Whos had horses medicated for back arthritis

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Good morning all.

My 5yo mare was struggling with recurring grade 4 ulcers at the start of the year, and after a lot of management and testing soon located a couple of arthritic facets in the back, close to SI.

She's had 10 joints total, two of which were for SI and the rest were facets, steroid injected. Fair enough the vet couldn't tell me for certain how long it would last, but basically said get her moving and get her working properly using her back and she could make a good full recovery and last.

We definitely hit the right joints, she's been an absolute angel ever since and for a young highly strung arab it's not something I've been able to say often. I'm just wondering if anyone's had anything similar and how long it's lasted in their horses before they needed to either re-inject or think about calling it a day? I would like to hear how quickly people's horses have started to deteriorate after having steroid injections and being worked. I appreciate it can vary hugely horse to horse!

 

[Tiddlypom]

If you have access to a good chiro vet, use them as well as your regular vet .

My experience is with medication of the SI joints, but the rehab principles are the same. As your vet says, use the window of freedom from pain to build up the correct muscles and muscle memory so that the horse does not go on to become sore again.

Lots of in hand work in walk over raised poles. One chiro vet tip for mine is to work her for 10 mins a day in overreach boots on the hinds, to aid propriocetion - her trot and canter are far more engaged with the overreach boots on, but I use them very sparingly.

Good luck.

 

[Goldenstar]

Old warmblood high level driving horse had changes behind where the dribing saddle had sat ,injected hunted lightly ,two seasons something else got him in the end .
another driving horse retired much younger again one injected went on for another seven years had them injected once more again another issues finished him off .
H , climbed on a back big enough for a 12.2 fell off onto a fence sore coming away from it no changes on X-ray but some crowding had five injected five months ago worked very well so far .