Anyone with experience fusing hocks?

[Tsavo]

I am coming around to the reality that at present, the LF ringbone has largely remitted but the left hock is going to block serious rehab.

I did my plan of lunging mostly as walk and canter to warm up and them tested trot for soundness and then got on. He can do everything except canter left with me up. In canter left he groans and shifts his hindquarters to the inside to unweight the LH and he clearly is in pain. This is relatively recent... he was not doing this last week nor was he having obvious trouble going downhill last week. I think he is in a massive painful flair on the left hock.

He does NOT need to have hock pain. This joint can be chemically fused as I understand it. Has anyone done this?

[musical comedy]

No I haven't. However, I have had horses with hock and stifle issues and they all responded to IA treatment, whether it be steroids or IRAP. According to what I've read, it's the rare case that does not. How do you know for sure it's the hocks and not stifile or both? Do xrays show it? Have you blocked the hock to see if that makes him go sound? I do not think you can chemically inject the upper hock, only the low motion parts. It comes with some risk, as I'm sure you know. I have never had a horse so painful they refuse to trot or canter. Whatever is going on with him, must be quite painful. A lot of vets are against chemical fusing.

[Tsavo]

No I haven't. However, I have had horses with hock and stifle issues and they all responded to IA treatment, whether it be steroids or IRAP. According to what I've read, it's the rare case that does not. How do you know for sure it's the hocks and not stifile or both? Do xrays show it? Have you blocked the hock to see if that makes him go sound? I do not think you can chemically inject the upper hock, only the low motion parts. It comes with some risk, as I'm sure you know. I have never had a horse so painful they refuse to trot or canter. Whatever is going on with him, must be quite painful. A lot of vets are against chemical fusing.

Thanks MC.

I assumed it was hock based on the difficulty going downhill and not falling out at the stifle.

He is almost refusing to canter with me up but showed no sign of it on the lunge or any unwillingness to canter in either direction. He prefers canter over trot. He did not shift his haunches on the lunge and was sound in trot.

I will get my vet out to confirm or deny and to treat this. I think he is flairing.

[Abby Kogler]

If he does everything ok with out you up, but struggles when you are up, it could be back or SI as well.

[Ellie]

About eight years I bought a super steady Eddy (Quarter Horse) that had had his hocks fused a few years before. He was never a super mover (before or after) more so due to his breed/conformation, but he was totally sound with no hock pain/discomfort during the time that I had him. I understand it is a lengthy rehab, but if I had a horse that I loved and was told by a vet that I trusted that he/she could be serviceably sound, I'd do it.

[Tsavo]

Thanks Ellie.

I have continued the rehab and my horse is now able to negotiate downhills much better with or without a rider.

The walk and canter are coming along faster than trot.

I have to stop worrying until he actually plateaus in his rehab. Patience.

[Tsavo]

That episode appeared to be a flare of hock pain in my opinion. The flare has died down though I can't be sure it won't continue to flare in the future.

[goldhorse]

Tried the alcohol fusion on my QH. It gave him about 6 months of relief probably from the nerve endings being killed off. At the end of 6 months, we were back to square one. No evidence of fusion. Then I went with the drilling. Still didn't fuse. That vet talks about his case at national meetings as an example of how sometimes things don't work as expected. Eventually retired the poor boy. After all I put him through, I swore I would never do a voluntary surgery on a horse again.

[acheyarcher]

I gave up on my QH and had laser fusion at the vet school. The chemical injections simply didnt work. The school did both hocks and was able to laser most of the area with one are, the worse, that actually needed old school drilling

The time off then work under saddle rehab was almost 8 months, he came back moving better than he went in. I invested in the procedure so he could "retire" in comfort.

He is a Schoolmaster for a much trusted trainer. I finished him at 3rd level and he knew tempes and was starting canter P so I am sure he is being a valued memer of her staff.

[Tsavo]

Thanks for this info, folks. The hind issues flair and we haven't had a flair for a while.