Symptoms of arthritis in hocks please

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Butterflylily

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For those who have horses with hock arthritis, what symptoms did they display?
My mare is 17 and has been experiencing pain in the middle of her back. We got the vet out and they said that she could have hock arthritis but when feeling her joints, said they all seem in order and didn’t do any flexion tests. The vet didn’t bring their xray machine therefore we couldn’t get it checked out then and there. I have researched symptoms and she is definitely tracking up very well and equally with both hind legs in walk and trot. Harder to tell in canter but looks even.

She has been cantering around her field and trotted up with plenty of impulsion and looks completely sound and moves freely in walk and trot but looks tight over her back in canter. (She is due a back treatment but wanted to find if she was compensating for something else)

Personally I don’t think she has hock arthritis but wanted to know common symptoms aligned with having hock arthritis from others experience rather than just a google search and if anyone has had a horse displaying similar symptoms to mine that would be helpful!
 
My lad was resting one hind leg more than the other, not lame, was tracking up, then one hock came up badly swollen and hot. Vet reckoned he'd had a knock. Xray showed horrendous arthritis in that one hock, the other was clear. He had arthramid which kept him comfortable enough to lightly hack for a couple more years. The swelling went down but left the joint enlarged, and he started being noticeably lame in trot so he retired. This was several years ago. He's still with me, still very active, tracks up well and evenly in walk, slight nod in trot, often to be seen racing the 3 yr old foster pony around my track and happy on bute ongoing.
 
My carriage horse started backing off and threatening to rear after we pulled off the road and wanted to get back on over a small rise at the edge back onto the road. He had been pulling into this passing place on that road for several years and this was a sudden new development. Straight to the vet and hocks + sacroiliac problems diagnosed and treated.
 
Landcruiser said:
My lad was resting one hind leg more than the other, not lame, was tracking up, then one hock came up badly swollen and hot. Vet reckoned he'd had a knock. Xray showed horrendous arthritis in that one hock, the other was clear. He had arthramid which kept him comfortable enough to lightly hack for a couple more years. The swelling went down but left the joint enlarged, and he started being noticeably lame in trot so he retired. This was several years ago. He's still with me, still very active, tracks up well and evenly in walk, slight nod in trot, often to be seen racing the 3 yr old foster pony around my track and happy on bute ongoing.
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Thank you. She stands like a rock whenever she’s tied up or even just stood in her field- super square on in front and behind. If she did have arthritis it wouldn’t matter as she’s got a home for life but I think it’s something else
 
Not wanting to walk in from the field once caught but otherwise completely sound in all work including jumping until one day went very lame and xrays showed advance hock arthritis. Must hack been hiding the pain for a long time and then it tipped over into not being able to disguise it anymore 😢genuinely was not a single other sign
 
Weve had several older horses over the last few years with arthritic hocks.

Symptoms they've shown are:
Reluctance to walk downhill
Pacing when walking downhill
Keen to jump, stopping on takeoff
Travelling badly- either unsettled, very mobile or unable to balance
Reactive to flexion tests to varying degrees.
Difficulties getting up or down

Not a single one was uneven or unlevel in their paces. I guess over time, they'd lost their extravagance of movement but that would have been a slow deterioration and much less obvious

They each had steroids and /or arthramid which prolonged their comfort and working life. Of the 3, 2 are with a friend, living out their days as occasionally ridden pasture ornaments.
Best of luck with yours
 
My 5 year old has just been diagnosed with hock arthritis! Tricky picking up hind legs for farrier, saddle slipping to right, lame on right hind, not wanting to go forward in arena, napping, also girthiness (but that was ulcers)! She was fine through back though and seen by physio 6 weeks before she starting showing that there were issues!
 
My 9yr old has changes in her hocks/fusing.
First signs were not wanting to jump. (She always tried her hardest so knew something was up.)
Jumping into trot up hills
She’d trail her sorer hind leg behind her when standing.
Tight in her hind, especially hamstrings during physio and resistant on flexions.

There was also other behavioural things that showed she just wasn’t particularly happy.

Her changes were slight according to the vet but it obviously bothered her a lot.
 
Hi I have had my horse 3 years and he is now 16 and is a big horse 17.2. He felt completely sound until very recently. We took up dressage and did very well until we went up to elementary in March. Went to a show and judge said she marked me down because he looked unlevel behind. I watched the video my friend took and she was right.

He was “unlevel” behind for 8 weeks, he had physio for his twisted pelvis (he had this since 5 years) then I got a sports medicine vet out. Had both hocks injected and arthropen for four weeks. He was sound within 3 days and remains so.

The signs were:
Dragging of hind toes (now I noticed the wear on his hooves)
Felt unlevel doing medium trot
Tripping on front end
Hind limbs not coming forward equally
Rested his right hind alot

The fact he came sound after treatment means he has AO. So I will have him medicated every 6 months to keep the buffer in the joints topped up to protect the longer term wear.

I won’t jump him again but have got him back into full time dressage work and started at shows last weekend
 
Mine had a lot of stiffness behind when stabled for prolonged periods (didn’t get much turnout last winter) and she was kicking out in the stable. The stiffness eased off with exercise. Positive flexions with the physio so we had her nerve blocked and X-rayed at the vet hospital. She’s had Arthramid injections and now flying! Changed her management so she’s out 24/7 now too x
 
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