Stiffness in back legs

[Ly1327]

So, a few years ago my mare was diagnosed with rear hock injury to her left leg. We saw a few vets and the last the one said put her on bute. She’s 15 now. It’s been a few years now and she has done well on the bute. We haven’t had any issues. Only thing is now she is getting even more stiffer than usual. To the point where my dad has noticed it when it came up
To the yard. I’ve been monitoring her for the past few days, and I am going to get the back physio out. Just to rule out anything going on there.

I’m also tempted to call the vet but not until after the back physio has been.

Does anybody have any advice on where to go for from here?

 

[mini-eventer]

if she's on bute and looks stiff to a none horsey person she likely needs a vet. - before the physio

 

[JBM]

Possibly arthritis kicking in now?

 

[Widgeon]

If she's visibly lame / stiff I would get the vet to take a look. The physio would probably say the same. It might be worth considering something like steroid jabs or arthramid if she does have arthritis (which would definitely be up there on my list of suspicions!).

 

[Ly1327]

If she's visibly lame / stiff I would get the vet to take a look. The physio would probably say the same. It might be worth considering something like steroid jabs or arthramid if she does have arthritis (which would definitely be up there on my list of suspicions!).

She has had steroid jabs when we first discovered her legs a few years ago. They only lasted around 3 months. At the time the vet was saying about her hocks infused which is why we went for the second opinion and they said bute

 

[Ly1327]

if she's on bute and looks stiff to a none horsey person she likely needs a vet. - before the physio

my dads not a horsey person per say, but he was around when her leg was playing up the first time around. He was there at enough appointments & lunging when she was lame to know what to look for. But yeah, I’ve called the vet out coming this weekend

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Likely hock arthritis kicking in. Get vet to do a lameness work up with some nerve blocks and if positive then an xray.

Is she already on a good joint supplement? I've used the equimins flexijoint, admittedly at the same time as having her hocks fused so I can't say for certain it made any difference but she at least looks good on all the other joints

 

[Birker2020]

At the time the vet was saying about her hocks infused which is why we went for the second opinion and they said bute

Do you mean the vet said her hocks had fused?

Did they detect that with an xray?

Not all hocks fuse and sometimes injections need to be repeated.

What’s the prognosis?​

In the early stages of bone spavin, it is not uncommon for vets to advise an owner to put the horse on bute and keep working him in the hope that the joint will eventually fuse naturally. Although this is a good approach in many cases, the concept that “all hocks eventually fuse” is a falsehood. It is the exception rather than the rule which gets to this point naturally. Most horses will show lameness again as soon as the painkillers are stopped.
Successful fusion of the lower hock joints by intervention enables most horses to return to work and experience a good improvement in lameness. No technique is 100% successful at achieving fusion, however. Success rates for drilling are typically around 70%, with results following alcohol injections seemingly less consistent.

 

[Birker2020]

At the time the vet was saying about her hocks infused which is why we went for the second opinion and they said bute

Link to info above. Phone playing up.

Hock fusion: diagnosis, treatment and prognosis *H&H VIP* - Horse & Hound

What makes the bones in the hock joint grow together — and why would we choose to speed up the process with surgical intervention? Matt Smith MRCVS unravels the frequently misunderstood problem of hock fusion

www.horseandhound.co.uk