# What To Expect With Hock Injections?



## Phura (Dec 4, 2012)

I have a 4 yo mustang gelding that may need a hock injection. He is lame on his right hind and had some positive on his flexion test at the hock. X-ray showed minor changes in the lower joint of the hock. He's currently on rest to see if that improves whatever the issue is but if not effective, vet said he may need hock injections. I know there are risks and am curious what to expect. I would love to hear about your experiences and thoughts. Thank you!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

My horse has bone spavin, although it's fused, I do get hock injections done, vet mixed Legend with something else, sorry can't remember. My horse was never lame but he just didn't move out as well as he usually did, even more so before the joint fused itself. He seems to be totally back to normal and I get the hock injections done just before show season starts in the spring as it was recommended by the vet. It's been all good so far. Only negative thing I can think of is that is costs $200 and I have to haul 3 hours to the equine vet clinic to have it done.


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## Phura (Dec 4, 2012)

Is there rest after the injections? How does the process work? Are they sore afterward, etc?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

No rest, in fact, since most hock injections are for arthritic type problems, which bone spavin is a form of, work, work & more work is the follow up treatment. My horse wasn't sore at all, he was worked normally the following day.


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

My vet advises 3 days of stall rest with light turn-out or handwalking. From there you can begin slowly building up riding again. You don't want to start with a super heavy work-out right from the start, although with some horses the workout routine never changes. My mare just got her hocks done Monday so I'll be riding her again come Sunday. She's been off for the past two months though due to a supposed trauma to her hip/butt. She's gotten her hocks done every year, but this is my first year with her & having them done. I can tell a considerable difference from how she rode in the spring based on now.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I stand corrected, sorry confused the Legend IV with the hock injections, yes a few days rest was recommended to prevent infection at the injection site as a precaution, but after that, it was work work & more work.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

Hock injections last anywhere from a 3 to 9 months with most lasting around 6. I have heard of horses lasting as long as 12 months on them. Be aware that a recent study conducted by a vet school (cornell I think but I am not 100% sure of) indicated that up to 25% of joint injections don't go into the joint and are thus "not therapeutic" which means you may have to try inject again to get the effect. If he has never had them done they will probably start with depo (a steroid). In the future, they may move to HA or hylaronic acid (which in theory repairs and protects the joint). I am not a vet but that is what I have seen. It tends to be a once they are on them they need them for maintenance forever.


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## VLBUltraHot (Oct 26, 2013)

Joint injections have relatively low risks. Obviously infection is the number one complication, but if done correctly, very rarely happens. 

We usually recommend three days off along with a gram of bute once daily until the horse returns back to normal work. Longevity of the injections usually differ with each horse. Older horses, or cutting/reining horses who use their hocks substantially every day may need them before or at 3 months. Other horses can go upwards of 9 months. I hope the rest improves your boy and you don't have to mess with them


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## plomme (Feb 7, 2013)

My horse gets HA + cortisone hock injections (lower joints only) every 4-6 months. He takes 3 days off after each injection and they reach full effectiveness about 2-3 weeks later. The first time I noticed a positive difference, but it wasn't exactly earth-shattering. After that first time the difference was massive - like getting a new horse and it changed not only his way of going, but his attitude. I was very hesitant to inject and saw it as a last resort, but after seeing the way it has improved his quality of life and our ability to work together I think it's the best thing I can do for him.


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## Phura (Dec 4, 2012)

The vet saw a bone spur and minor changes in the lower joint. He's on rest for another week and then we evaluate. Vet said would be an HA and steroid combo. Everyone keeps saying he's so young to start injections. I seen the Back on Track Hock wraps and may try those too. Chiropractor is coming out Friday and hopefully that will shed some insight too. But my concern is that everyone keeps saying once you start it will be forever. I'm not sure if that's good or bad...but my biggest concern is how long will forever be? Will it be that because he's young his soundness will be shorter in the long term? That's why I purchased a younger horse was so we could have a longer road together. (I have had 2 horses before with lameness issues and this is my 3rd so really was hoping for a healthy horse.) I bought him to be a trail horse and his lameness showed up during his circling exercises with his training. Additionally, everyone keeps saying that's a lot of $ to spend on a horse when there's so many out there. While we have our financial challenges like everyone else, if he will remain sound well into his senior, I'm not opposed if we can make it work. So, I guess what I'm asking is if you have seen your horses remain sound until what would be considered more average retirement age?


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

JMO I would try the injections and see how they work. If it is bone spavin and there is no upper joint involvement, the prognosis can be quite good once the lower joints have fused. There are many schools of thoughts on fusing the joints, surgical, chemical, letting the horse fuse, supporting the fusion with drugs, etc..
Talk to your vet about the long term fusion plan. If you are not competing, plan to be using NSAIDs to relieve pain while the joints are fusing. You might also look into Legend IV to aid the fusion process. If you can manage the inflammation and pain with IV legend (cheaper than IA) then you may not have to do another joint injection.
The thought behind the joint injections and steroid use is to immediately eliminate inflammation. Then you can manage it with oral NSAIDs and IV Legend/HA.

Please keep in mind oral HA does nothing and is a complete waste of money. He will just have poop full of HA. Only IV and IA HA works.

Good luck!

ETA IA = intra-articular = joint injections.


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## Regula (Jan 23, 2012)

As for long term soundness, no one will be able to tell you that. As anebel said, bone fusion might relieve some of the pain.
But my question would be why the horse is having bone problems at such a young age, and whether other joints might be affected. Poor conformation? Genetic predisposition? Worked too hard too young? None of the above? Only a vet can answer that.

Did you have a pre-purchase exam done? With x-rays? If not, and you are considering not keeping the horse, that's where I'd start (despite the fact that he's already purchased), to see what the status quo is. After that the vet might be able to make a prognosis for long term soundness.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Phura (Dec 4, 2012)

UPDATE: Rio has been seen by the vet and chiropractor. Chiro adjusted him couple weeks ago or so. Improved as he was out but didn't fix the issue. His lameness was finally diagnosed after his 3rd lameness exam. He was finally lame enough the vet could nerve block him and ultrasound. It is his suspensory ligament and is proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD) with 10-15% of the area affected in his right hind. His current treatment plan includes stall rest, shock wave therapy, and physical therapy for rehabilitation following rest. Doc did say he expects him to make a full recovery but they do have surgical procedures for those who don't respond to treatment. Not sure how feasible that will be for us but trying to take it one day at a time.


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## Draft lover (May 11, 2013)

Phura said:


> Is there rest after the injections? How does the process work? Are they sore afterward, etc?


You will need to rest him for a couple of days with no riding, but after that you should be good. We do them all the time at the clinic where I work, and that is the advice they give.


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## DanielDauphin (Mar 11, 2014)

I see that you've found the answer and I certainly hope that your horse recovers fully and y'all are back to work ASAP, though it may seem like waiting forever...

On the subject of hock injections, as a cutting horse futurity specialist, this is something I've had a little experience with. 

First of all, in my experience, hocks are MOST COMMONLY injected on young horses. As has been said, once the joints have fused, the soreness becomes less likely, though it certainly can still occur. In fact, in my biz, if they haven't had their hocks injected by mid 3 year old year, they probably aren't very good or very athletic.
The steroidal route is quicker acting and will relieve pain more effectively, but it is eventually degenerative to a joint, so it's not recommended to be repeated often. If your horse simply got sore and it looks like a one time thing, because your type of riding isn't usually hard on the hocks, have no worries, an injection of steroid or two will have no negative long term effects.
HA is my preference and while it won't relieve the pain as quickly, it is better at relieving the actual issues within the joint that cause the pain. In my biz as with reiners, we're likely going to have to inject hocks several times, and most of us use HA. 
We do generally give them a day or two off, but do turn them out to move around. By three-four days, they are back to a full work load.
If your horse is with a GOOD trainer who has a lot of feel, they'll be able to tell the horse is getting sore well before a lameness test would show it. I'd sure prefer to deal with it early, as they are bound to begin compensating for the pain elsewhere and you can wind up with multiple, seemingly unrelated sore areas all from trying to keep weight off of the sore hock or stifle, or whatever.

On a side note, I can tell you one thing that I have changed that has made a significant difference in the number and regularity of my horses getting sore. While I have no science to back this up, it sure seems to have been a big deal. I don't lope my colts nearly as much. To warm up I usually long trot them, and for just a few circles in each direction and then we get right to it. Many cutting/reining/western pleasureless barns will have a routine going and people employed who do nothing but lope horses for 20-30 minutes before the trainer gets on. IMO all of the stress on that inside of hock of all of those repetitions in all of those circles is what really tears them up. Mine still stop and turn just as much, and are really on their hocks, but I can say that my hock injections are down by at least 50% since I stopped all of that loping.

Again, if I had one get sore and had a big show with lots of $$$$ on the line in 12 days, I'd go with a Steroid.


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## Lazulie Belle (Mar 17, 2014)

You shouldn't bathe the horse for a day after getting their hocks done. My vet tells me to resume regular exercise after 5 days. You can do light work after a 2 day turnout though. But do not turn the horse for the first 24 hours if it is raining.


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