What work do your arthritics do?

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Sophstar

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My boy went lame start of November and after a couple of vet call outs the vet suggested it was arthritis, possibly bone spavins and to keep him ticking over on bute. He had the winter off with short walks either in hand or ridden nearly every other day and was maintained on devils claw with bute to help him during -8 nights. I have kept him working only in WALK but he has been seen cantering full speed across the field no problem:rolleyes: He loves his walks out and recently been going out for 1hr and half + and he manages to march the entire way and appears to have come sound. The vet saw him again last week and said to keep him moving is the best to keep him for stiffening up and spavins will cause rough lame patches and then periods of soundness.

My friend has a youngster who she wants to get out to some sponsored rides for some experience and fittening and my boy at 20 has been the old man leading the way, and I was weighing up whether he could manage them. I have no intention to blast him round the ride and as the youngster is very quiet they aim to walk the entirety which suits me fine if it means he gets a day out walking somewhere new:)

Just wanted to know what your arthritics do?
 
Mine hacked until 23 then retired and has been a field ornament and good company for my younger horses since then, she still looks good at 27 maintained on her danilon to keep her comfy. She took off up the field yesterday, cantering and bucking, as long as she feels that good im jappy to keep her going :D
 
Mine has bone spavins in both hocks and articular ringbone in his left fore. He had a difficult time last year and I thought he would need to be PTS (really struggled with the very hard ground in spring) but with my vet I worked out the right way to manage him and changed to a fantastic remedial farrier who IMHO has been his saviour. He was only lightly worked for most of last summer, mainly hacking in straight lines.

New farrier told me that unless he was outright lame, the more work I did with him, the better he thought he would be. Told me that he'd work through stiffness and if I could keep him moving, it would be better for him. He was right :) Horse has had 8 days' hunting this season along with plenty of hacking, some lunging/long reining and occasional schooling session in the arena. I also school him while hacking. It seems that the more work he does, the happier and healthier he is.
 
chestnut cob said:
New farrier told me that unless he was outright lame, the more work I did with him, the better he thought he would be. Told me that he'd work through stiffness and if I could keep him moving, it would be better for him. He was right :) Horse has had 8 days' hunting this season along with plenty of hacking, some lunging/long reining and occasional schooling session in the arena. I also school him while hacking. It seems that the more work he does, the happier and healthier he is.
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It's stories like that that give me hope! He had his hind shoes taken off immediately and that seems to have helped a lot. When he was first seen to he was very sore and miserable but he *touch wood* is improving every week with the odd day here and there where he's a bit sore and stiff. He is very slow when initially worked but after 20 mins or so it's like someone flicks a switch and he goes into full on marching mode and loosens up a lot through his back. I'm not expecting him to fly round the rides jumping everything but a few days out with his hacking buddy will make us happy:D
 
before mine retired (due to ringbone) she had arthritis for three years and she still jumped up to 1m10 (not competitively) and 90cm at comps. She did a fair dressage test and was perfectly happy to go for miles on hack at wahtever pace.
Occasionally I'd push her a bit too far and she'd come up quite stiff but after a couple of says off she was fine.
The best thing is to get them out every day, even if it's ten minute walking it all helps, youll also find wetter/ colder days they might come up more stiff but i use magnets before i ride and this warms the affected joint and helps relieve stiffness. :)
 
Mine competed BS only upto 1m and now is still jumping but the smaller unaffilated level and will carry on so for another couple of seasons(unless told not too) long hacks, sponsored rides, tbh a bit of everything and then i have plans for her to be a dressage pony:p
 
I would get x-rays and a better diagnosis - my horse has bone spavin and after treatment has been completely sound for over 3 years now - he has been back doing all RC activities, including hunting and jumping up to 1m, all with my vet's go ahead, and with no suggestion that he won't remain sound long term. It is a bit different to the more degenerative types of arthritis though, as the small bones in the lower hock can eventually fuse together. I believe that arthritis the upper hock (which is not bone spavin) can be more problematic, as can arthritis in the other parts of the legs.
 
The vet who does our vet inspections at our Endurance Rides always says low level endurance rides are very good exercise for horses with arthritis. They go in a natural way without being collected up or jumped. Pleasure rides go up to 40kms (25miles) and can start as low as 10km, most are over 16km (10 miles). With a bit of care about not trotting on roads and stony ground etc you can still have fun with your horse.

With due care and attention about the ground conditions you could still have fun hacking out with your horse for sometime to come!!
 
Sophstar said:
It's stories like that that give me hope! He had his hind shoes taken off immediately and that seems to have helped a lot. When he was first seen to he was very sore and miserable but he *touch wood* is improving every week with the odd day here and there where he's a bit sore and stiff. He is very slow when initially worked but after 20 mins or so it's like someone flicks a switch and he goes into full on marching mode and loosens up a lot through his back. I'm not expecting him to fly round the rides jumping everything but a few days out with his hacking buddy will make us happy:D
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You'll need to differentiate between sore because he's getting used to being unshod and sore because of the spavins. I took my horse's hind shoes off last spring and two weeks in, the ground hardened up and he couldn't cope. Was utterly miserable, wore down the outside (IIRC) of both hind feet to nothing and refused to walk anywhere. Just stood around in the field looking annoyed, not even bothered about spring grass (now I can't catch him half the time because he's too busy cantering around the field showing off!). Shoes back on and he was immediately better - my horse has so many other things going wrong with him that I wasn't prepared to put him through potentially months of uncomfortable feet as well (though I'm hoping he will have a shoe holiday from next week, even if just for 6 weeks, once he's finished hunting). Whatever happens though, if you do go back to shoes then please don't let your farrier put lateral extensions on. Horrible things, worst thing I ever did to my horse.

Someone else has posted about needing to find out where your horse's spavins are and I agree with this. I'd want x-rays and would also consider having steroid injections. My boy's spavins are in the less mobile part of the hock so don't cause a huge amount of problems, and they've been medicated with steroids twice which really help. If you're insured then you could also think about Tildren, and I feed linseed which is meant to help too. My vet would prefer that I never schooled or jumped my horse because it is harder on the hocks, though he tells me hacking and hunting are fine because it's mainly straight lines. I don't jump him often and only school once a week (though he does work properly hacking, just not lots of circles) max. It's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question as all horses cope differently.
 
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Yes, I also avoid lots of tight circles (good excuse!), avoid trotting too much on tarmac, and though I jump at competitions, it is only a couple per month, max - I don't jump at home. I also feed Cosequin and Turmeric, and maximise turnout (stabled overnight in winter but for 10 hours max). Also no studs and no lunging, I have been advised.
 
chestnut cob said:
You'll need to differentiate between sore because he's getting used to being unshod and sore because of the spavins. I took my horse's hind shoes off last spring and two weeks in, the ground hardened up and he couldn't cope.
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He had his shoes off and for the 1st couple of days he was a bit sore and surprised at being able to feel the floor again with his hinds (had hind shoes on for over 8 years!) but he was fine after that. He was out walking on the roads and down our stony drive with no sign of soreness from them being removed and the farrier has always complimented him on having very good strong feet. He wears magnetic bands, turned out 24/7 and is fed linseed meal which is making a big difference. I've also been told turmeric or boswellia would be beneficial but not sure on quantities.
 
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