Bed Sores - Hocks

[LadyB]

Most of the year he is at home, so I muck his stall. I really bed his stall up, he doesn’t get as bad as bed sores, just rubbed down to the skin, but nothing broken open, usually comes and goes throughout the season. He LOVES to lay down, outside, inside, everywhere. He’s a lazy bum.

He’s been at this barn since Feb 1st, and his hocks have never been this bad. Its right down to the skin, but nothing is open. You would think with a soft stall he would have less rubs. Its not under-bedded, they do a good job, and it’s always clean when I’m there.

Obviously it has to do more with however the new barn is with him, its never been this bad. Having him at home I can be more on top of it and aware. They don’t seem to bother him otherwise. I brush them and try to remove some flaky dry skin from them when I can. If anything they just seem extremely dry.

Maybe his feet are sore? But in the summer he wears all 4 shoes.

[LadyB]

This is not my horse, but a photo of a horse that has the exact same marks as mine, in the exact same spot, to the same degree.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=horse+bed+sore+hocks&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=971&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgnu7XtvzKAhWiu4MKHX33B_IQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=8CbtqLyliB0oNM%3A

[blueribbonpanel]

It took my awhile to figure this out, but my horse gave himself hock sores, only on one side, when he rolled in my indoor arena.

Good hock wraps work sometimes, that is, IF the horse keeps them on. Mine always managed to take them off.

[LadyB]

Vet came out to do Teeth and Shots, so I asked him about his bed sores.

He says that injections are not needed, if his hocks were sore he wouldn’t lay down as much and I would notice it when I’m riding. Which he if anything feels better than ever lately!

Its just a combination of the soft stall and how much he’s laying down and how he’s laying down. Will keep an eye on it. He gets better when he’s at home.

[newhorsemommy]

Mine both live out and both get hock sores, and always have. Bickmore’s gall salve will work wonders Anytime they start to look bad, I just put a little bit of that on and they improve.

Hock sores CAN get bad if completely ignored. My mare was neglected before I bought her. Nobody had done anything with her in at least a year, and I mean nothing. Both hocks had infected hock sores, and when the vet removed the scab, pus actually shot out They healed very well with just a little bit of attention.

[Brian]

[QUOTE=Beckham03;8528577]
I’ve never had horses with hock sores. One of my horses got them when I boarded him last winter. The stalls were lovely and cleaned multiple times a day. I think it was just the type of shavings didn’t agree with him. They went away when he came home and haven’t come back. Not even being stalled at shows. I use pelleted bedding and I think he is used to the softer bedding.[/QUOTE]

Agree with the pellet bedding. I think the finer particles “lock” together better than shavings when used on rubber mats. There is less tendency for the horses to kick or push the bedding out from under themselves when getting up. Pellet bedding works particularly well under straw when foaling for providing needed traction for the foal when standing up. Straw over top of rubber mats is too slippery.

If you can’t bring yourself to use pellet bedding exclusively in the stall, try some as a base under the shavings. You might be surprised at just how well it works.

[SonnysMom]

I had a horse that would get hock sores, only in the winter. I think their skin/hair dries out in the winter just like some people’s. Oddly enough my horse didn’t get his from laying down he got it from the cement block walls in one barn and the stone foundation in another barn. When he was in a stall that was all wood he didn’t have them. The stalls were plenty big but 2 of the walls were cement block and I think he used to lean on the walls or brush the walls with his hocks.
I used Alushield.

[LadyB]

I’ve used Pellet bedding and shavings at home, both gave the same results. I make sure he has tons of bedding too. He lays down more with shavings though, I think he loves the comfy feeling of them more than pellets.

Newhorsemommy, that’s truly sad, that mare is lucky to have you!

The boarding barn I am at now has him on an oil to help moisturize his skin. Hopefully we see results. I just worry he’ll get fat from the oil… he’s an easy keeper as is.

[Xanthoria]

I’m bumping this as I have very stubborn hock sores on my 17h 4 yr old who loves out 24/7. He gets the sores on the point of his hock.

Hock Shields - destroyed in 2 days
Duct tape - silver or black type, multiple layers, long bits, short bits, it disappears overnight and doesn’t help
Corona ointment, Neosporin, Alushield - no luck

Can anyone suggest anything that might help these heal? I have been putting him in the arena to roll on a softer surface after rides which helps a bit… I am considering supergluing kevlar over the wounds…

[Gainer]

[QUOTE=Trails;8528541]
My experience makes me believe that hock sore tend to happen on horses bedded on shavings. Whether it is dirty bedding, not deep enough, too deep, too dry I have no idea but what I do know is I’ve never had a horse get hock sores at my barn even after being out rolling around on the frozen ground. I’ve had horses with hock sores arrive as new boarders but the sores heal up and never return. Reason, I think, is that I bed on straw.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with this. When my old mare started having trouble with sores, I switched her to straw and never had another problem.

I treated her existing sores with Silver Sulfadiazine Cream, and bandaged with some cotton and duct tape.

[IPEsq]

[QUOTE=Xanthoria;8875479]
I’m bumping this as I have very stubborn hock sores on my 17h 4 yr old who loves out 24/7. He gets the sores on the point of his hock.

Hock Shields - destroyed in 2 days
Duct tape - silver or black type, multiple layers, long bits, short bits, it disappears overnight and doesn’t help
Corona ointment, Neosporin, Alushield - no luck

Can anyone suggest anything that might help these heal? I have been putting him in the arena to roll on a softer surface after rides which helps a bit… I am considering supergluing kevlar over the wounds…[/QUOTE]

Have you tried the clay poultice method? I haven’t done this yet but read here some had luck with it.

[BatCoach]

Forget the duct tape - Here is what worked for me:

Spray the alushield on the wound. Cut a piece of non-stick gauze pad (or even piece of maxi pad) just big enough to cover the wound. Then, cut a piece of ELASTIKON that is cut just big enough to cover the wound (like 2 inch by 2inch) Elastikon is your friend here. It stretches and flexes with the horse, the alusheid acts as a 1st barrier and gaurds against infection, the non-stick gauze pad prevents the elistkon from sticking in the wound. don’t wrap it around the horses’ leg, it just needs to be big enough to cover the affected area.

Keep this contraption on as long it sticks on the horse. I have ridden my horse w/ this bandage on and it does not bother him a bit.

[findeight]

Had mine on pellets for awhile, several different varieties over about a year. Had hock sores on and off, as it did on shavings. The pellets got too expensive and hard to find locally so barn switched back to shavings. Never had horse on straw for more then a weekend show, not long enough to tell anything. Barns I’ve been in didn’t use straw, too messy and difficult to dispose of when you’re talking 50-70 stalls in a suburban area.

Interestingly, on very skimpy shavings over rubber mats at the retirement barn several years now, no hock sores. Stall size, turn out schedule the same. I’m thinking maybe the shavings can be abrasive…doesn’t explain the pellets though.

One of life’s mysteries…

[Xanthoria]

[QUOTE=BatCoach;8875692]
Forget the duct tape - Here is what worked for me:

Spray the alushield on the wound. Cut a piece of non-stick gauze pad (or even piece of maxi pad) just big enough to cover the wound. Then, cut a piece of ELASTIKON that is cut just big enough to cover the wound (like 2 inch by 2inch) Elastikon is your friend here. It stretches and flexes with the horse, the alusheid acts as a 1st barrier and gaurds against infection, the non-stick gauze pad prevents the elistkon from sticking in the wound. don’t wrap it around the horses’ leg, it just needs to be big enough to cover the affected area.

Keep this contraption on as long it sticks on the horse. I have ridden my horse w/ this bandage on and it does not bother him a bit.[/QUOTE]

Elasticon! Yes - should have thought of that. I put it on tonight - we’ll see what happens…

[jiona]

I’ve had luck with putting a little vaseline daily on areas where hair has rubbed off. I use Neosporin on any small scrape that breaks the skin and rubs hair off. I’ve never tried duct tape!

[Xanthoria]

Update: The elasticon stayed on overnight! This is brilliant… More to come

[LadyB]

Funny you brought this thread back up, his bed sores were great all summer, but now are coming back.

I had a vet out last night, because he was wonky at the end of August and beginning of Sept, and seems to be a trend for him during show season at the exact same time of year. (when it needs to count of course!)

So he was diagnosed with Kissing Spine, but extremely minor that it makes no sense to be in pain. I had a vet come out last night for a 2nd opinion because I was not convinced. I felt like it was more hind end related. 2nd vet blew my mind away. She specialized in Chiro and Acupuncture. She quickly stated its hind end related.

As we head into down time from show season, it is pointless to think about injections. But, now looking back on this thread, many of you said get his hocks looked at. So here we are, he’s declared a 2/5 and a 2.5/5 in his hocks. Not terrible, but enough to think about injections as we head into show season next spring.

I feel like a bad owner, but he is 13 and does eventing, so wear and tear will happen. She says its arthritis and totally understandable with his work schedule and his age. I was told he’s been doing well if he’s just showing signs now.

So we’ll go into winter with light work, he gets time off as I don’t have an indoor ring. We move Jan 1st to a barn with an arena and will gradually go back into work. See where we stand from there.

It will be interesting to see how his hock rubs are now that we are aware and will be working towards making him more comfortable.

[Lrs2015]

I had a horse would kick really bad at feed time and somehow tear up his hocks. I used hock shield hock protectors. They worked great and very easy to use. ValleyVet has them.

[keysfins]

[QUOTE=Xanthoria;8875479]
I’m bumping this as I have very stubborn hock sores on my 17h 4 yr old who loves out 24/7. He gets the sores on the point of his hock.

Hock Shields - destroyed in 2 days
Duct tape - silver or black type, multiple layers, long bits, short bits, it disappears overnight and doesn’t help
Corona ointment, Neosporin, Alushield - no luck

Can anyone suggest anything that might help these heal? I have been putting him in the arena to roll on a softer surface after rides which helps a bit… I am considering supergluing kevlar over the wounds…[/QUOTE]

This is going to sound odd, but original Maalox liquid applied twice daily.

Our senior vet pulled this tidbit out when we had a couple of horses with hock sores. The original contains aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide, some of the other versions also contain simethicone (anti-gas). Generic is fine, not sure if the simethicone has any +/- effect.

We’ve used it for about a week, and lo and behold, they are healing! The Maalox protects the sore and helps healing.

We also have one horse in the barn who just got the Hock Shield boots. He’s really a big guy, and the straps were snug on the front of the hock, so they got covered with a short sheepskin tube.

I might also try Alushield to help heal, or once healed, to prevent recurrence.

YMMV!

[IPEsq]

I think Alushield helps healing but have not found it to work as a preventative.