So what do you use to support your equine athlete, especially those with known injuries, and what was the injury? I’m interested in anything from shockwave to adequan or icing post ride. What’s you typical maintenance? Do you use Ice Vibe boots and are they, or another type, helpful?
About to get my horses hocks done & inject an old bone chip location with ProStride, now that we’ve reached the point things did t flex as well this summer as last fall, I’m reevaluating the maintenance.
The only routine maintenance thing I with my own horses is Pentosan or Adequan, but I work for an upper level eventer and with ten horses, she does almost everything to someone.
Icing is sort of an as necessary-- the older horses with issues get their front legs done pretty much any time they gallop or jump, the upper level horses without major issues get done after xc or a school or gallop on hard ground, the young ones get done only if they have an injury. One horse does wear the Ice Vibe boots-- I like them because they’re easy but not sure I would bother otherwise. Some get the tub, others just get regular ice boots-- mostly the Professional’s Choice ones with ice in the pockets instead of the gel packs.
Pretty much everyone gets Adequan regularly and the upper level horses get Legend before a big competition. I know that some people do shockwave as routine, but I haven’t seen it-- a couple of horses did get their backs done a few times but without much result, but other than that I’ve only seen it used for acute injuries. It’s expensive unless you can DIY and they really shouldn’t compete or train hard immediately after, which I think limits its usefulness for routine use (assuming you are ethical about the horse’s welfare).
I would say the big things I see a lot you haven’t listed are 1) Osphos-- is now being given as maintenance in many horses on a yearly basis 2) Lasering-- we use the Revitavet laser on everything from wounds/ abscesses to soft tissue issues to chronic injuries and it does seem to help 3) massage blanket (not sure I am a huge believer in this one as the horses seem to mostly find it annoying, but then I’m not riding them after)
Have any of you tried SmartHA for competitions/hard outings? (https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/smartha-plus-gel-8689)
Pentosan or Adequan. I have only used Shockwave for injury. Massage is good. Back on Track hock wraps. Surpass over a trouble area post competition. I iced after competition only, too inconvenient based on my situation otherwise (aka I don’t have a freezer at the barn).
Osphos-- is now being given as maintenance in many horses on a yearly basis.
Given that rate of administration, my money is that in 5-10 years you will start seeing some insanely weird fractures, just we have with other bisphosphonates in humans, e.g. people fracturing a femur stepping off a curb, hypermineralizaton in the carniofacial bones. There is a reason that clinicians are beginning to recommend patients go off these drugs for a few years to allow the bone repair mechanisms to start working again. Orthopedic and craniofacial surgeons generally recommend coming off these drugs before surgery many times.
Cryotherapy - Icing - is being shown to have little beneficial effect on the healing and prevention of muscle injuries. As a matter of fact some recent studies show that it may induce a GREATER likelihood of injury, an increase in healing time due to the body’s inability to remove damaged cells and tissue. The actually effect of cryotherapy may simply be a temperature reduction on the muscle tissue but not reduced blood flow. Thus, limited icing can help but not what has been done in the past.
I’m a “less is more” type. I do routinely use an excellent bodyworker for my horse. She is often able to find issues before they become obvious to me (or pinpoint the cause of something I’m seeing/feeling) and make recommendations for appropriate training program modifications. If/when I start suspecting any kind of arthritis I would supplement with Recovery EQ and eventually move to Previcox. Would also consider Adequan if appropriate.
I use Back on Track wraps after competitions (both jumping phases) and particularly hard cross country schools (especially if the horse will be standing in instead of turned out, so even after dressage if we are stabled at the event and it is spread over 3 days). I have so far found these to be as effective as icing or poulticing, but have only been using them a year on a horse that is young and healthy (although I have talked to others with similar success over longer term use with older horses). I also use the Back on Track sheet at shows or clinics if it is a little chilly as it seems to really help my sometimes tense/cold-backed horse stay more loose and relaxed.
No experience with Shockwave, but would only consider it for injury, rather than maintenance.
Reed, thanks for the reminder. I have had my reservations about bisphosphonates from the beginning. Recently it was suggested as a possible option for my older horse who has a mild suspensory branch injury and medial sesamoiditis. He’s 25 and I am just not willing to risk it for the reasons you mentioned, but had a moment of second guessing myself when it was first suggested. FWIW, the sports medicine vet who diagnosed him wasn’t super keen on it either, and mentioned that Larry Bramlage thinks it’s a contributing factor in condylar fractures.
Osphos as a generalized treatment of non-specific “because the horse is sore” is something I have heard recently. I’m really trying to figure out what level of support my OTTB might benefit from, so while it piqued my interest, it also has me slightly alarmed. I’m not sure I’m ready to start a rising 7yo on it.
With that said, I want to give this horse anything and everything to ensure her happy soundness and longevity, and I am a bit of a hypochondriac. Eagerly following this thread…
It’s one thing to use Osphos or Tildren as “maintenance” in a western pleasure horse thats basically born with navicular disease and never has to do anything remotely athletic, but to use it regularly in a horse that needs to gallop and jump is just a terrible idea, IMO. I agree with Reed on this one–wondering what we’re going to see several years down the road. There are a lot of unknowns as to proper dosing, interval of dosing, what disease states respond (or don’t respond) appropriately to it, and long-term affects in horses. You’re giving something that systemically affects bone metabolism. People need to stop treating it like Adequan or Legend.
I think it has become the en vogue treatment for anything remotely related to the bone. I’ve even seen it used for fractures, which I find scary.
As far as OsPhos goes, I think there is a big difference in the issues in humans where it is taken weekly or even daily, vs a once or twice yearly dose in horses. The comment about it contributing to condylar fractures is interesting though. I would love to see a study on this.
Right now my 10 YO geldings maintenance schedule is hock injections in early Spring and OsPhos late summer/fall when I feel his hocks are starting to get uncomfortable. I really don’t want to inject the hocks twice a year. Pentosan did not help my horse (although I have used it successfully in the past).
I also use the BOT hock wraps, although I’m not sure if they help or if they are voodoo!
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