Would love to hear any experiences using Prostride in a stifle joint and seeing benefit when there are tiny tears in the meniscus - vet describes it more like ‘mottling’ … not an obvious tear.
Horse has mild arthritis in both stifles, and that chronic disturbance in meniscus in one. Lameness is 1/5.
I will hopefully have an update a week from today…my horse was 3/5 on his right hind, and his meniscus looked “funky” (the vet’s own technical term!) but didn’t have any actual tear. He got the Prostride injection five weeks ago and has been resting since. Fingers crossed that we will come back with good news after our next exam!
Can’t wait to hear how it has helped. This just happened, and I have decided to extend my horse’s R+R in the hope that rest will add benefit. I also have some in-hand exercises (both from my sports medicine vet and Jec Ballou) to strengthen the area - just need to move carefully as so many exercises presume joint health.
I have a vet who told me about a case where she treated a terrible meniscus tear (said it looked like a bomb had gone off) with IRAP quite successfully. Said the horse returned to lower level eventing. Definitely worth a try!
Rest is what I was told for the six weeks after the injection, along with 15 mins of hand-walking. I would be interested to know more about the in-hand exercises you have, in hopes that we can start doing more soon!
This is from my sports medicine vet:
These exercises are recommended to increase the strength of the spinal stabilizing musculature. These and other exercises can be found in the book, “Activate your horse’s core” by Hilary Clayton and Narelle Stubbs. Some exercises to begin with include:
I also add in gentle rocking side to side from his hind end. I don’t know what to call it, but another exercise I do is I place a hand on his chest and one on the top of his withers and alternate pushing the hand on his chest towards the withers, and then the one at the withers pushes gently towards his chest, without the passive hand restraining any movement. You may also want to check out Jec Ballou on Facebook … she has a great book and exercises, but I have to be mindful that I’m starting from injury not weakness.
The last two my vet and chiro call “tail wiggles”/“back wiggles” and “sternal glide”.
I’ve used it in arthritic stifles but not.specifically for meniscal damage. It’s slower acting and a more gradual response than steroids…I’ve never been told more than a few days rest and then light work. Maybe for confirmed soft tissue damage the rest period is longer.
Anyhow I’ve used it twice and have alternated with Noltrex. Hope your horse responds well.
I have used Prostride for a Knee injury. It took a little over a month before he was cleared for WTC. Saw immediate inflammation reduction in the joint after a week. Sadly after a few months it did not stick and I had to retire him
ProStride will offer immediate relief from inflammation, but that part isn’t going to last long, as compared to some steroids. But what it should do is help heal the joint, which can take many months and possible repeat administration of the product if healing hasn’t occurred after the anti-inflammatory effects are gone.
Thanks for that insight. My horse is not a candidate for any steroid, ever, so trying to use what is available, rest and recover on a long arc and hope for the best.
Today was our 6-week checkup, and the vet said he saw 50% improvement, but that my horse isn’t ready to ride yet. He saw reduced inflammation but the meniscus needs more time to heal. So we get six more weeks of handwalking, yay…thank goodness for podcasts 
I am thankful that things are at least moving in the right direction!
That’s fantastic news!!!
Thank you! Hope yours is improving as well 
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