Fused Hock

[CityGirl]

A horse I'm looking at was kicked last summer & fractured her hock. She was rested & appears to have made a complete recovery. It appears as though it has fused however during the healing process. Trainer says she is sound on this leg & the horse is showing now. They are giving her injections of Legend.

Anyone have any experience with this? It would seem to me that the pounding from jumping could lead to soundess issues down the road but I don't have any definite answers on this.

[Mehitabel]

well, i know when a horse has bone spavins they encourage the joint to fuse through bute and exercise - so i'm presuming it's not a terible thing? not something i've had experience with myself, but perhaps someone who has a horse with bone spavins could help more.

what's Legend? not something we have over here.

[No_Angel]

Amber has arthritis in her hock and as Es said the vet said to work her so that the bone would fuse. She had other ideas tho so got some time off!

[CityGirl]

Es - Legend is hyaluronate sodium solution that is injected into the horse. This is the website for Bayer that makes it. It's fairly common around here along with Adequan
http://www.yourhorseshealth.com/joint_therapy/legend.html

[Old but trying!]

Our boy has a bone spavin and the vet has injected steriods into the hock to help fusion. Our advice was that once the bones had fused everything would be fine. Exercise is good to help the process. Future prognosis OK if care is taken not to overwork on very hard ground. Hope this helps.

[TBEventer2002]

My guy had a hock injury that has accelerated some mild arthritis in his hock, and his owner had him injected.

However, I had him xrayed all around, and a complete soundness test done. Vet said there is very little arthritis and almost no damage at the point of injury (between the two lower bones in the hock), and he would need injected again routinely. Rumby stays sound off supplements, but I like to give him FluidFlex just to keep him really limber. He's great on it, we jump often, he runs up and down hills all day long, everything. It was my experience that I am to just keep him sound and comfy until those two bones (which have very little movement between them) fuse.

It was my understanding that once bones fuse, they are immobile, thereby eliminating the occurrence of arthritis between them. I would think that if the proper bones were fused and there were no other problems elsewhere (I'd be slightly concerned because they still have her on Legend), she should be fine. A VERY good reason, however, to have her xrayed all around, if you can get it.

[galadriel]

You're looking for an upper level competition horse, right? Or at least one with upper level potential? I would think that you'd want something that is entirely sound.