What Are Hock Injuries In Horses?

Hock lameness is characterized by shortened gait, weight shifting, stiffness when your horse picks their hind legs up, and reduced springiness off the ground when the horse picks up a canter or jumps. Most performance horses will experience some form of hock lameness in their careers.

What causes hock problems in horses?

While several conditions can affect hock joints, for adult horses (especially performance horses) the problem is often degenerative joint disease (DJD), or arthritis. DJD typically develops in the lower joints of the hock, which come under a lot of stress when your horse works. Conformation can contribute.

How do I know if my horse has hock pain?

Common problems of horse’s hock joint

1. intermittent lameness with or without heat or swelling.
2. initial stiffness that improves during warm-up.
3. resistance to going downhill.
4. soreness in lower back muscles as a result of overcompensating for the hocks.

What is a hock injury?

Hock dislocation: If your dog gets hit by a car or stepped on, she may suffer from a hock dislocation, which is a tear of ligaments or fracture of bones in the ankle.

What is the hock on a horse?

The “hock” is a horseman’s term for the tarsus, an anatomic region of the horse’s hind limb. Horses of all breeds, types, and disciplines can suffer from hock-related lameness problems, especially those that work heavily off of their hind limbs.

Can a horse recover from a hock injury?

The good news is there are many effective treatment options for horses with hock lameness, keeping horses sound and pain-free after diagnosis.

How much do horse hock injections cost?

Hock injections can range anywhere from $65 to $250 per joint. Depending on your geographic location, prices may be higher or lower.

How do you strengthen a horse’s hocks?

Riding over ground poles or raised poles: This encourages your horse to actively lift its legs and engage muscles of the hind quarters for better ground clearance and range of motion. Hills: The most challenging hind quarter strengthening is walking or trotting up hills.

How often do horses need hock injections?

Hock injections can be effective anywhere from 6-12 months. If your hock injections are only lasting 8-10 weeks, your horse may be a candidate for laser arthrodesis (surgical fusion).

How do you treat a sore hock?

Hock sores can sometimes be difficult to treat and prevent.
Once you’ve narrowed down the potential causes, there are a few different ways to help heal hock sores in horses.

1. Check Stall Bedding.
2. Try a Salve.
3. Apply a Wrap and Hock Shield.

How do you treat a swollen hock on a horse?

Cold-hosing and anti-inflammatory treatments, such as phenylbutazone (commonly termed bute) or meloxicam, will help in the early stages, in consultation with your vet. Bandaging can bring swelling down, but the hock is a difficult area to bandage properly and skin sores are a risk.

What does a swollen hock look like?

A clearly defined bubble that is visible on the front, side, and inside of the hock (bog spavin) indicates excessive fluid in the top, high motion joint of the hock. It can be caused by injury to that joint including fractures, osteochondrosis, or joint infection.

Can you ride a horse with hock arthritis?

Many horses who are diagnosed with the early stages of arthritis can continue to safely carry riders on level trails and perform other low-impact activities, including some jumping.

When is it time to put down an arthritic horse?

When is the right time to put a horse down?

1. old age, when their condition has deteriorated to such an extent they no longer have an acceptable quality of life.
2. serious injury.
3. a disease or illness that cannot be treated.

How many hocks does a horse have?

The largest joint of the four is the tibiotarsal joint – the articulation between the tibia and the talus. The three smaller hock joints in descending order are the proximal inter-tarsal, distal inter-tarsal and tarso-metatarsal joints.

How long does it take for horses hocks to fuse?

Fusion typically occurs between 8-10 months following MIA introduction into the affected joint(s). Once fused, the distal tarsal joints are no longer a source of pain or lameness. If you have any questions regarding Hock Fusion in the horse please call our office at (678) 867-2577.

Do hock braces work?

For pups smaller than 50lbs, a hock brace can sometimes prove helpful. Even though these braces aren’t designed to reach up as far as the knee, we have many customers who’ve used them to successfully support their pups’ recovery from knee injuries.

How long does a hock sprain take to heal?

Most of the time, a mild sprain will heal in 7 to 10 days. It may take several weeks for pain to go away after a bad sprain. Your health care provider may recommend crutches. Physical therapy can help you regain motion and strength of the injured area.

How long does a horse need off after hock injections?

Horses that have joints medicated with corticosteroids will often have 3 days complete rest followed by 3 days light work before returning to their normal training regime.

How do I know if my horse needs his hocks injected?

To tell if your horse needs hock injections, look for changes in behavior that might indicate that your horse has pain in its hock, or hindquarters. This might include refusing to jump fences, excessive bucking, trying to bite you, or general bad temper.

How much are hock xrays?

These can provide a clearer picture of any issues going on in the horse’s joints. The bad news? They aren’t cheap. Each picture costs an average of $40, meaning for each joint (hocks, stifles, fetlocks, feet, etc.), you’re looking at about $160.