Spine arthritis in dressage horse

[Lunabear1988]

I’m sorry if I’m posting too much but my mind is reeling.

My 4 year old was just diagnosed with arthritis in his lumbar region, the facets. I don’t have the hospital write up yet, so not sure which ones but she said she saw changes in 3 of them. This is on top of pedal ostiestis.

I asked the vet for a realistic prognosis for the future. She said really not good for a dressage horse just given the nature of what they need to do. She said kissing spines, you’ll see in some dressage horses but not arthritis.

I’m leaning towards rehabbing his feet and eventually getting him back to work (a long timeline and with therapies for back .) Then seeing if I can find him a suitable home in a career that he could do. Obviously he’ll be more of a pleasure and lower level horse. Of course if he isn’t comfortable or a suitable home can’t be found, I’ll keep him and retire him.

I have some friends that are absolutely horrified that I’m “giving up on him.” I just know at least 2 horses with spinal arthritis and both struggle or struggled with Dressage. Especially in the canter. It’s a mess, no matter the amount of therapies and work on it. I’m very passionate about Dressage so to give that up entirely would be awful.

If anyone has had any great success with a horse with arthritis in it’s back, long term, I would love to hear about it. If there is a hope to turn this around, I would love to have that. But I also don’t want to be unrealistic or try to have my horse be something that he physically can’t do. I certainly won’t save any money either way. I plan on putting a lot of money into him to see that he can be comfortable and hopefully find a job he can do. Maybe he can poke around at training level. Or do trail obstacle classes or Hunter under saddle. Maybe just expose him to a little bit of everything.

[joiedevie99]

While I tend to agree with you about finding him a different career path, the best thing to do is take it one day at a time. Focus on getting everything fixed that can be. Get the feet right. Then see what you have. He’s young for Tildren or Osphos, but it’s worth a discussion with a good vet about the risks and potential benefits. Shockwave is another potential avenue to explore.

In the mean time, focus on making him a really good citizen that a beginner could handle.

[Samantha37]

@joiedevie99

While I tend to agree with you about finding him a different career path, the best thing to do is take it one day at a time. Focus on getting everything fixed that can be. Get the feet right. Then see what you have. He’s young for Tildren or Osphos, but it’s worth a discussion with a good vet about the risks and potential benefits. Shockwave is another potential avenue to explore.

In the mean time, focus on making him a really good citizen that a beginner could handle.

I totally agree. I had to pass on a horse because of bad back x-rays and my goal was FEI levels.

[Lunabear1988]

@joiedevie99 yeah that’s the plan. He had a full work up with CSU, they aren’t comfortable with Tildren or Osphos at his age. But maybe later.

Right now the focus is the feet. We are adding some equicoxx which will hopefully give him a little more comfort overall.

He’s very friendly and sensible. Although can be opinionated -the CSU vet feels this from being sore though.

Shockwave definitely is on the table too.

[AZ_TD]

Sorry to hear about these problems on such a young horse. Did the vet have any idea what caused the problems? Are they related? Was the horse in work? Would time off help? It does sound like you are doing everything possible. I don’t know how much money I would put into it with a doubtful prognosis. CSU has great vets so that is good.

[SuzieQNutter]

That umis 2 bad strikes. It is not just the money, but it also the time.

You would be better off putting that time and money into another horse.

[Lunabear1988]

@AZ TD likely an old fall in the pasture for the back issue. The feet are from him growing up on hard ground, barefoot with poor trimming.

He was in light training when I bought him. Certainly not worked hard enough to cause anything like this.

He hasn’t been in work since February and right now isn’t sound so no plans for him to be in work for now. I know sometimes work can help the back arthritis (building muscle) but the feet need to be fixed first.

It’s definitely a huge bummer. Trying to stay positive but realistic too.

[Lunabear1988]

Once we get his feet more balanced and healthy, we can try back injections, shockwave, PEMF and also possibly coffin bone injections on his club foot. But obviously sad to do that to a young horse…

[Lunabear1988]

@SuzieQNutter yes it certainly doesn’t make a lot of sense… I will get him comfortable but I am not keen on running the vet hamster wheel on a young horse. Doesn’t seem fair to either of us in the end. But getting him comfortable to just be or hack around is another story.

[GraceLikeRain]

If you can get him to a point where he is walk through fire brave on the trails and is a statue on the ground, he will be someones best friend as an easy trail horse and spoiled spa companion. I know that this isn’t the future you dreamed of for him. I’m sorry that the vets had such disappointed findings but at least you have clarity.

[NotGrandPrixYet]

@Lunabear1988

@AZ TD likely an old fall in the pasture for the back issue. The feet are from him growing up on hard ground, barefoot with poor trimming.

He was in light training when I bought him. Certainly not worked hard enough to cause anything like this.

He hasn’t been in work since February and right now isn’t sound so no plans for him to be in work for now. I know sometimes work can help the back arthritis (building muscle) but the feet need to be fixed first.

It’s definitely a huge bummer. Trying to stay positive but realistic too.

After the feet are done, have you considered 24 pasture turn out where he can get a lot of mild exercise without a rider?

[Lunabear1988]

@NotGrandPrixYet do you mean when the feet are fixed? Honestly the vets say it will be a long road-6 months at least. I am considering pasture. There are pros and cons. He’s not in work on obviously and that’s difficult with a 4 year old horse. So pasture is appealing so he can self exercise. And cheaper.

But he grew up on pasture and was on pasture until August. And after that he was in a paddock (not stall.) It certainly didn’t do him favors, his feet look this way from roughing it his whole life. But of course he didn’t have shoes or good farrier care. I need to talk more with the vets about this. I do think that pasture or a paddock again would be best. He’s in a stall with a large run and turned out daily with other horses. He’s happy with that when in work. But now he’s bored and it’s difficult with him not being sound.

[beowulf]

@NotGrandPrixYet

After the feet are done, have you considered 24 pasture turn out where he can get a lot of mild exercise without a rider?

This –

I have more experience with KS and spinal issues in general than I’d prefer.

The one thing they have all benefited from is access to 24/7 turnout. Some of them, the change in their comfort was so drastic, that their owners could prolong time between maintenance (like injections, etc).

So sorry you are dealing with this. The horrible feet will certainly make his back pain worse. Once that is addressed, you may have a different horse on your hands, or not… but no hoof, no horse, as the saying goes…

I am with others, it sounds like the writing is on the wall that he needs a different career - heartbreaking, and you have my sympathy. The pedal osteitis is as much an issue, IMHO… but I do know horses with either (not both, though) that can be fine for low level work.

[Equibrit]

You could try this if it’s available to you;
https://www.hudsonaquatic.com/produc…ine/aquapacer/

[jumpottb]

Check this out tonight…
https://www.frequine.com/covid-19-relief-seminar-series

[Lunabear1988]

@beowulf would love to hear what happened to your horses with arthritis in the spine (not kissing spines.)

My family members horse struggles on and off despite injections, shockwave, bodywork, and full time pasture. He’s early teens though. Good foot at least. But it’s not been a fun or easy journey for her in the last five years. :no: so I’m afraid I’m not very optimistic on the dressage horse thing!

I think he has to be turned out in pasture just for our sanity sake while not in work.

Just got the wrote up. It’s L3-L4 on one side and L4-L5 on the other. He flexed positive on all flexions-but I’m guessing that’s just from feet and back hurting. Poor guy. He’s on Equicoxx now although I haven’t seen improvement yet.

[beowulf]

@Lunabear1988

@beowulf would love to hear what happened to your horses with arthritis in the spine (not kissing spines.)

My family members horse struggles on and off despite injections, shockwave, bodywork, and full time pasture. He’s early teens though. Good foot at least. But it’s not been a fun or easy journey for her in the last five years. :no: so I’m afraid I’m not very optimistic on the dressage horse thing!

I think he has to be turned out in pasture just for our sanity sake while not in work.

Just got the wrote up. It’s L3-L4 on one side and L4-L5 on the other. He flexed positive on all flexions-but I’m guessing that’s just from feet and back hurting. Poor guy. He’s on Equicoxx now although I haven’t seen improvement yet.

He is semi retired. He lives out 24/7, but a handful of other issues (chicken / egg) have kept him from returning to serious work. He was a great little eventer but sustained a stifle injury while on lease, and then I think his overall body complaints caught up to him. He could possibly be in serious work if we pushed for things like Osphos, injections, etc - but, we are lucky to have the paddock space, so he enjoys living out and earning his keep through the occasional trail ride.

I would go with how he presents symptom wise, in combination with what the x-rays say – but some horses don’t read their x-rays - what is minor to one horse will be major to another, vice versa. Spinal arthritis is not uncommon in race horses, but it is usually higher up (Cervical) versus Lumbar.

Long term prognosis in terms of riding career really depends on the location and how the horse presents, symptom-wise.

I also had a horse that had remodeling of his SI years ago – he had some minor remodeling of the lower lumbar facets. We injected the spaces with sarapin, and addressed the reason for the inflammation (which was a saddle causing issues despite fitting) and he continued to go back to his prior level of work (showing Training, schooling Prelim eventing) zero issues. So sometimes treating the inflammation and addressing the root cause will help - but he was 8 or so, not 4.

How is his fundament – how is his hindquarter arranged, does he have any anatomical pieces that might make him susceptible to early arthritis? Goose rumped, or sickle hocks?

[Lunabear1988]

Trying to upload a photo. He’s got some LONG pasterns. But I don’t see any gooserump or sickle hocks.

He does toe out. And his medial lateral balance is terrible up front-now vets and farriers are all telling me some of this can be fixed but some is just his conformation.

[Lunabear1988]

You know a few weeks after I bought him, he presented back sore. Wither area but a little bit lower back. We hoped it was saddle fit (saddle used in training definitely didn’t fit.)

I did have a chiropractor vet out twice. Both times she noted that he was sore and locked up in the hip area. She felt he had an injury at one point (like a fall in the mud playing.) She wasn’t concerned about arthritis though. But looking back, I guess that all makes sense now.

I know at least once over the winter the barn staff saw him slip and fall. Just playing too hard in bad footing.

[IPEsq]

@Equibrit

You could try this if it’s available to you;
https://www.hudsonaquatic.com/produc…ine/aquapacer/

CSU has a water treadmill, but I guarantee checking him in for in-patient with their rehabilitation group is going to be way more money than the OP wants to spend. And he wouldn’t get turnout. If OP wanted to go that route, I’d send him to a rehab facility somehwere else where he could get that kind of conditioning therapy in conjunction with good turnout (and of course a close watch on his feet). It would still be a fairly large investment for possibly still not the greatest prognosis.