Can you ride a horse with bone spavin?

It is best for a horse with bone spavin to be exercised daily. Preferably, this should be ridden or driven work, as lunging exercise places uneven stress on the joint. Pasture turnout may not be beneficial if the horse does not move much.

How is bone spavin treated?

Treatment for bone spavin, being a form of arthritis, aims to reduce pain either by reducing inflammation or reducing movement in the joint(s). In some cases there is a good response with anti-inflammatory medication such as phenylbutazone, while continuing exercise.

Does bone spavin cause lameness?

Bone spavin is degenerative, non-septic arthritis of the smaller hock joints. It is more often seen in older horses and ponies and is a common cause of hindlimb lameness. The lameness can range from mild stiffness with toe dragging to quite severe.

What is the difference between bog spavin and bone spavin?

Bone spavin involves the joints and the bone, and it’s usually osteoarthritis. And osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the cartilage and bone that results in proliferation of new bone in the horse’s attempt to fuse the joint. Bog spavin is extra fluid in the upper joints of the hock.

How long do hock injections last?

Hock injections can be effective anywhere from 6-12 months. If your hock injections are only lasting 8-10 weeks, your horse may be a candidate for laser arthrodesis (surgical fusion).

How do you treat hock injuries in horses?

Treatment of OA of the Hock Joint For OA in the horse’s hock joint, the usual course of action from your vet is the injection of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids, directly into the hock joint (intra-articular injections).

What causes bone spavin?

Bone spavin is a bony growth within the lower hock joint of horse or cattle. It is caused by osteoarthritis, and the degree of lameness that results can be serious enough to end a horse’s competitive career.

Would you buy a horse with bog spavin?

Simply having a bog spavin does not preclude a horse from upper-level dressage or other elite competition. But it might signal a weakness, previous problem or injury, and therefore a horse that has a bog spavin should be carefully examined to determine the cause.

Would you buy a horse with a bog spavin?

How much do hock injections cost?

Costs vary. Depending on where you live and how many sites require injection, you’ll pay anywhere from less than $300 to more than $700 to have both hocks done. Repeated corticosteroid injections have been linked to progressive joint deterioration.

How long do horses need off after hock injections?

Resume exercise gradually. Stall rest ONLY for 24 hours after injection. After 24 hours, turnout is permitted. We recommend not exercising/ riding the horse on the day of treatment as well as one day following treatment (i.e. a total of two days).

What causes bone spavin in horses?

Causes of Bone Spavin in Horses Conformational defects that affect the lower hind legs, such tarsus valgus and sickle-hocks, can lead to bone spavins. Poor trimming or shoeing can force the equine feet into an unnatural conformation, leading to bone spavins in horses with good natural conformation.