What have been your experiences?
In my experience -
Hock pain: cross cantering was a big one, kicking out at the canter (like a buck but not really, more just one leg kicking up and out), horse not wanting to lift hind leg for hoof care, path of travel in the hind legs being more of a tight-ripe style (one foot in front of the other versus each in their own set of tracks, if that makes sense)
Stifle pain: some cross cantering, not wanting to allow the hind leg to stretch out behind for hoof care
My experience with these issues:
Hock issues: horse moves very straight behind, little joint articulation, back pain, choppy stride, and problems with cantering. Either cross cantering, falling out, transitions.
Stifle issues: Moves or stands on its toes, skippy behind, doesnât want to take a certain lead or switches in corners.
IME, hock issues are usually a secondary issue, barring obvious things like arthritis, blunt force trauma, or cuts/bruises/kicks to the area. Usually a horse with sore hocks that I see is compensating for something higher up, which causes their backs, SI and hocks to become sore.
Sore hocks usually seem to be secondary to KS, SI ssues, and stifle issues - though in another thread a poster pointed out theyâre also commonly secondary to poor shoeing behind. You can also cause very sore hocks by very bad saddle fit. I agree that horses with sore hocks tend to have snappy hocks, are quick to deload hind limbs, walk/trot very tightly, can rope-walk, and will usually have very, very active tails. Cross-cantering can be a sign of sore hocks but itâs also a sign of sore stifles.
Typically, IME, a horse w stifle issues prefers trotting - a horse with hock issues prefers cantering. YMMV. Over fences, horses with sore hocks seem more likely to stop, whereas horses with stifle issues more apt to duck out.
Iâve found stifle issues can have symptoms just about anything from a broken leg to cervical arthritis can have â but typically, they have issues cantering, circling at the canter, are lopsided or extremely weak-sided, very obvious gait asymmetry, difficulty swapping leads, bucking, kicking out, bolting (also bolting into the canter) and stopping at fences. Ignored for long enough and it can turn into rearing, kicking out at people, etc. Things like Upper Fixation of the Patella are accompanied by a âskippingâ/slipping motion of the hind leg where the stifle is momentarily immobile, etc.
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When I think of sore hocks, I think of that characteristic way of moving where they âwringâ their hind legs with each step - as if they put their foot down and it twists throughout the stride, and the hock twists out (or is it in?). Anyway, that combined with stiffness and stabbiness and straightness behind makes me think of sore hocks.
Stifles - again, a little hard to explain, but you can watch the muscling over the stifle and it just doesnât look right. Sometimes it looks like the leg travels too straight and the stifle doesnât come out to the side, but sort of bumps into the barrel (i am NOT explaining that well). Thereâs also the âstepping in a holeâ thing, where suddenly they feel like theyâve stepped in a hole behind, but a stride or two later theyâre fine.
Iâve had the vet tell me they really couldnât tell which was more sore, hocks or stifles, or which came first and made the other one sore. Both will show reluctance to go downhill, sloppy transitions, unwillingness to go round over their back and push from behind. I always think of stifles when I see a horse that hops into the trot from the walk, with maybe a single canter step.
Go find every thread Iâve posted in the last 6 months. My Stifle injury gave symptoms all over the board. From PSSM, ulcers, front end lameness, Lyme, SI issues, literally any thing you could think of. ANYTHING! I got a 100% definitive answer today. She has a torn meniscus (stifle area)
This thread is timely for me, as I was just going to post something about this myself today. My guy has a stifle that slips sometimes (that stepped in a hole feeling). I work to condition it and it seems beneficial, as it happens less now. It seems like if it does happen it happens right away in the ride before he is warmed up and engaged. After a warm up he has no issues with engaging with his back end, doing transitions, etc. Someone at the barn even complimented recently that he was really stepping under well with his back end.
But now very recently, as in only this week, he has started clicking somewhere back there. It only happens on the lunge line and only going in one direction (which happens to be the side of his slippery stifle). Anyone else experienced clicking with their horse?
Sorry for the hijack, OP, but I thought since we were talking stifles and hocks anyway it fit.
Can cross firing at the canter also just be a balance issue? My horse has slight but confirmed arthritis in the hocks, stifles are clear. She cross fires a lot in winter, less in summer. I thought it was the arthritis but Iâve tried pentosan and previcox and she will still do it when not in regular work. Is this a training issue? She can hold a canter but it looks a bit tight on the straight away and has a natural rocking horse canter in the paddock but swaps back and forth in the corners unless really motoring. Sheâs very lazy so getting her to march is just good in general. Sorry to hijack.
My vet recently told me that when watching a horse go from behind who is obviously sore, a hocky horse will swing their hind legs under their body (the foot will travel in towards the center line) and a stifly horse will tend to swing their leg out before placing the foot down.
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My vet told me this last week when we decided my horse needed hock injections. Based on the results â she was right - heâs way happier! Other things that my hock-sore horse displayed:
- he would rather canter than trot
- his leg twisted a bit through the loading phase of the stride
- cross cantering after fences
- kicking out that the canter
- downward transitions became awful
- lateral work went from great to impossible
- he would improve through a ride
He got his SI injected at this time last year, and those symptoms were different:
- wouldnât get on or off the trailer (step-up)
- difficult about back hooves (picking, farrier)
- couldnât do a canter transition in relaxation
- bucking after jumps
Thought Iâd add that, in case itâs useful to anyone 
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I understand the frustration. How did you get the diagnosis? Ultrasound?
If itâs worse in winter, itâs probably physical. Temperature has little or no effect on balance. As the horse ages and the miles wear on the joints like hocks, the cartilage cushion erodes, happens in people too, active athletes experience it far younger then the general population. Horse is an active athlete. Conformation and discipline choice also contribute. As the cushion deteriorates, it can get sore and usually restricts the range of motion of the joint. They donât limp if both are sore. Pain killers might block discomfort but the joint itself is still not able to function with full range and youâll find anything requiring balancing back is compromised. They start protecting the hocks by seeking the long spots to jumps to avoid rocking back, diving for corners over jumps, swapping off behind, not wanting to collect for any movement, including lead changes. Lots of times horses that donât want to go forward arenât " lazy", they are sore. Even if they dont limp.
Intra articular injections (within the joint) usually containing a modern steroid to reduce inflammation within the joint and Hyalauronic (HA) Acid to replace the fluid in that cushion and provide lubrication are a common choice, thatâs people and horses. For OP you might want to investigate injections. Some have had good luck with the gel form of oral HA, Hyalauronex or LubriSyn, and the injectable Legend really works IF joint lubrication is the issue. These get expensive. Despite flashy ads and claims, I had no luck with any powdered or pelleted HA, its poorly absorbed apparently, donât know anybody else whose had any real success with them either. And I was in big barn full of Hunters and Jumpers for many years.
Anyway, for this OP, sounds like your horse has normal wear and tear in the hock joints and might be time to re X-ray and treat.
Stifles are more complicated, they equate with the human knee. Many times you can see an irregularity, lack of smoothness in motion or they have an actual hitch. IME, horses with stifle issues often also have hock issues but horses with normal age related hock issues donât tend to have many stifle issues. YMMV
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Thank you for some perspective! I forgot to mention in winter we move inside and the indoors here are generally smaller than outdoors which is why Iâm having a hard time deciding if itâs a training issue or pain. In any event, I have booked the vet to give me some guidance as I feel Iâve reached my knowledge limit with what to do next.
Have someone lead the horse in a straight line while you stand behind it. If the hock or hocks are wiggling side to side as they step that is generally coming from the stifle.
The smaller indoor forces tighter corners, sharper turns, smaller circles and the walls around all sides mentally back them offâŠwhich means weighting the back end and hocks more. Classic response to a small ring if a horse has deteriorating cartilage and vanishing synovial fluid within the hock plus decreased range of motion due to what is referred to as âarthritic changes within the jointâ today but many will still refer to as treadwear, wear and tear or high mileage.
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Hock issues tend to produce a âswingingâ of the hind limb, the leg swings out during the forward swing of the limb rather than flexing the hock. Stifle issues tend to get worse with exercise, hock issues tend to be easier to work out of, they get better with exercise. Stifle issues will get worse going downhill, pegging down a slope.
Ultrasound and x rays.
I have a 25 year old tenn walked who I adore, he helped me get through the death of my 19 year son in a car accident. I noticed when he gets out out in the morning he likes to roll when he goes outside he rolls but getting up he puts all his weight in his left leg and the right is sore and was told probably hock pain . I never heard him cracking Until a couple days ago. There is so much useless supplements out there and was wondering if anyone has good suggestions for him , I really appreciate it
You will get more answers if you start a new thread, but you should have a vet out to examine him. Donât waste money on any sort of supplement or treatment until you know where he hurts and why. Options for general pain/arthritis will be different than options for a soft tissue injury.
