesn't like staying in because he wants to be with his friends and now he's not enjoying being ridden ☹️
 
Arthritics are generally best managed when they are kept moving, so as much turnout as possible and low impact exercise where possible.
Speak to your vet about your concerns, personally I'd be considering bute at this stage from what you have said.
 
I agree it's question for the vet but in a similar situation I was advised by my vet to 'bute the horse and keep him moving with short gentle rides. Unfortunately the horse had very little concept of gentle rides and in the end I used to take him in hand as he was much calmer being led.
 
He's turned out 11/12 hours a day at the moment but only ridden once a week as with the dark nights we can't really get out much. I am going to start buting him again, he has it prescribed but hasn't needed it much since the steroids
 
Can I also add... we had the same issue this time last year. The vet came out and agreed he was stiff. He was also stumbling and abit footsore, it turned out that because he was in a muddy field his hooves were softening. Didn't want you all thinking that the vet wasn't aware of the issue...he has the vet often :)
Luckily, last year when the warmer weather came he was much better so this is really a question about whether riding him would help his joints or just make things worse
 
Based on my experiences I would suggest that you ride out with knee pads on just in case he stumbles so that his knees are not damaged.
Also may be worthwhile to roll toes on his front feet t make it easier for him.
Try to ride him each day on level ground.
 
OWLIE185 said:
Based on my experiences I would suggest that you ride out with knee pads on just in case he stumbles so that his knees are not damaged.
Also may be worthwhile to roll toes on his front feet t make it easier for him.
Try to ride him each day on level ground.
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Thankyou, i will start riding him more now the nights are getting lighter and will definitely look into getting knee pads for him.

Also looking at getting knee and hock boots for him in the stable if anyone can recommend any which fit a 14.1hh HEAVYWEIGHT cob... I am yet to find any boots to fit his legs lol
 
Mine is out full time, on Bute during cold wet weather as she looks a bit sore when the ground is frozen or if she gets wet and cold. I haven't ridden her over winter but will ease off the Bute as it warms up and start gentle hacking to see how she is. Living out made a huge difference to her and my other elderly horse I lost last year. The other one's soundness improved a lot when she retired and was sound when she was pts at 25.
The other thing that really helps her stiffness is her weight, hard to manage when not working and living out 24/7 but even a little weight loss can help.
 
I wouldn't use them in the stable but the best knee boots which will adjust to fit anything are the woof wear hardshell black ones. Bought a pair for a tenner second hand to replace the ones which disappeared while the horse was on loan and they have been used on every new horse I've bought from 14hh to 17hh and still look brand new.
 
If you are planning to use knee boots for riding the only ones that I find stay in place whatever you do are Jefferies leather ones which I have been using for 25 years. Their straps are very long on both cob and full size so can accommodate even the heaviest boned animal.
 
It may be worth trying him on a supplement for arthritis as well, I have been using boswellia for my horse who has it in his stifle and have had very good results. He can't have bute as makes him grouchy but this is great and also soothing on the stomach unlike bute :)
 
We have a shockingly arthritic 30+ year old pony. He receives no medication, but is out 24/7 on water meadow to keep him moving. The only time it really shows is when he's been laying down to have a sun-bathe. As he gets up, he can hardly walk for a minute or so. I think we'd have to shoot him within the week if he were stabled.

The other day he went for his first ride out in about 4 months with my youngest daughter on board, and was so excited about it that he was cantering the verges, neck arched, and prancing like a four year old. :)
 
Maybe try him on Turmeric. I was quite sceptical but it really made a difference to my arthritic 23 yo. Went from gentle hacks at walk to having the occasional canter when ground conditions good. He seems less stiff in the mornings now when I turn him out.
 
He's 17. His arthritis is never going to go away, and his quality of life would outweigh the risk of long term painkillers for me. I'd check with a vet, but if he were mine I'd give him a daily maintenance dose of bute/danilon to keep him comfortable and gently exercise him - little and often is the key.

Also, and there's no scientific proof that i know of, but Cortaflex made a huge different to my big horse and our two older horses are on it throughout the winter. It does seem to help, though I'm not sure why!
 
smja said:
He's 17. His arthritis is never going to go away, and his quality of life would outweigh the risk of long term painkillers for me. I'd check with a vet, but if he were mine I'd give him a daily maintenance dose of bute/danilon to keep him comfortable and gently exercise him - little and often is the key.

Also, and there's no scientific proof that i know of, but Cortaflex made a huge different to my big horse and our two older horses are on it throughout the winter. It does seem to help, though I'm not sure why!
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Same here. It's a case of trial and error I think finding a joint supplement that works - probably why there are so many on the market - each horse reacts differently, but cortaflex (or cortavet) do make a difference for us. My 15yo has just been started on one Danilon a day after the second round of steroid injections only lasted 5mths (first round lasted a year). He's bouncing round like a 5yo again. I was initially sad that we were already on the bute at 15, but seeing his airs above the ground in the field and having him hacking out like a rocket again has convinced me it's definitely the right thing to do.
 
My lad is 19 and has arthritis of the front feet and by now a lot of other places. He is on danilon, usually one every other day, or one a day depending on what we are doing. He is also on turmeric. He does really well, he is what I call semi retired in that we only hack. He enjoys this, I don't put any pressure on him and let him pick the speed. I did used to do some unaffiliated intros with him to get him out and about but some people got upset because he was too good at them :D We now just hack and he is companion to my new horse. All work is undertaken with vets permission and he has the Chiro vet twice a year to make sure he is comfortable. He seems happy and is still very enthusiastic about going out, sometimes a bit too enthusiastic....... and if you get my meaning......whoosh!
 
I've got my big, arthritic lad on Science Supplements Flexability, and the difference has been astounding. I wasn't hugely convinced by joint supplements previously, but I have to say, he's like a different horse since I started using it. It's one of the few (if not the only) joint supplement to have undergone proper randomised blind crossover clinical trials, with very good results. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080616304749
 
My 18yr old mare has arthritis in both hocks and front coffin joints, she's on a sachet of bute a day and lives out 24/7. I count her as semi retired since she was diagnosed at 15, I hack her out 2/3 times a week at the moment only in walk as she is unlevel in trot and sometimes in walk! - a process she doesn't appreciate she's always wanting to go into trot. I'm hoping that once the weather warms up then she might be better - last autumn she was so "up for it" that she completed a local 10 mile charity ride in 1.25 hrs and that was with me holding her back!!
I've discussed it with the vet and they agree that I base her exercise on how she is, she really enjoys going out. If we set off and she doesn't feel right then we turn round and go home, if she's ok then we do upto 3/4hr-1hr hack. The vets are happy with that plan and it seems to work for her. She's with me until the great paddock in the sky, when she's not right enough to ride then she will carry on being a field ornament until she doesn't come bustling up to mug me for her feed!!
I've tried turmeric and boswellia but neither seem to have made much difference to her.
 
Supplements don't really do anything for my boy so he's on danilon when he looks to be struggling. His feet have got a bit sore in the damp so he's been on 2 a day for the past few days (he's 750kg) and this morning came down from the top of the field at the gallop and bucking. Down to 1 a day from tonight....

I haven't ridden him since boxing day because our tracks were too icy and are now deep mud - which he struggles with. Vet advice is to keep him ticking over with danilon when necessary until i think he's had enough.
 
Weather and the hock injection likely to be wearing off now. Either get vet back for another injection or put him on danillon to take out inflammation, then try and work out a minimal dose. A lot of older arthritic horses get grumpy in this weather with little grass about. Keep him moving. Don't feed anything with soya oil and give turmeric a try? Back on track hock boots help ease my lads hocks as they reflect back infrared heat through the ceramic infused particles, apparently. Also you might try lifting his mood a little with a nice physio massage if you want to pamper him. Don't over rug so he has to move about in field to keep warm.
 
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Thankyou for all the replies! I really do appreciate it!!
He's currently on Devils claw, apple cider vinegar and glucosamine supplements, we've only started the glucosamine very recently so I won't be expecting to see any results from that yet. He's been on Devils claw over a year now, I'm starting to wonder if it's losing its effect abit. I know the side effects with Devils claw but if it helps him then I'd rather give it to him seeing as his arthritis is severe.

And for those of you who said about his hock injections wearing off...his knees are what are causing him the issues now, some days he goes a little bit short in his back legs but once he's moving he's fine. I don't think it's fair on him to be having injections in both knees and a hock...potentially both knees at some point. It just doesn't seem fair on him seeing as it is quite painful.

I would definitely say it's a mixture of the weather and him being stabled at night that's making him like this but I can't put him out 24/7 through the winter as he hates going out, I turn him out at 6am and by 3pm he's waiting at the gate ��
 
itsapiebald said:
Thankyou for all the replies! I really do appreciate it!!
He's currently on Devils claw, apple cider vinegar and glucosamine supplements, we've only started the glucosamine very recently so I won't be expecting to see any results from that yet. He's been on Devils claw over a year now, I'm starting to wonder if it's losing its effect abit. I know the side effects with Devils claw but if it helps him then I'd rather give it to him seeing as his arthritis is severe.

And for those of you who said about his hock injections wearing off...his knees are what are causing him the issues now, some days he goes a little bit short in his back legs but once he's moving he's fine. I don't think it's fair on him to be having injections in both knees and a hock...potentially both knees at some point. It just doesn't seem fair on him seeing as it is quite painful.

I would definitely say it's a mixture of the weather and him being stabled at night that's making him like this but I can't put him out 24/7 through the winter as he hates going out, I turn him out at 6am and by 3pm he's waiting at the gate ��
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y

It's your choice, others can only advise or say what they would do in a similar situation, so are you going to ride him or not? What have you decided? Hope things work out ....
 
Achinghips said:
y

It's your choice, others can only advise or say what they would do in a similar situation, so are you going to ride him or not? What have you decided? Hope things work out ....
Click to expand...

Going to inhand walk him for a few more weeks and see what he's like, if he's not tripping then I'll ride him. If he is I'll get the vet to come and have a look at him. If this years anything like last year then his knees should be much better when the warmer weather comes. I don't want you to think I'm not taking on this advice, I really am it's just hard to know what to do when at the end of the day I have to make the decisions which are best for him if you know what I mean?
 
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