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Soundness issues for long term

I am posting this because I am sad and I know everyone here as been through something similar.
My up and coming eventer mare, 6yo OTTB, has been an absolute dream to work with. Just sweetest amateur horse ever, beautiful, and willing. Things were fine through most of 2020 but we ran into some lameness issues early 2021 correlated with hock arthritis as part of her track baggage. (Surprisingly X-rays unexciting).
We came up with a management plan which has kept her happy until recently and her lameness has definitely popped back up in a more severe way. L hock again. Getting a second opinion from very reputable equine surgeon soon but still just so sad. I’m worried that this amazing horse may not be my long term eventer.
I know I need to wait and see what the other doc says but im just worried and sad. I really love this horse and fall more in love with her every interaction…. She and I mesh so well.

That’s all.

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:jingles: for your mare.

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I would look for a good equine myofascial release body worker. She’s young to have hock issues and if the xrays are not too bad, in layman’s terms “Where it is, is where it ain’t” Often joint issues are a manifestation of a symptom of another problem in the body. Good luck.

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You say the x-rays are unexciting. Does that mean that clinically they don’t correspond to what you are seeing in her ROM?

Turnout is a “hocky” horse’s best friend. I had a great TB (78 starts) who came to us with hock arthritis at 9. He competed until he was 19 as a BN-N packer. His maintenance was MSM, pentosan, and 24/7 turnout.

Make sure the hooves are in good shape, with good angles - and if she is not shod behind, it may help to have that extra bit of support. I agree with @gardenie that where it is, sometimes is where it is not - barring obvious changes to the hock joint, a hock sore horse tends to be compensating for somewhere else.

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I managed a horse with hock arthritis for 10 years, competing (briefly, but not because of the hocks) through Prelim.

I agree 100% with everything beowulf wrote.

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Any update, @tikkamasala?

Hey yes, Thank you for asking. I got that second opinion who said stifles. Options were to inject or to just take it super easy and recondition slowly. I opted for #2. Im actually now in the middle of some big life changes so riding took a backseat for about a month & I recently moved her to a large, grassy, gently hilly pasture.
Did chiro, bodywork, attempted acupuncture. I have been trail riding her - she’s an A++. The other day reintroduced arena work and it went well. My coach (long time UL rider) is 100% on board with this. I honestly think we will be okay. Now that I have resettled I gotta get back to consistent riding after her time off and then I’ll know if she actually is okay .

I feel good about how she has been feeling under tack. Also every upper end professional that has evaluated her has been quite comfortable/impressed with her overall balance/physique. Fingers crossed.

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