# Hock arthritis???



## jojane (4 July 2012)

Anyone know anything about hock Arthritis??
My boy is a ex event horse,has a few old issues that we keep on top off and he works grand..
But lately theses last few weeks i have noticed him resting abit more in back right hind on my lessons hes not stepping under him self as much as he normally does??!! 
also stiff in a morning when coming out of stable?!!
He was at the vets a year and a half ago for a tiny tendon tear in same leg that is all good now n healed n been back in work a yr, the vet did say he does  have arthritis but is not causing him any problems as yet but when it does there is things to think about injections etc etc??
So am woundering if now is that time??
Hes happy to work,n very full of life just not working like he was a few weeks ago the right rein feels bumpy thats the best way to explain it.. and am hearing abit more clicking then normal?!!
all advice greatfull )


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## applecart14 (4 July 2012)

There are many different ways of treating bone spavin (hock arthritis) including joint injections of HA/steroid and an infusion of a drug called Tildren which is meant to have quite a high sucess rate.  However the best way at the moment seems to be fusing the hocks using ethanol (which is pure alcohol).  This can be undertaken at the vets practice/hospital only but is quite a quick procedure (usually takes a couple of hours from horse arriving, treatment, geting over sedation and leaving).  It costs approx £400 for the two hocks but once its done that's it - the hocks will fuse in 12 to 18 months time (some cases longer) but the main benefit of this procedure is that the alcohol kills the nerves in the hocks instantly so the horse feels no pain from that moment of injection until such a time as the horses nerves regrow (at this moment in time it is not known if this is likley to happen as the procedure was only pioneered in about 2006) and it doesn't appear as if a horse to date has had its nerves regrow.

In some unfortunate cases the horse in question cannot be treated using fusion by alcohol.  This is because when the horse is brought in to the hospital it is sedated.  Then an injection of contrast dye is injected into the hock joint at a certain point.  If the dye goes straight forward or downwards then the horse can be treated.  However if the dye shows the dye going upwards then this means the horses confirmation is different in its hocks to other horses and  it cannot be treated, as to do so would mean that the alcohol would fuse the top bones in the hock and the horse would be in agony and unable to walk.  So it all depends on what the contrast dye shows.  Its only a very small minority (think it was under 10%) that cannot be offered this injection.

i wish I had gone for this procedure before having the steroid injections and tildren, but it wasn't so well known then.  My horse now tracks up, he had his ears forward, is keen and forward going and his jumping has improved with consistently more clear rounds.  The second day following his injection I picked out his back feet and he nearly caught my face as he managed to pick up his back leg higher than he had done for years due to the benefit of the injection!


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## mudmonkey17 (4 July 2012)

Maybe worth getting vet to take a look. With my horse he started refusing jumps and struggling downhill.

Applecart can i ask how old your horse was when he was injected? Mine had steroids 10 month ago and did really well but last couple of week starting to show signs of hocks becoming a problem again. Has been seen by physio as has sore back related to this and vet coming out next week. Think the plan is to remedicate. Horse is 19 so wonder if would be classed as too old to have the ethanol?


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## Shutterbug (4 July 2012)

My boy was similar - was not stepping under behind and while not lame, wasnt 100% either so we had vet out. He had scans, X-rays, was nerve blocked and vet diagnosed mild arthritic changes in his right hock. He had cortisone injections in Feb 2010 and was fine until the following Feb when I called vet out again as he was a bit stiff and they injected him again with the cortisone. That was Feb 2011 and he's had no issues with his hind legs since and is in regular work - vet says regular work is good for his leg.


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## Mitchyden (4 July 2012)

My horse Zara was 4/10ths lame and she had the alcohol injections after the steroids and Tildren didn't work. This was last June and apart from a blip around Christmas time, she has been going brilliantly. In fact she took part in her first endurance event at the weekend passing both vettings.


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## jojane (4 July 2012)

Thanks eva so much for your replys means alot..
I feel very stuck what to do,he was in the vets a yr and 3 months ago they said then he had Arthritis but at that time wasent bothering him so didnt need any treatment they was more concered about dealing with the tendon pull its in the same leg.

Hes had no problems all this time and has gone from strenght to strenght.
He has always rested that leg abit n has wingalls but other then that hes fine!!
When i noticed him resting more and then my instrutor saying hes not stepping under as much he came in from the field like this a week n bit ago there had been a mare nextd to him and i think he was showing off..

Could this of brought the arthritis out??
hes over tracking in walk like always, that first night was resting alot but after a nights rest hes not doin it as much but still abit more then normal for him..
I did notice this morning when i turned him out first two steps hes stiff and lands toe first the after the first two he walks out of it n is fine then..

I geuss am just worried weather now its time for the injections!!or i dont want him to have them to early!
And hes not had a flear up all this time so ahs he just pulled him self in the field!! hes 15 and a half x
it was in trot my instructor noticed it?!


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## jojane (4 July 2012)

Does anyone know how to post a vid on here??there is one of me in the school on him monday night would be great for you to see it n se eif its like any of your horses was


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## mudmonkey17 (4 July 2012)

Upload it onto photo bucket and then can post the link on here.same with you tube then post link on here


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## jojane (4 July 2012)

please all view my video and tell me what you think


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## jojane (4 July 2012)

http://youtu.be/9Zhfcqlp7NA
http://youtu.be/eNOxNur1VNI


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