Have you done them? How long before you noticed improvements (if you did, at all)?
Yes, and eventually was doing them every 6 months to a year. First treatment, noticeable improvement by 2 weeks, full results after a month to 5 weeks.
Thank you! Were you/are you dealing with osteoarthritis?
Yes. He had OCD at C3-4 on the left side and some arthritic changes on the facet joints at 4-5 and 5-6 on the left side and 2-3, 4-5 and 5-6 on the right side.
Yes! I’ve done them twice now, a year apart. Arthritis.
First round in 2020 was a basic steriod injection, this last time (September) was PRP. C5-6, C6 -7, both sides. They are a game changer for this horse - and this time around he seems to have responded more favorably to the PRP then he did with the steriod. It did take a few weeks to really get his groove back.
Thanks! Can I ask why you decided to switch to PRP? Have heard that steroids might not be as effective the second time around.
We’ve got arthritic changed from an old injury at C6/7.
I did them on an older (23) horse some years ago. Full effect probably was 3ish weeks though I dont remember. My vet also said that a second set of steroids would likely not be as effective. The first round worked quite well, horse was rideable and comfortable in a training/first level frame for a year or more and I never did a second round. BTW he had arthritis c-5 - c-7. Injections were bi-lateral, six in total.
I have heard that if the horse is exhibiting neuro symptoms it is reasonable to expect a 1 grade improvement; my horse was showing some hind end issues on the tail pull test, and was having difficulty maintaining a canter lead. Both of these resolved for quite a long time. I quit riding him because his one stifle began to act up - like the leg got left behind somehow. Not sure if this is anecdotal or real studies, but it most likely has to do with the severity of the symptoms.
This horse in question is a bit of a special case and has a few other joints that also require yearly (right now) injections, not all at once but scattered across the year. Rather than use steriods all the time, we thought we’d try alternatives.
That said, we’re only a few months from when the PRP was done in September, so I’m not sure how long it’ll last - its kind of an ongoing experiment for this guy in figuring out what keeps him most comfortable.
Thank you! We injected hocks before we realized it was a neck issue. I am hoping hocks sort themselves out once neck pain is gone and we don’t have to inject again.
Are you able to ride this horse?
yes, I ride him, and in fact he is better if he’s in a consistent program using his body correctly with muscle strength. He used to be be working at 3rd level but has stepped down. We do do lateral work a bit but dont have the expectations of doing them to a 3rd level standard.
I should also add- in addition to the injections there is A LOT more that goes into his care/routine. -
- he requires a long warm up, some days are just warm up/ hack ish / training level rides and never anything more.
- I have a cold laser and treat him myself a few times per week
- stretches (a la Activate Your Horse’s Core)
- chiro & acupuncture about once a quarter, massage monthly
- short shoeing/trim cycle (he has a high/low situation up front)
- he’s on a feed through called optijoint but his diet/supplementation is pretty specific - vit e, omegas, proteins amino acids
- equioxx
- regular turnout
-double stall when he’s inside (12x24)
Not gonna lie, he’s high maintenance and expensive. He’ll be 19 in april. He’s worked 4-5 days a week. I can definitely feel and see a difference when he’s had time off. Some would say if you have to do that much he should be fully retired. Tried that and it didn’t work for him - that day is coming but it isn’t now. His current routine is what is working best for him, and when it no longer works is when we’ll re-evaluate.
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Thank you! That’s very helpful. My guy also gets regular chiro, accu, massage and PEMF. He’s my trail horse, so nothing too demanding. Daily equioxx and a forage based anti inflammatory diet.
Planning on spending the winter doing some rehab with him from the ground so that he can carry himself properly. Core and thoracic sling work are part of his routine, and that’s actually where I started to notice that something just wasn’t quite right.
We call him my million dollar pony - so I can commiserate on the expense but he is only 10 years old and I’m not ready to give up on him.
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