Hock arthritis, would you buy this?

[beau159]

@Riker12

Nice 8 year old Warmblood with not so great hock X-rays. Gets injected every 6-8 months and working happily training/first level dressage. Would you run based on this radiograph? Buy him at a discount? If you are the seller would you wait for the hock to fuse?

Your decision, obviously.

If the lameness exam showed only the fusing hocks and nothing else, and horse seems to be HAPPY and riding well with their current management, I myself would not be turned away in the slightest.

Two of my four horses have fusing hocks. One is 19 this year and I have had him since he was 6 years old. He’s been fusing this whole time. Only one area on his right hock has fused completely (upper) where the vet can no longer inject. (So in my mind there is no such thing as waiting for the hock to fuse, because you might be waiting the horse’s entire life span.)

I inject them when they need it, give Equioxx if they need it (they also both happen to have navicular…) and their hocks seem to do just fine.

My horses usually have the winter off so I can usually get by with only injecting once a year. If we rode all year long, then they would probably need every 6 months.

I know there are plenty of folks who have had horror stories with fusing hocks, so that’s why this is YOUR decision, but mine have had easy management and haven’t hindered them at all.

[McGurk]

@fivestrideline,

The only reason I didn’t mention a lower level hunter job was concerns about flying changes.

As this has been a Training/1st Level dressage horse, he most likely hasn’t been schooling changes yet, and any sort of hock issues can make schooling them difficult, even a hunter quality change.

If this horse has a change or can get one, then yes, low level hunters would be a good career choice.

[Riker12]

Thank you everyone for your input. These X-rays were an unexpected finding when being extra through investigating a farrier issue that has been resolved. Given that my costs to maintain this horse per year are only about $4000 all in. Feed, vet, farrier I think I may just hold on to him and hire a trainer to keep him going to see if I can get myself well enough to ride regularly. Either an issue will crop up as he starts to move into more collection, a buyer will come along or I will start riding him. In any case he will always be welcome back to my farm for retirement.

[Riker12]

Yes PSG would have been reasonable

[CableRoad]

Is anyone willing to make some remarks about what they see specifically that gives them pause about this X-ray? The small hairlines? Or something else? It’s a good learning opportunity.

Appreciate the OP’s willingness to post the image. Many thanks!

[Riker12]

My vets concern is the decreased joint space and the “lipping” on lower hock joint.
I’ve taken the rad image down. Now that the trainer is involved I don’t want this image out there on the off chance it affects her in some way but I am happy to share privately for anyone interested as a learning opportunity
It has certainly been a learning opportunity to me how something that looks so scary can be there without knowing. This horse has not been lame just did not feel right at the time a little less push behind. He ended up being foot sore from a trimming issue. This was resolved and he is back to barefoot and happy. Honestly the injections make me feel like I have my bases covered. It gives me peace of mind.

[GraceLikeRain]

That quality of movement with a true AA Brain is a special combination. If means permit him staying and hopefully you can enjoy him, that sounds lovely. If you need to move him on at some point and he’s doing well in consistent work I think someone would be thrilled at that price point if it looks like he could be comfortable being a bronze horse with support.

[barnesthenoble]

@Riker12

Given that my costs to maintain this horse per year are only about $4000 all in.

That’s definitely not bad! In my area bilateral IA hock injections run north of $1200 (steroid + HA, nothing fancy like a biologic)–and I last had them done 6 or so years ago, so I imagine they’ve only gone up. I wouldn’t be shocked by a $1500 bill for them if I were to do them now.

I think the plan you’ve outlined is a good one. It gives him the best chance at a good future. And of course since horses will be horses, since he’s a hard sell he’ll probably end up going FEI after all just to prove all the naysayers wrong. Good luck and have fun with him.