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Regular
Posts: 87
| So I have my old barrel horse, and he's got arthritis quite bad in his left fetlock. I feel terrible seeing him limping (some days) around the pasture, especially when it's been as cold as it has been at my place. I haven't rode him since early September, and that was only exercising, he hasn't been worked on barrels in almost 2 years and poles for 8 months, and the sad part is he's only 11. What have you done for arthritic horses? I'd like to be able to at least get him sound enough to be a breakaway roping horse for me at high school rodeos, or if nothing else a good quiet horse for a little girl to learn on, I know it would be asking to much of him to be my tough rodeo horse anymore. Anyone have some ideas/suggestions? (And some that won't break the bank either) Please help!! | |
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 Veteran
Posts: 141
Location: Centerville, TN | I would like to know also. My old buddy has it in his left front ankle. When I turn him out, he will still run around the pasture like nothing is wrong. He has a lot of heart. He is 19 but he still loves those barrels. When I was running him, I would start on Thursday giving him bute, before the weekend runs. I haven't been on him since August. | |
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| Previcox gives good pain relief and can be given long term, unlike bute. It doesn't break the bank either. Talk to your vet about it. | |
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 Veteran
Posts: 149
Location: where the snow is flying | If you can afford Back on Track products, they help a lot especially when it is cold. I have an older gelding that has had 2 chips taken out of his knee and to keep arthritis at bay as best as I can, I keep him on SLH Joint Support, inject him as needed, use Legend and/or Adequan, and use Back On Track products. If you cannot afford the BOT products or the other things, even bringing him in at night and wrapping it with no bows would help warm the area and should help his pain. Previcox or Surpass also work well, but I always like to try to do less invasive things first--such as wrapping-- so that you still have something in the reserves should you need it. I also think accupressure/laser on accupoints and microcurrent/iontophoresis have their merits, but there are costs associated with those things as well. I would suggest starting with one thing and slowly adding other suggestions as you can afford it. Good luck. | |
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Regular
Posts: 87
| MO gal - 2013-12-29 8:26 PM
Previcox gives good pain relief and can be given long term, unlike bute. It doesn't break the bank either. Talk to your vet about it.
I have used that before, and it works great (that bugger felt so good he bucked me off after a couple days on it) And I might have to start giving it to him, the problem is he's turned out with 2 other horses and he's on the bottom of the totem pole. But if that's what it takes for him to not be in pain and barely walking around, I'll do it. | |
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Regular
Posts: 87
| sugargal - 2013-12-29 9:39 PM
If you can afford Back on Track products, they help a lot especially when it is cold. I have an older gelding that has had 2 chips taken out of his knee and to keep arthritis at bay as best as I can, I keep him on SLH Joint Support, inject him as needed, use Legend and/or Adequan, and use Back On Track products. If you cannot afford the BOT products or the other things, even bringing him in at night and wrapping it with no bows would help warm the area and should help his pain. Previcox or Surpass also work well, but I always like to try to do less invasive things first--such as wrapping-- so that you still have something in the reserves should you need it. I also think accupressure/laser on accupoints and microcurrent/iontophoresis have their merits, but there are costs associated with those things as well. I would suggest starting with one thing and slowly adding other suggestions as you can afford it. Good luck.
I do have Back on Track products- the quick wraps, hock boots and blanket that I use on my good rodeo horse now. I did use the boots on this horse in the spring when I used him for pole bending at high school rodeos and did notice an improvement, even my vet commented how much better he seemed to move. But I don't have the time to be using them as often as I should once I'm back in school (just on Christmas holidays for now) and I don't have anywhere I could put him overnight to have his legs wrapped, since the 4 year old he's out with would destroy the wraps right away. But I might try that when I'm on holidays to see if it would help. | |
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