Do you mean when do we start injecting a horse? I start injecting as soon as soreness shows up and I have an actual job for them to be doing. I don't work sore horses.
Sadly, in my bunch, I'm at a 100% for injections. That's a solid four out of four.
One gets SI and hocks and got his first injections as a 9 year old for x-ray and bone scan proven arthritis/soreneness, one gets stifles and and hocks and got her first injections as an 8 year old for lameness exam and x-ray proven arthritis/soreness, one gest just hocks as a four year old after lameness exam and x-rays, and one gets just stifles after hock fusion surgery and got his first injections as a five year old.
If they are sore they get injected or turned out for a bit. Wouldn't run a sore horse it causes more problems than good. Prefer Irap or PRP or osphos if I can avoid steroids I will, if I can't then that's fine too. I've had injections on myself and they work really well (within 2 days) but they don't last very long, maybe 3-4 months sometimes shorter sometimes longer I think it Depends on the individual. Essentially if something is going on with your horse I believe in stopping the pain ASAP. All mine are sound healthy and happy and enjoy running barrels because they feel good.
We have 13 horses (14 soon) and really have only had a couple injected. My gelding got a steroid injection for a suspensory injury and my three year old futurity prospect has had one set of HA/Corticosteroid injections in her hocks and stifles and one set of IRAP (she gets another in November and another in February). This has also been paired with Adequan loading dose twice a year. We are trying to be conservative but she has been sore, not lame. We want her to be comfortable. We are currently pairing these efforts with ice and a few months of pasture rest. She's our first real in-depth experience with it but so far we have seen huge improvements in her movement with them. I have no idea how many people inject. My hubby was very against injecting her at all. When I insisted and then her hock fluid showed actual blood, he became much more for it. Would you let your child bleed into their knee or ankle without trying to treat it and just say, "get some rest"? No I wanted even her rest to be comfortable. We probably have several older ones that need it and will probably invest in it more as time goes on. I don't plan to be needle happy. We've had one get a hock infection (NOT from an injection but an injury), so we are very familiar with all the risks. But I certainly won't hesitate in future to get one some help if they need it. I hate the idea that my horses might be sore and I could have done something easy with a responsible vet to fix it. We pay on average 120-150 to inject per joint. IRAP is much more expensive, around $900 to process (from the horse's own blood), and $50 per injection thereafter (you get about 4-6 depending on which joint you are doing). IRAP is much more expensive but it is regenerative (unlike steroid which can tear down cartilage). We have gone with the more expensive option on most of my mare's treatments because it is also more conservative and easier on her joints long term.
Injections
