That is entirely possible 
A couple days ago I started Bo on a devil’s claw supplement to see if maybe it takes the edge off the stiffness, before we go deep diving into a lameness exam on a who-knows-how-old horse. I am also still fighting with his feet, if I squint I can seen miniscule improvements but they are nowhere near where I’d hoped we’d be after 8 months. 
Maybe x-rays are in order one of these days.
Let us know how you like the devil’s claw. I tried it for myself to see if I could get some arthritis relief and it gave me terrible insomnia.
I hope the devil’s claw helps Bo - it has been great for many years for my old guy, who is now 27. Keeps him comfortable very well. When he finally needed a little more support, I added Cosequin ASU & this combination is currently performing excellently for him.
I hope it does something for him! Do you recall how long it took to see a difference? Ultimately, I will end up doing a lameness workup on him at some point when I have excess cash to burn 
. I was hoping to get his feet in order first because I know that’s a major contributor, and I haven’t really decided who I’d take him to for the lameness workup.
Maybe next time I lunge him I will set up the Pivo so you all can see what I’m seeing.
The clay is like concrete right now. Do you think that is contributing?
I know you probably don’t want to hear this because what I’m going to advocate is expensive, much more so than the devils claw. But I was using devils claw on my mare, and it didn’t do anything. I brought the vet in and she (sort of) yelled at me for using devils claw, got me on PRP every six months, and we have to give her Cosequin ASU instead, and I also give biotin and Knox gelatin on top of that.
Dr. Said that the Cosequin ASU was the only over the counter product that actually did anything.
Edit to add, when the vet first drew serum out of their joint way back then, it looked pretty bad. It was kind of cloudy, nasty looking and there was some blood in it. It’s been a few years at least since then, but the last time she did the PRP I got to look at the serum that was drawn from her joint. It was nice and clear and healthy looking. She does have abnormal bone growth and finding a place to stick the needle can be challenging. but I do know she’s feeling better.
Best of luck.
It’s not really a cost issue, I had thought maybe a bute trial would give me a clue about the stiffness, but he really hates being dosed with a syringe and getting him to eat powder in his grain would never happen. Then I had to order something else from Santa Cruz and I saw that they had a product comparable to Bute-Less, so I said what the heck. If it doesn’t do anything for him, no biggie. It’s easy to sneak pelleted supps into his food as long as they don’t have a bad smell.
He will eventually go for a lameness work up, because I’m sure there are ways we can make him more comfortable to some extent! But he gets around fine, gets up and down with ease, and on occasion can be caught crowhopping when he gets riled up. 
@Sdel it’s entirely possible the rock hard ground isn’t helping things. I ride on grass but even that is starting to dry up and die off now that we haven’t had much rain. He’s got plastic shoes on now (the Octos) but I haven’t had a chance to work him since they went on.
The devil’s claw definitely did help my guy. I can’t remember how long, it’s been a few years, but maybe about a week I noticed a change. I think of it as a mild support helper, it’s obviously not going to undo arthritis but it can help make them more comfy (and my vet of long experience agrees).
Mine willingly ate the citrus flavored Bute powder – much easier getting it down than the plain crushed pills, however disguised.
Thank you! I will keep an eye out. I have been falling down on the job of getting outside early enough that I have time to work everyone lately, but next time I get him out I hope to see progress. He yanked a shoe off day before yesterday and I need to fix that before I do anything with him.
@Jarpur Bo has eased up a lot on his initial pickiness but he’s still a very particular eater. I have never seen or heard of citrus flavored bute powder, only the apple, which was always marginal at fooling the horses into eating it. He seems particularly offended by powdery things, but pellets I can hide!
I’m sad to report that I did not have my phone on me this morning to record the escape of Bo from his pasture. When I was lunging Cooper I noticed that Bo had undone one gate handle, and Elmo had undone two (pastures are right next to each other). I fixed them and finished up. As I was untacking Cooper, Elmo decided enough was enough and set himself free (because the grass is always greener!). Bo, not to be upstaged, decided he needed to be liberated too - about the time I got Elmo put up Bo took himself for a little mosey around the backyard, over to Fern’s pasture to say hi, then round to the front yard, and I finally caught up with him over by the flower beds. He gave me a look like ‘oh hi! you were too slow with the breakfast so I decided to go for a walk.’ 
At least nobody ran from me. Like snails breaking out of jail, I tell you, just slowly wandering off.
It’s my own fault, really. I never did get around to hooking up the charger for the big pastures once I finished fencing, because there is much grass and nobody was trying to bust out. The other fences are all hot, so the placebo effect carried over and all this time they’ve been leaving it well alone. However, I’ve been found out now, so I guess it’s time to hook up that zapper and restore a healthy respect for the polywire. And figure out a way to block off the gate handles, bc we all know Bo can still unhook them even when the fence is hot. 
This type is what I’ve successfully used, purchased elsewhere (my vet carries this, too) never tried the apple:
https://www.heartlandvetsupply.com/p-3550-bute-citrus-powder.aspx
Do you think he’d like molasses flavored Bute?
Did he try to chomp any of your flowers? What a pair of gentlemen. They plotted and tag-teamed you to ‘teach you a lesson’ about timely breakfast service. Whatever would you do without these chestnut mentors showing you the proper ways to run your farm?
Thankfully no flowers were harmed. I gave Bo a talking to about teaching his friends naughty tricks.
Let us all be entertained by what I assume is fly mask damage to his poor little forelock - it’s back to being the tiniest wisp:
He was definitely not blessed with the hair genetics.
OMG its hanging on by a hope & a prayer!!! It is so wispy and thin its l like a fledgling bird! (Don’t tell him I said that.) Bo is still a very handsome boy.
Shoe back on yesterday, Bo did a little work today. The vienna reins are just there as a guideline, a suggestion of a softer outline in which to carry himself and a little support. Side reins are way too noisy for him.
He was moving more freely, still started out a little tight but seemed to work out of it quicker. I didn’t think to grab the Pivo to video, maybe next time.
Post-work bath. He wasn’t really that sweaty, but who doesn’t like a hose down after a workout?
He looks wonderful, very elegant outline in that side picture.
He still looks to me like so many barrel racing horses.
They have such a handsome outline, that comes from AQHA horses with a larger % of TB in them.
When in training stables, we always gave after work baths after riding and if just too cold, we never missed some minutes of cold hosing legs.
We were told it was to tighten them up, some times with horses standing in snow.
It helps with cooling legs, it also cool the larger areas of blood flow close to the surface legs have, to add to cooling off after work in general.
All horses seemed to like it, stopping by the hose themselves.
Bet Bo enjoys that also, more attention. 
This time of year the water that comes out of the ground is barely cool, but I think everybody enjoys a hose down to rinse off the sweat and dirt. It certainly cuts down on the amount of post-work scratching and rolling. Unlike the other three filthy pigs, Bo is decidedly not into rolling in the dirt when wet, so he stays pretty clean.
Bo and I went for a ride today, to test out a new saddle. Video is from the end of our walk, he was a little jazzed up to start out. There was a dead, brown-leafed tree limb lying on the ground that he felt was very suspicious. I have never seen his ears so far forward on his head.
https://youtube.com/shorts/PIEB1WrgrdA?feature=share
I am sad to say that while the new saddle fits him really nicely, the seat is shaped not-at-all-right for me. I have given it several rides (two on Cooper, one on Bo) and there is no way for me to sit in it that isn’t mildly painful. So, back to the drawing board I go… I wish I could afford (and find) another copy of Elmo’s saddle, just in a narrower size. I know I like that one!
Amen, sister. I have been riding in a very generous friend’s saddle for almost six months now trying to find something. Finally found one close to fitting me like hers only to have the horse veto it. 
I can’t even find one that matches hers.
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