Taking on a horse with Bone Spavin

charlyan

charlyan

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I have been looking for a companion horse (LWVTB) for my horse for a few months and have spoken to a girl who's horse was diagnosed with bone spavin about 5-6 months ago.

From what i can gather he has been turned away since as companion to a youngster but has not required any medication- so far. His vet says he should be ok for light hacking and schooling. (waiting for full report from her vet).

In every other way, he is everything i am looking for but just wondered what the future may hold and if anyone on here has experience of this.

He is only 9 years old and I know plenty of horses with bone spavin go on to lead long and happy lives in light work but main concern is possibly taking on a horse that may require alot of expensive veterinary treatment in the future.

His owner's main concern is finding a good, long term home for him. She competes and also has a youngster to bring on so would rather he was with someone who has the time to dote on him.She has said she would sign him over to me in the future if he settled well and we were all happy.

If he did come to the stage that he needed to be retired completely then that is not an issue as he would be a second horse anyway and would have a home as a companion only.

Any advice or anything I need to be aware of/ asking about?

Ta much.
 
The my friends horse has bone spavin. He is on No Bute but otherwise leads a perfectly normal and active life. Competes pony club intermediate eventing and sj's up to 1.05m. When she first got him she did have to have the vet out once, who prescribed bute, but we slowly reduced that and now he's just on no bute. I think if you're only going to be doing hacking and light schooling he'l be just fine.
 
Loads of us on here have horses with spavins old new and somewhere in between. Mine went quite noticeably lame behind, was treated (insurance paid up
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) stayed great for a while, went really bad and I very nearly put him on loan as a happy hacker, but I couldn't part with him and he came as sound as I have ever known him to be! He has always moved shall we say 'uniquely to him' but he can gallop and jump with the best of them and is perfect for me.
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I'd go and see exactly how lame he is now and where in the course of it he is - they typically go unlevel or show reduced willingness and ability to use hind limb/s as much as they have before. There may be bilateral stiffness (or just one worse than the other) and back soreness due to compensatory gait and then when the affected joint fuses, if it does and some don't, soundness returns - or an approximation to it. Mine charges about and leaps up and down like a lunatic in the field, so he's not that sore!

Price would depend on what his future may be but even silly money couldn't buy my horse from me - or an exact replacement. He's worth his weight in gold - so priceless.

See also Pidgeon on here. Her's is the same. Been in and out the other side of spavin.
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ETA mine's on no medication either. There was (a coincidental) noticeable improvement when I gave him Maxavita's green-lipped mussel pills but they were too dear to carry on with
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If I really do excessive work, I might consider giving him a Danilon afterwards, but it's not even worth mentioning for the amount of times I have needed to.
 
Thanks for both responses. Both very useful in helping me make a decision.

As far as I'm aware, he is currently sound and vet has given the all clear to start work again and he has been fine. He had been lame off and on for a year or so before he was diagnosed.

Obviously any insurance I take out will not cover this condition so wanted to find out how much vet attention he may require in the future- although this will clearly vary from case to case.

Looks like I might be getting a new horse shortly then- (as long as everything else checks out ok)! His owners are friends of a good friend so all positive

Thanks for your replies x
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ETA: Interesting about the No Bute. Hadn't thought of that as an option to Bute/ Danilon, although I guess it depends on the degree of discomfort. Would a joint supplement be any use- to prevent further degeneration of the joints?
 
You can't prevent further degeneration or the progress of arthritis - which is why it's such a major issue with people and animals. The pain is the problem and obviously since it's bones in moving joints, arthritis is usually a big no-no. But because they are non articulating bones in the case of classic spavin, once the bones have fused, it matters not. It's the arthritic activity of the bones whilst the spavin forms which cause the limping - but don't ask me how that works!

Good idea to find out as much as you can - and it's worth a look at a diagram of the hock bones. You'll notice the joint which is usually affected at the top of the cannon bone - and how close it is to the other bones in there which will certainly be serious trouble if they get arthritis in. It seems odd to me that evolution has left this apparently surplus 'joint' which is apparently extra to what's required and which causes trouble
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Interestingly, there are many articles which claim very few cases of hock spavin resolve spontaneously/see joints fuse completely, even over a long time, yet anecdotal evidence seems to say otherwise! For which I am very glad and also evidence!
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Thanks, Brighteyes.

Have been reading up on spavin today and once I've spoken to the vets will hopefully be able to take him on. Going into it with my eyes open.
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He's a lovely wee horse with good breeding and perfect in every other way.
 
Most horses start having degenerative changes in their joints from 9 years old.

My horse was diagnosed when he was 10, but I knew he had the start of them when I got him as he was stiff behind for 15 mins at the start of hacking.

He is now 16 and has more problems from his side bone.

It depends on where the bone spavin is. If it is in the tarsometatarsal joints, the lower joints of the hocks, this is better than in the upper joints.

Bone spavin eventually fuses and then is pain free.

Gentle exercise on soft ground is good, lunging, tight circles not so good, trotting on roads not so good.
 
My companion light hack is exactly what you are describing.

I bought him knowing he has spavins, but he met my companion criteria exactly.

He developed his spavins at 14 and his right hock has not fused. It did not respond to joint injections and the vets don't consider him to be a tildren candidate. He is now 17.

Has no problems in the field. Bombs about to the extent that i have seen my warmblood fall over
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trying to emulate his buddy. He has 1 danilon a day to keep him comfy for light hacking and schooling.

If this is an ex competition horse, my only query is to establish how sane it is if only ridden gently a couple of times a week. my little guy could do with a lot more work over winter.
 
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Loads of top comp horses have spavin. Just crack on as normal once joints are fused. Dont know why there is such a fuss about it all!!

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It depends on where the spavin is - lower joint ok, upper joint not so much. My 7 yr old has just been retired due to arthritis in the upper joint. It was heartbreaking for me and we have been through absolutely everything including MRI, full xrays (twice), 5 sets of vets, 2 specialists and have racked up thousands in vets bills which are no longer covered by insurance - so yes, there was a bit of fuss involved.

To the OP - if the horse is suitable as a companion and that is what you want him for then have him. If you can ride him I would consider that a bonus.

Just bear in mind that you might need to put him on something to ease any stiffness (e.g. bute, danilon, devils claw, no bute) and a joint supplement helps as more strain is put on the other joints to compensate for the hocks. I have also found magnets to be brilliant and mine wears them 24/7. also, as much turnout as possible but try to keep the weight down so as not to overload the hocks. Some days in winter he might get very stiff, and on those days he might appreciate coming in at night.

Good luck - it sounds as though he would very lucky to come to you.
 
should have added that mine is a joint supplement, and also gets the massage pad on him lots, and regular visits from the physio.

the most crucial thing for any companion is that they can cope with being home alone (obviously in stable with grub) when the other horse is out.
 
He's apparently fairly quiet and not the type to get silly if not ridden every day- (he was only competing at local level). He's in low level light work at the moment. And the spavin is in the lower joint, thankfully.

There are ponies over the fence that he can see and speak to if my other horse is out plus possibly the Shetland I currently have on loan may be staying longer than we thought so he'll never be completely alone.

Thanks for the replies. x
 
Mine has spavins in both hocks - he qualified for Trailblazers second round yesterday in dressage and will hunt over the winter, fairly hard hopefully!

I don't think it's the end of the world nor is it a death sentence. I believe that once the spavins have fused, you shouldn't expect any more problems...

Mine has the odd stiff day and does need a joint supplement but he's better than ever ATM. He was medicated recently though...
 
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