A long over-due update :) Lame horses and supplements! & Pictures of course! :D

[storminateacup]

Hello all, have been lurking for a few months! but its time I gave you all an update!

I think the last thread I posted was about barney being intermittently lame, he was due for the vets appointment. Well he was trotted untill he couldnt stand bless him had various x-rays, prodded and pulled and the xrays revealed he had holes in his navicular bone. Now the vet said many horses can have these and not be lame, has anybody had experience with this?

The other thing she said he had trauma to his coffin joint, and didnt look too good. He was given shock wave treatment (again anybody had any experience with this?) 3 times fortnightly and was on box rest for a month. He also had some "special" shoes put on :p a paste is put on the sole of the hoof and frog and then a plastic pad put in between the shoe and the paste, it is to help reduce concussion to he heel and put it on the frog instead (because he ALSO has dodgy un even legs :rolleyes:)

When he went back to the vets he trotted up sound, and the vet told us to try and exercise him just for 10 miniutes or so in walk and "see what happens" So yesterday we went for a little walk and it was sooo nice to be back in the saddle :) He wasnt lame and half way down the lane he decided his legs walked well enough to jog all the way back home :D

Big pat on the back for everyone who has got through this, i will reward you all with pictures :D
video of discovering legs were working
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x131/abibumble/th_MOV00454.jpg (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x131/abibumble/?action=view&current=MOV00454.flv)
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x131/abibumble/DSC00441.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x131/abibumble/DSC00445.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x131/abibumble/DSC00456.jpg

[storminateacup]

Another question for all of you :) Supplements?
has anybody had any experience of :

Permanex- green lipped mussle
Thinksound- boswellin/ glucosamine
Fleximover

nobute premimium- devils claw
Devils relief

alpha bute
moovefree
cortavet

He is currently on Superflex but we are sort of looking into other long term suplements to help with relieving artheritis pain?

Thanks guys, advice is muchly appreciated :D xx

[CL66]

I've just had intermittent lameness with my boy so had the vet out. After x-rays/nerve blocks etc it turned out to be coffin joint arthritis. However, to answer your question he did have some changes to his navicular bone on the x-ray (holes like you describe) but the vet said nothing untoward for what you would expect in a horse his age (18) who was worked hard as a youngster.

Good luck with yours and glad he's sound again. Mine's got funky wedge pad shoes on too :cool:

[nirikina]

My boy is on a maintenance dose of devil's claw for bone spavin. I had him on cortaflex (glucosamine) for 6 weeks but didn't see any improvement.

[storminateacup]

Thankyou :) Do you worry about the side effects of devils claw? i.e gastric ulcers? Or is this n/a due to it being a small amount?

Thats why im thinking more of an alternative because ive heard that boswellin and green lipped mussel has no long term side effects?

[Pale Moon]

Another question for all of you :) Supplements?
has anybody had any experience of :

Permanex- green lipped mussle

Thanks guys, advice is muchly appreciated :D xx

Absolutely and totally WONDERFUL stuff for arthritis. Have had my lad on it for three years (he has ringbone) and apart from a blip recently it brought him completely sound, without the need for bute, cortaflex or anything else. Have a look on the Maxavita website at testimonials of other users, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the stuff.

By the way - its Pernamax!;)

[storminateacup]

Thanks Pale moon-just what I want-positive testimonials. After reading up on all the supplements for hours and hours, their properties and ingredients etc.. Pernamax came into my top three! ( My mum wrote permanex, making me look daft!! :p). Also interesting me are the patches containing Hyaluronic Acid etc... as it looks as if it more effective when absorbed into the skin rather than digested.
I'm really interested in anyone elses opinions/testimonials. :D

[Skippys Mum]

I am very impressed with Equine Answers Premierflex plus - its been very good with Arnie:). It contains the Hyaluronic Acid.

your boy is lovely:D

http://www.equineanswers.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=16

[rtk]

I use glucosomine as it was recommended by the professor at Lea Hurst as being the only thing actually proven to help.

To be honest after years of experience with my 33 year old (who is still sound and in work) I find keeping him warm and as dry as possible if the best way of managing it.

Old people are far less mobile when its cold and damp, why should horses be any different.

My old lad is always slightly over rugged, wears a lightweight even if summer if its wet and wears leg wamers at night in cold weather. I have just bought some turnout socks to see if keeping his legs warmer during the day helps too.

I have tried the green lipped mussel but for mine it didn't make any difference. Depends on the horse I suppose.