So, my beautiful 2.5 yr old with drool-worthy floaty trot and canter was just diagnosed with juvenile arthritis of one hock. Please share your stories with me.
Are you sure it’s arthritis and not just something like inflammation or even OCD? At that age, sometimes they get an injury that causes it or it could be from accelerated growth. Did a vet with good lameness skills - particularly young horses diagnose this? I would get a second opinion. Good luck.
I have a coming 4 year old with the hock xrays of a 20 year old. His left hock was chemically fused at 2(the alternative was euthanasia) and his right hock will be done next fall. He just got a regular hock injection and is pain free at the moment but his joint space is very tight it was hard to get a needle in. He’s still a total sweetheart fantastic to ride and has very cute movement. None of his full or half siblings have any issues no idea why he does.
Have you had other joints x-rayed? The hocks were all we saw at the time with my four year old but eventual x-rays showed abnormalities in a number of joints.
What specific area of the hock is affected?
The non-mobile lower joints?
Or the mobile upper joints?
More details would be helpful.
My Red was almost completely fused in one of the lower joints in his right hock by the age of 7 (I bought him just the year prior, and he lived the easy life before then, LOL). Regional specialist said he probably had changes at birth. Injected and used equioxx as needed, with no problem. He has other lameness issues, but the hock was the easy thing to manage. It completely fused a couple years later and doesn’t seem to bother him (although the left hock is fusing now).
The left hock was picture perfect. We did not xray any joints other than the hocks. Rads are being shared with another vet (possibly 2) and then we will make some treatment decisions. No evidence of OCD, but clear arthritic changes. I don’t think it is confined to the lower joints. Seems to be on one side more than the other and signs of osteophyte activity on surfaces that should be smooth.
well, unfortunatly juvenile arthritis does exist…my three years old have arthritis in both hocks and is allready unconfortable with it. Many quarter horses have this problem even as yearlings. At this age it is normally genetic though
My horse had arthritic changes in both hocks at 4, only in the lower joints. He was sound and in full work at the time so I took the risk on him and the hocks have never been an issue for him. He is 12 now and they have only been injected twice. New xrays show there has been progression of the arthritis but still no obvious symptoms of it. He has done quite a lot on those hocks without issue (evented to prelim, jumped 4ft courses, and dressage through 4th lvl).
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He is registered with the ISR/Oldenberg N.A… Sire is Opus and grandsire is Idocus. I can see the lameness, but from the amount of time he spends wrestling with the older geldings outdoors and romping in the indoor it doesn’t seem to bother him too much at present. When he stands he off-loads that leg ever so much and periodically will flinch. Will update when I can. Hawks Nest, that is great to hear.
Hmm, if those upper motion joints are affected, I would really, really do my due diligence on vet work, which sounds like you are.
He doesn’t show any problems under saddle though? Sometimes it is really strange how “horrible” xrays can look and how well a horse can move. And vice versa.
My Dexter’s front feet xrays look way worse than Red’s front feet xrays (that are clean) but guess who’s the one that moves sound… (the one with the “bad” xrays!).
I haven’t owned a horse that young, but am hoping for the best for your guy. I purchased my older horse (Appendix QH) when he was 10 & he had hock arthritis at that time. I suspect it probably started young for him, I don’t know the exact details of his past, other than working as a pony horse at tracks in FL, but he didn’t seem like he’d been used hard before I got him & the person I bought him from hadn’t done anything with him for a couple years. He’s now 24 & as a friend once said, I’ve ridden the be-jeebus out of this horse. I evented him up Training Level, rode all kinds of trails (like all day, multi-day, mtns, sand, rocks, technical trails), & everything in between. He got both hock joints injected 2x per year & stayed on Adequan while competing & lived in pastures. He’s basically retired now, but that was due to back injury + separate DDFT injury. His hocks aren’t significantly worse now than they were 10 yrs ago, just gets a little stiffer, but then, so do I, LOL. I don’t have a bunch of xrays as we didn’t really need them, so I can’t comment on that – it was clear where the issue was & we just let him tell us what he capable of.
Anyway, I just wanted to offer a positive story. Horses vary by individual of course, but mine, along with many others I have met & who’s owners I’ve talked to since, showed me that hock arthritis definitely can be manageable in this day & age. I hope that is the case for your baby, who sounds lovely!
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right, i did not have that luck…my young horse has really slight changes and the right hock is the worst. But guess what? he’ s lame on the left one…it is so true, sometimes a horse has bad x rays and no lameness and sometimes, little to no changes and he’ s dead lame.
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Eek. I won’t share my saga with you as it did not end well, unfortunately. All I can say is a coming 3yo with significant arthritic changes visible on rads in concerning for sure.
However, honestly, a horse can look horrendous on rads and present no issues IRL. Thus, I tend to manage what the horse presents to me, not so much based on what rads tell me.
That said, a young horse that is not under saddle yet already showing visible signs of lameness with rads to back up the issue does not sound promising for a solid working future. THAT said, there are lots of things one can do to manage hock issues depending on how much $$$ you want to spend and what treatments you are willing to get into.
Unfortunately, once the changes are into the highest of the three hock joints, which is also the most mobile, that’s usually the end. That kind of arthritic change becomes crippling quickly - ask me how I know.
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I have vetted a few of them now with juvenile hock arthritis. My vets recommended not purchasing. I do wonder what happened to each one…
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Second vet opinion obtained. Changes are limited to the lower joint and recommendation is to “drill it out” to accelerate ankylosis of the lower joint. 60-80% chance he will come sound after a year. If there was a time to do that, it would be now. He has not been started under saddle as the trainer starts babies after they turn 3 and then turns them out over the winter. So, before much more effort is put into him, he will either be sound or not. He is insured for this year for mortality and major medical - thank goodness. I am contacting another academic equine clinic in the Midwest for a third opinion before proceeding. First, however, we must teach him to load!
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but after the drilling does he has to stay stabled for a year??? or in pasture?
I believe that there is going to be a long period of stall rest. Drugs are going to be my friend here. A colleague lost her horse two or three years ago to an injury coming out of anesthesia…So much to worry about. Will return with more details when I have them. And a picture.
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Hmm, so he’s just fusing?
That I (personally) wouldn’t be as worried about that as it is manageable. Of course, I haven’t talked to your vets or seen your horse, but I would let it run it’s course and see what it does on its own, before opting for surgery. You said it is not bothering him now? Or is it?
Is he sound now? If he is sound now, I would be much less likely to go the surgery route. Fusion can usually be managed with your typical steroid joint injections, and since he’s a baby, he isn’t going to be worked hard for a while anyway.
We just passed on a two year old reining bred filly both hocks fusing with bone spurs makes me sick. So so sad I can’t help but wonder if it is genetic or wear and tear at that young age.
If both i would Say genetic for sure, There are several reining lines known to have Bad hocks.
