Stiff Hock

[I'mForAris]

My 19yo QH ghelding has always had weird hind leg action. I find now that it's winter time his hocks have become extremely stiff, but only sometimes. The vet says it isn't arthritis and several of the people at the stables just shrug it off. He's been around this particular stable for about 15 years now and, though I've only had him for four years, everyone likes to shrug him off like "that's just the way Aris is... he's weird." The place where I board him swears by Bute but I'm still skeptical. I know it might make it feel better, but wouldnt something to actually help preserve his aging joints be better? I do stretches with him now, which seems to help a whole lot, but still he has his bad days. I'm also skeptical about keeping him on bute because I've heard it has some nasty side effects on the kidneys if it's used for too long. Another big problem is I'm a college student with low extra money. Are there any homeopathic remedies anyone knows of that I could try? Any help is appreciated. :p

[Bebe]

There are feed supplements that you could try, Cortaflex is very popular (and is possibly the most expensive but it does work on most horses by the looks of things) but there are others to try. I've never used any myself (not yet anyway) so can't help with specific products.

Not sure about homeopathic remedies but I use a magnetic pad on my horse and it definitely helps with her slight stiffness if she has been stabled overnight. There are several companies selling magnetic products and at least one of them offers a money back guarantee and trial period of 3 months so that might be worth trying.

Otherwise, gentle but regular riding can do wonders, or failing that as much turnout as you can possibly manage.

[I'mForAris]

He's turned out almost all the time so he gets a decent amount of excersize. He has access to roughly 3 acres of gentle slopes and roughly 2 of those acres have really nice footing, during the summer.
Does cortaflex have any side effects? I've been reading about it on the internet all morning and I hear all the wonderful things it does, but I can't tell if there are long-term side effects. If anyone knows of any side effects at all (be it "hyperness" to organ damage, anything at all..) could you mention it? I'm concidering taking up some extra hours of work to put him on cortaflex, but I'd like to know more before I do so.
((also, Thanks bebe for replying so quickly. I'll definately concider magnetics.)):)

[galadriel]

I've been using cortaflx on my ottb whose joints have had hard use in her life; it seems to be making her feel much more "free" in her joints, particularly her hocks where she has had stiffness. I was doing stretches with her, with little result; I started on the cortaflx and saw dramatic change in ~3 weeks or so.

The stuff in cortaflx is similar to the glucosamine/chondroitin supplements people often take for joint trouble. As far as I know, there aren't any side effects--I know several people who are on it by the recommendation of their doctor, but as far as I know there aren't any formal studies. (The doctors, by the way, say approximately: "There aren't any studies but some of my other patients report good results" ;) )

Cortaflx seems to make my girls happy, so they get to keep it ;)

[AmandaW]

I am a fan of cortaflex. It certainly transformed the way Leah could lift her hind feet for me to pick them out. Her overall way of going improved too. But she had found picking up her hind feet very uncomfortable and after a couple of weeks on Cortaflex she could hold them up easy with no fuss.

I also did Tteam work with her over poles. We found that benefitted us in two ways, improved her flexibility and our relationship too.

I think there has been a controlled double blind study done recently that proved the efficacy of Cortaflex. I don't think there are any side effects? The nutrients in cortaflex are not glucosamine/chondroitin but those that support the bodies own production of glucosamine/chondroitin. Glucosamine/chondroitin molecules are too large to find their way to the joints. I think that's what makes it different to other joint supplements. In Britain it costs roughly £15 per month's supply

[galadriel]

According to my local tack store, cortaflx is sort of pre- glucosamine/chondroitin; that is, it's what the body uses to make them. It's the stage before the full-fledged thing.

What she told me (again, local tack shop) is that if you have a horse that already has a lot of damage done to it, it may need the full-fledged thing, as the cortaflx is not as "strong." The body has to work to make glu/cho out of cortaflx, as opposed to just using what is there. (shrug) I have NO idea how accurate that is, but it makes a bit of sense to me.