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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
 
| Can someone fill me in on some signs of sore hocks? I know the cross firing and refusing the gate but what are some of the other signs? | |
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 Living within my means
Posts: 5128
Location: Randolph, Utah | EmtRoper - 2014-09-02 11:24 AM
Can someone fill me in on some signs of sore hocks? I know the cross firing and refusing the gate but what are some of the other signs?
My mare gets sore in her back when her hocks get sore. | |
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  Queen Boobie 2
Posts: 7521
 
| Not wanting to back up. Reluctance to get in trailer. My mare will get her front end in and then pause to decide which back leg she will step in with. Standing with their back legs 'parked out' ... Just a few I have run across | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| Kicking out with a hind foot at the lope (and/or bucking) <-- this was a BIG one for my mare
Alternate resting of a hind leg, more than normal, or only resting one hind leg
Reluctance to pick up the correct lead all together
Farrier may notice stiffness while doing the hind feet
Sore back
From someone watching on the ground: short strided in the back/not tracking up, if you isolate the front end from your eye and only watch the back end, the gait can look like there is a "hitch" in it.
Dragging hind toes and/or tripping a lot in the back (which can also be a sign of stifle issues in addition to hocks)
Edited by SuckerForHorses 2014-09-02 1:01 PM
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Mine will not want to give you his hind feet when you go to pick them out, or he will pick up his foot but pull it up under him. | |
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| All these are good--I have noticed mine don't want to move over for the second barrel even though they easily do in slow work, and feel like they have a hump in their back when pushing out of the barrel for a couple strides. However, these can also be signs of different physical problems--you kind of just have to know your horse. Or just take them to a good vet periodically and have them checked. | |
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 pressure dripper
Posts: 8699
Location: the end of the rainbow | jenagarwood - 2014-09-02 12:52 PM
All these are good--I have noticed mine don't want to move over for the second barrel even though they easily do in slow work, and feel like they have a hump in their back when pushing out of the barrel for a couple strides. However, these can also be signs of different physical problems--you kind of just have to know your horse. Or just take them to a good vet periodically and have them checked.
usually a horse that bunny hops around or off a barrel is generally sore in the hocks. By bunny hop I mean back feet/legs are close together instead of spread out/ separated like they should be. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | willrodeo4food - 2014-09-02 3:27 PM jenagarwood - 2014-09-02 12:52 PM All these are good--I have noticed mine don't want to move over for the second barrel even though they easily do in slow work, and feel like they have a hump in their back when pushing out of the barrel for a couple strides. However, these can also be signs of different physical problems--you kind of just have to know your horse. Or just take them to a good vet periodically and have them checked. usually a horse that bunny hops around or off a barrel is generally sore in the hocks. By bunny hop I mean back feet/legs are close together instead of spread out/ separated like they should be.
^^^^ this ^^^^^ | |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | willrodeo4food - 2014-09-02 3:27 PM
jenagarwood - 2014-09-02 12:52 PM
All these are good--I have noticed mine don't want to move over for the second barrel even though they easily do in slow work, and feel like they have a hump in their back when pushing out of the barrel for a couple strides. However, these can also be signs of different physical problems--you kind of just have to know your horse. Or just take them to a good vet periodically and have them checked.
usually a horse that bunny hops around or off a barrel is generally sore in the hocks. By bunny hop I mean back feet/legs are close together instead of spread out/ separated like they should be.
This is what my gelding does around time for his injections. He also gets INCREDIBLY front-endy. | |
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 ND Sweetheart
Posts: 3471
Location: In My Own Dream Land | I have a 5 yr old I just recently acquired. She bunny hops around her barrels. I haven't taken her to the vet, but am wondering if her hocks aren't fusing? Is 5 too early to be dealing with this?
Thanks. | |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | Some get blisters on their hocks, from laying down and trying to get back up. Not wanting to lope circles is also a big thing. | |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| JcNhEmI - 2014-09-02 12:29 PM
EmtRoper - 2014-09-02 11:24 AM
Can someone fill me in on some signs of sore hocks? I know the cross firing and refusing the gate but what are some of the other signs?
My mare gets sore in her back when her hocks get sore.
A friend of mines horse who was injected showed increased back pain (this particular horse was already dealing with kissing spine). | |
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| tThompson - 2014-09-03 6:47 PM
I have a 5 yr old I just recently acquired. She bunny hops around her barrels. I haven't taken her to the vet, but am wondering if her hocks aren't fusing? Is 5 too early to be dealing with this?
Thanks.
No my mare was a 4yo and dealing with major hock problems | |
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ND Sweetheart
Posts: 3471
Location: In My Own Dream Land | Tn_Barrelracer - 2014-09-03 7:22 PM tThompson - 2014-09-03 6:47 PM I have a 5 yr old I just recently acquired. She bunny hops around her barrels. I haven't taken her to the vet, but am wondering if her hocks aren't fusing? Is 5 too early to be dealing with this?
Thanks. No my mare was a 4yo and dealing with major hock problems
What did you do to help her? Injections, time off? | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| tThompson - 2014-09-03 7:48 PM
Tn_Barrelracer - 2014-09-03 7:22 PM tThompson - 2014-09-03 6:47 PM I have a 5 yr old I just recently acquired. She bunny hops around her barrels. I haven't taken her to the vet, but am wondering if her hocks aren't fusing? Is 5 too early to be dealing with this?
Thanks. No my mare was a 4yo and dealing with major hock problems
Most horses will not fuse completely on their own,
There are pros and cons with injections, always a chance of infection, generally will work for a period of time and as the horse ages the duration or length of time between injections decreases.
I personally don't inject hocks, I go straight to laser fusion especially if they are young then I don't ever have to worry about the hocks again. | |
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 Veteran
Posts: 164
| Adequan has been a miracle worker for my gelding with really bad hocks. He's lame without it. | |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | The one horse we have will start refusing the gate and be a little back sore, the other will buck when running barrels will show no change when roping!-depends on the horse and their attitude. I will inject mine and then they are on pentosan. The one that refuses the gate has definite arthritic changes in the hock (he hung it in a fence a couple years back) pentosan is supposed to help wash that arthritis from the joint. I'm curious to get some radiographs to see if there is any improvement. I do know I was told the injections would last 3-6 months and I was well past a year and half before I thought he needed injecting again. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 928
Location: Bigfoot Country | BEWARE!!! My horse had all these symptoms mentioned. Got hocks injected and she was better....for a while. Turned out to be suspensories. They can get very sore and they HAVE THE SAME SYMPTOMS as hocks. If you go get hocks injected and they only get better for a short time, get suspensories ultrasounded. | |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | nuevocowgirl - 2014-09-04 12:20 PM BEWARE!!! My horse had all these symptoms mentioned. Got hocks injected and she was better....for a while. Turned out to be suspensories. They can get very sore and they HAVE THE SAME SYMPTOMS as hocks. If you go get hocks injected and they only get better for a short time, get suspensories ultrasounded.
I would get radiographs done of the hocks too before injecting...JMO | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | nuevocowgirl - 2014-09-04 10:20 AM
BEWARE!!! My horse had all these symptoms mentioned. Got hocks injected and she was better....for a while. Turned out to be suspensories. They can get very sore and they HAVE THE SAME SYMPTOMS as hocks. If you go get hocks injected and they only get better for a short time, get suspensories ultrasounded.
This happened to me too. Vet was torn between the problem being hocks or suspensory; we injected hocks. Mare was amazing for 1 1/2 weeks and then was as bad as ever. Taught me a good lesson in not jumping to conclusions but having a VERY thorough vet check. | |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| There is a cycle sore hocks mostly lower, sore stifle and si. Need to stop the cycle. Make sure your shoer does what he can to lessen the load on your horse and also balances your horse. I had a horse fusing he is 11 several visits to vetsmhe shows sore enough, then his stifles where sore injected, now his si is sor injected that and stifles, still sore told my farrier changed his shoeing a bit next time will take him to the best lamness vet. You know i told my reg vet his,hock where fusing 18 months ago she did not want to do xrays, but the turkey injected hocks stifles but she was short on steroids but not onmwhat she charged me did not,helep either. She is getting 50.00 bux a month. I dont need someone not,helping me she also,charge 800.00 the night my filly was born for a retained placenta, i have a friend who breed a lot,of horses who would have done that for free and problably had done it more than the vet. She was married to my farrier all of sudden just told him she hated him/men. A wierd person. Her ex will havemher student loans paid off next year she will be gone. | |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Also, if they talk abput the alcohol, procedure means that it kills the nerves long enough for the horse to naturally to fuse, just like the back nerves.. I had no problem other people have problems. | |
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Pig-Bear Dog Lover
| No one mentioned how a horse will travel with sore hocks. If you watch them from behind and know what to look for it's not hard to tell. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | make sure you get x-rays first. we had a horse that had all the signs and symptoms of sore hocks, had him injected seemed to help for a week then started doing the same things so went back had them xrayed it was a high suspensory - had several vets tell me most start with hocks and if inject adn doesn't help then it is suspensory. We kept him on small pen rest for 3 months and jsut took him back and suspensory looks amazing and his hocks are great too! | |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I'm thinking hocks/stifle on this mare. She will jam on the brakes/hop at this point in the video, around the barrel, or a stride off the barrel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB45WS1aFeE | |
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Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| tThompson - 2014-09-03 7:48 PM
Tn_Barrelracer - 2014-09-03 7:22 PM tThompson - 2014-09-03 6:47 PM I have a 5 yr old I just recently acquired. She bunny hops around her barrels. I haven't taken her to the vet, but am wondering if her hocks aren't fusing? Is 5 too early to be dealing with this?
Thanks. No my mare was a 4yo and dealing with major hock problems
Injections, surpass, adequen etc.... I would definitely X-ray before injecting. I have gave her time off to have a foal but it was more just to give her a break than for her hocks. Haven't really seen a difference in that since bringing her back | |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| I inject and use Polyglycan along with a good joint supplement. I also have hair analysis done and use the appropriate herbs that she is needing. There is a product called Neorofin AVF that has helped my mare . | |
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 Morale Booster!!
Posts: 1459
| SwishMiss - 2014-09-05 10:39 PM No one mentioned how a horse will travel with sore hocks. If you watch them from behind and know what to look for it's not hard to tell.
Maybe you could tell us what to look for.... | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
| Bumping this up!! | |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Glad this post is still up my horse started not really running, like a push style horse i had gotton him injected in april so i could go back riding as a 4 year old in a local furtity my gelding put 1/2 on the field that sucker can put a move on the barrel he had some other issues hemwas king hit or miss. But i went to the nbha world the last year they had it in agusta and then second round was second won like 1300.00 and in finals he bowed way out on second and won another 1500.00. went home and changed his bit and put a noseband instead a bonnet and was too,fast for,second d and he thru me back in saddle when he left the first. Then my husband got sick and was homebound and didnot get to ride for a year and slowly i rode some and carried him toa few shows that where close he would now run some of my friends suggested that cause i,didnot ride much was the reason he was not running he was turning like a champ. 3 years ago i arranged for,someone to,care for,my husband carried my mare and gelding to the world in perry. My mare ran nice but was in no mans land mostly because of me. But my gelding came off the trailer just about bucking, and just as skiddish as hemcould be had to,ace him to,ride him tye last run i was in the big pen adjactent to,arena just sitting next to,the fence, he just started slamming me against the pannels i had never seen him do,this ever. I,got off him led in into warmup he did find got on him walked in to the holding pen and ran decient. my husband passed almost 1 and 1/2 years last spring i got his hocks injected and askmthe vet did she notice anything funny she said no. Started riding him he started wearing his toes and carried him to a,show,he balked at the gate and not,putting out. Had the vet come she came early and lunged him after a heavy rain. She said he needed to,hacks/stifles injected. Well she was short on the steroids well i did not see any difference. When i did show him it was on previcox just will not run so went to nbha reginionals still thensame way was telling some i know says there was a good vet with lamness. Carried him to,her she said he was not sore enough but she poved the waymhe moved big time jumper person, we did a little accupuncture he reacted for ulcers. I did treated him for that and that has made him quiet and no more,bucking. But then went to my state finals and he acted bad last run he went into the arena and walked over to,the right and stopped would go,forward. I knew then something was wrong. Carried him to,another top notch proformance vet that works on a lot of high dollar horse. Came out with his thermoscam says left,hick and front feet. He said he would do 2 shockwave and imwould be alright in spring. I knew he was wrong as went i went to nbha world he would not,hardly go,in arena the first run and bymthe last run walked in arena. I was told,when i ran him to give him previcox and banimne when i ran him made him a lot better but i could watch videos and know something is wrong. In march i live in virginia and we had a bad winter, so i waited until,weather broke had a long talk to one of the vets that missed him she said she would take here time and go thru him from head to,toe. We ultra sounded his suspensories, good. Flexed stifles, good. Twisted front feet every whic way, good. She xrayed hocks about 60% fused suggested that we do the alcohol thing and 30 days rest be like new. Well did thst waited 30 days the second time i,rode him he acted worse than when his hocked wher fusing. She then said his stifles are sore, injected them, waited 1 week went back,workimg him and he was in terrible condition so i got him good condition still have same proble, we just imjected stifles and si. We are still in same place but he moves his right rear inward in a twisting motion and when my shoer did him last week said hemhad a hard time standimg on one leg. all that vet said maybe he doesnot want to,be a barrel horse, i told her he is hurting if i give enough pain meds he will work. Butmit is hard to,run fast on 3 legs when all.thenother horses are running on 4. I still it is something we are missing and it is simple, as when we started he was sound on everythimg but hocks i begining to,the his hock still hurts and he is compensating. I have another appointment with a vet first thing we gonna do,is block his hocks. Se what happends. He just dont want to get on his ass. Last year he would do,sliding stop even with his hocks they way they where. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| daisycake123 - 2014-09-08 8:57 PM
Glad this post is still up my horse started not really running, like a push style horse i had gotton him injected in april so i could go back riding as a 4 year old in a local furtity my gelding put 1/2 on the field that sucker can put a move on the barrel he had some other issues hemwas king hit or miss. But i went to the nbha world the last year they had it in agusta and then second round was second won like 1300.00 and in finals he bowed way out on second and won another 1500.00. went home and changed his bit and put a noseband instead a bonnet and was too,fast for,second d and he thru me back in saddle when he left the first. Then my husband got sick and was homebound and didnot get to ride for a year and slowly i rode some and carried him toa few shows that where close he would now run some of my friends suggested that cause i,didnot ride much was the reason he was not running he was turning like a champ. 3 years ago i arranged for,someone to,care for,my husband carried my mare and gelding to the world in perry. My mare ran nice but was in no mans land mostly because of me. But my gelding came off the trailer just about bucking, and just as skiddish as hemcould be had to,ace him to,ride him tye last run i was in the big pen adjactent to,arena just sitting next to,the fence, he just started slamming me against the pannels i had never seen him do,this ever. I,got off him led in into warmup he did find got on him walked in to the holding pen and ran decient. my husband passed almost 1 and 1/2 years last spring i got his hocks injected and askmthe vet did she notice anything funny she said no. Started riding him he started wearing his toes and carried him to a,show,he balked at the gate and not,putting out. Had the vet come she came early and lunged him after a heavy rain. She said he needed to,hacks/stifles injected. Well she was short on the steroids well i did not see any difference. When i did show him it was on previcox just will not run so went to nbha reginionals still thensame way was telling some i know says there was a good vet with lamness. Carried him to,her she said he was not sore enough but she poved the waymhe moved big time jumper person, we did a little accupuncture he reacted for ulcers. I did treated him for that and that has made him quiet and no more,bucking. But then went to my state finals and he acted bad last run he went into the arena and walked over to,the right and stopped would go,forward. I knew then something was wrong. Carried him to,another top notch proformance vet that works on a lot of high dollar horse. Came out with his thermoscam says left,hick and front feet. He said he would do 2 shockwave and imwould be alright in spring. I knew he was wrong as went i went to nbha world he would not,hardly go,in arena the first run and bymthe last run walked in arena. I was told,when i ran him to give him previcox and banimne when i ran him made him a lot better but i could watch videos and know something is wrong. In march i live in virginia and we had a bad winter, so i waited until,weather broke had a long talk to one of the vets that missed him she said she would take here time and go thru him from head to,toe. We ultra sounded his suspensories, good. Flexed stifles, good. Twisted front feet every whic way, good. She xrayed hocks about 60% fused suggested that we do the alcohol thing and 30 days rest be like new. Well did thst waited 30 days the second time i,rode him he acted worse than when his hocked wher fusing. She then said his stifles are sore, injected them, waited 1 week went back,workimg him and he was in terrible condition so i got him good condition still have same proble, we just imjected stifles and si. We are still in same place but he moves his right rear inward in a twisting motion and when my shoer did him last week said hemhad a hard time standimg on one leg. all that vet said maybe he doesnot want to,be a barrel horse, i told her he is hurting if i give enough pain meds he will work. Butmit is hard to,run fast on 3 legs when all.thenother horses are running on 4. I still it is something we are missing and it is simple, as when we started he was sound on everythimg but hocks i begining to,the his hock still hurts and he is compensating. I have another appointment with a vet first thing we gonna do,is block his hocks. Se what happends. He just dont want to get on his ass. Last year he would do,sliding stop even with his hocks they way they where.
If there was communication between the lower joints and upper joint the alcohol could have migrated and destroyed the higher joint, if this happens the horse is done, there is no proven cure.
If you read the studies alcohol doesn't have that high of success rate, and has more post op complications then laser or dremmel.
I suggest re xraying the hock to make sure the high joint is okay, and to give a visual of what is going on in the lower joint | |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | cheryl makofka - 2014-09-08 11:24 PM daisycake123 - 2014-09-08 8:57 PM Glad this post is still up my horse started not really running, like a push style horse i had gotton him injected in april so i could go back riding as a 4 year old in a local furtity my gelding put 1/2 on the field that sucker can put a move on the barrel he had some other issues hemwas king hit or miss. But i went to the nbha world the last year they had it in agusta and then second round was second won like 1300.00 and in finals he bowed way out on second and won another 1500.00. went home and changed his bit and put a noseband instead a bonnet and was too,fast for,second d and he thru me back in saddle when he left the first. Then my husband got sick and was homebound and didnot get to ride for a year and slowly i rode some and carried him toa few shows that where close he would now run some of my friends suggested that cause i,didnot ride much was the reason he was not running he was turning like a champ. 3 years ago i arranged for,someone to,care for,my husband carried my mare and gelding to the world in perry. My mare ran nice but was in no mans land mostly because of me. But my gelding came off the trailer just about bucking, and just as skiddish as hemcould be had to,ace him to,ride him tye last run i was in the big pen adjactent to,arena just sitting next to,the fence, he just started slamming me against the pannels i had never seen him do,this ever. I,got off him led in into warmup he did find got on him walked in to the holding pen and ran decient. my husband passed almost 1 and 1/2 years last spring i got his hocks injected and askmthe vet did she notice anything funny she said no. Started riding him he started wearing his toes and carried him to a,show,he balked at the gate and not,putting out. Had the vet come she came early and lunged him after a heavy rain. She said he needed to,hacks/stifles injected. Well she was short on the steroids well i did not see any difference. When i did show him it was on previcox just will not run so went to nbha reginionals still thensame way was telling some i know says there was a good vet with lamness. Carried him to,her she said he was not sore enough but she poved the waymhe moved big time jumper person, we did a little accupuncture he reacted for ulcers. I did treated him for that and that has made him quiet and no more,bucking. But then went to my state finals and he acted bad last run he went into the arena and walked over to,the right and stopped would go,forward. I knew then something was wrong. Carried him to,another top notch proformance vet that works on a lot of high dollar horse. Came out with his thermoscam says left,hick and front feet. He said he would do 2 shockwave and imwould be alright in spring. I knew he was wrong as went i went to nbha world he would not,hardly go,in arena the first run and bymthe last run walked in arena. I was told,when i ran him to give him previcox and banimne when i ran him made him a lot better but i could watch videos and know something is wrong. In march i live in virginia and we had a bad winter, so i waited until,weather broke had a long talk to one of the vets that missed him she said she would take here time and go thru him from head to,toe. We ultra sounded his suspensories, good. Flexed stifles, good. Twisted front feet every whic way, good. She xrayed hocks about 60% fused suggested that we do the alcohol thing and 30 days rest be like new. Well did thst waited 30 days the second time i,rode him he acted worse than when his hocked wher fusing. She then said his stifles are sore, injected them, waited 1 week went back,workimg him and he was in terrible condition so i got him good condition still have same proble, we just imjected stifles and si. We are still in same place but he moves his right rear inward in a twisting motion and when my shoer did him last week said hemhad a hard time standimg on one leg. all that vet said maybe he doesnot want to,be a barrel horse, i told her he is hurting if i give enough pain meds he will work. Butmit is hard to,run fast on 3 legs when all.thenother horses are running on 4. I still it is something we are missing and it is simple, as when we started he was sound on everythimg but hocks i begining to,the his hock still hurts and he is compensating. I have another appointment with a vet first thing we gonna do,is block his hocks. Se what happends. He just dont want to get on his ass. Last year he would do,sliding stop even with his hocks they way they where. If there was communication between the lower joints and upper joint the alcohol could have migrated and destroyed the higher joint, if this happens the horse is done, there is no proven cure. If you read the studies alcohol doesn't have that high of success rate, and has more post op complications then laser or dremmel. I suggest re xraying the hock to make sure the high joint is okay, and to give a visual of what is going on in the lower joint
Id never do alcohol thing. | |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| There was no communication he was 75% fused.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| daisycake123 - 2014-09-09 6:25 AM
There was no communication he was 75% fused.
Did the vet inject the radioactive dye into the joint then X-ray, this is the process to determine if there is communication between the joints. | |
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Lets talk sore hocks