Hock boot - ceramic versus copper

[stargzng386]

Any opinions or experiences using hock boots as additional support/therapy for hock arthritis? Horse gets regular injections, adequan etc but the vet suggested a hock boot might add support. It would be used for 30-60 minutes before a ride 4-5 a week. There are so many on the market lots of ceramic ones like BOT and also copper or even magnetic. Which to choose???

Also looking at the equilibrium massage back pad just to keep muscles loose. I’d love any opinions just trying to make smart decisions to purchase things that actually help.

[Weezer]

I used the BOT hock wraps for a mare with arthritic hocks and paired that with a glucosamine supplement. It made a significant difference. I gradually worked the mare up to wearing the hock wraps overnight. I don’t have any experience with copper. Years ago I used magnetic shockwave therapy to help a dog recover from CCL surgery. She loved it and would stretch out and seem relaxed when I’d put the shockwave wrap on. This dog was generally suspicious of everything so for her to react that way, it must have really relieved the pain. It was a horse tool that I was using on her. If I had a horse witch chronic pain, I would seriously consider investing in a magnetic shockwave tool of some sort.

[beau159]

@stargzng386

Any opinions or experiences using hock boots as additional support/therapy for hock arthritis? Horse gets regular injections, adequan etc but the vet suggested a hock boot might add support. It would be used for 30-60 minutes before a ride 4-5 a week. There are so many on the market lots of ceramic ones like BOT and also copper or even magnetic. Which to choose???

Also looking at the equilibrium massage back pad just to keep muscles loose. I’d love any opinions just trying to make smart decisions to purchase things that actually help.

If you can afford it --> PEMF. Either get sessions or buy your own system.

I have had my own system for about a year and a half now, and the results are just incredible. There’s lots of options out there, and I personally chose Respond Systems for mine.

As far as BOT, I have had the quick wrap boots for many years. I do feel they are quite useful when a horse stocks up for various reasons (such as being stalled, injury, etc) but I do not feel it’s been real beneficial for things like arthritis. I did have the BOT hock wraps at one time but again, I didn’t notice much of a difference so I sold them.

I tried some PHT wraps one time (on the front legs) when my horse was stalled for an injury and I didn’t notice anything with them.

As you are already doing, I think your best thing is the Adequan, and then injections when needed.

Arthritis is inflammation. So things to control inflammation are super helpful. Personally, I feel like BOT/PHT and the like are more for circulation. (which is not a bad thing, but not necessarily addressing inflammation)

[stargzng386]

Good to know thanks….pemf is out of the budget right now but possible in a year or two. I’ve done a bemer session and he did feel great but it didn’t last too long with just the one session.

[zany1]

From the research I’ve done, there is no science behind any of these “therapeutic” type of boots/blankets/wraps/bonnets/saddle pads. There are virtually no peer-reviewed scientific papers that show a benefit to them.

Personally, I choose to put the money that I may have spent on those types of products into something more proven (and ideally are regenerative) like PRP or IRAP, which while more expensive up front, lasts longer and is shown to actually make a difference.

If you were looking for something to do every ride and is less invasive, I might do something like an extra-long walk warmup (15+ minutes) before getting to work, and icing when done.

Just my 2 cents

[Weezer]

I fully agree that there isn’t much science behind the ceramic therapeutic wraps but I have used them myself for ankle, wrist and knee injuries and in all three instances, they were the key piece to recovery when conventional therapies didn’t help. I have seen positive results using them in my horse. I’ve tried them on dogs too, but it was harder to tell if they helped the dog.

[Mohan]

I like BOT products in between the PEMF sessions. I can’t say why BOT works, I just know they do for my horse.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I did not really “believe” in the Far Infra-red Radiation (F.I.R.) therapy until I was desperately trying to find something to make the lesson horse I was riding more comfortable so I would get a decent ride.

I ended up buying the Contender II saddle pad (BOT & ThinLine). The night it arrived at my house my lower back was killing me, I often had gotten pain there that would last for a week or so no matter what I did or what pain killers I took.

Well, just in case it would help I put that saddle pad down so I could lie down on it. Shortly thereafter my lower back pain disappeared until the next time a few months later, when the F.I.R. stuff took the pain away again. The horse I got it for also improved.

THE HORSES are the ones that convinced me this stuff works, not just one horse either. Horses do not read ad copy, they do not read medical journals either, all horses care about is if they feel better. I only ride lesson horses now, been there done that horses who are not impressed with most stuff we put on them and who could care less about what us mere humans think about something.

The “miraculous” improvement in this horse’s back converted me as to the efficacy with horses. I have cure head and ear shyness in elderly lesson horses by using the BOT Poll Cap and the Fenwick Face Mask with ears. Horses that I spent months on getting them to consent to gently touch their ears all of a sudden started cooperating when I handled their ears to put these wonderful pieces of gear on, lowering their heads instead of being giraffes, and angling their heads so I could put each ear in its place. BOT Exercise boots greatly improved a big wind-puff on one horse too.

The 25 year old lesson horse I now ride is a pretty good ride–so long as I put his F.I.R. leg stuff, saddle pad and head gear on. Without it he lapses back into the school horse 2 MPH shuffling walk, put the stuff on and he strides out fearlessly giving me a really good ride.

YOU may not believe in the efficacy of this stuff. The horses I ride do not agree with you. I do not agree with you either, my use of OTC pain medicines (mostly aspirin) has plummeted since I started buying this stuff. I can sleep because I do not hurt, I walk better on my own two feet because my sharp, sudden leg pains go away when I wear this stuff, even my HUSBAND who does not really believe in stuff like this has gone out and bought some for himself and uses it every day and night.

And the horses who could care less about most of the stuff I put on their bodies have been quite definite that they want me to put the stuff on that makes their elderly lesson horse bodies hurt less when I ride them.

At first I thought that what I heard about this stuff was too good to be true. Now I cannot imagine living without it. My old age has improved greatly since I no longer hurt as much as I did before I got myself this stuff.

I am a true believer now.

[zany1]

I’m so glad you’ve found something that helps you and your horses! That’s awesome.

I was simply suggesting that there are no studies shown behind it, so there may be less of a guarantee of efficacy when compared to something like PRP or ice therapies.

Not at all trying to make anyone feel that what they’re doing is wrong; each horse and human is different and if something works for you/your horses, that’s all that matters!

[stargzng386]

Thanks guys for the info all opinions are absolutely welcome! I’m totally down with the actual medicine side of treating like adequan and injections. He has 3 months before needing another injection and I’m going to look into the other options like prp to see if there’s something better out there.

I have a Draper therapies quarter sheet and definitely notice a difference when using it. I’ve also used some alternative therapies on myself and my dogs and thought it helped but also had a few examples where it did nothing. My vet had mentioned last time maybe trying one of the hock boots like BOT to see if it would help, def not as the only treatment. I was at Rolex and actually chose to buy ceramic hock boots from professionals choice. I was able to see a few different kinds at different vendors and I really like the construction and fit of theirs. We’ll see if they make any difference.

I do already do a timed ten minute loose rein warmup then very light contact w/t for another ten minutes before any actual real work. I also struggle with back pain so honestly his rides are really pretty easy. He’s not a fan of icing at all unfortunately so I’m not sure that’s the best route for him.