What Causes Bog Spavin In Horses?

What causes bog spavin? There are a number of causes, but most commonly bog spavin is caused by osteochondrosis in young horses. Other causes include biomechanical stresses, for example conformational faults such as straight hocks, sickle hocked or cow hocked; hocks in another limb; intense training.

How do I get rid of bog spavin?

Many horses with bog spavin do not require treatment. Rest and anti-inflammatory treatment such as phenylbutazone (bute) and topical anti-inflammatory gels can be useful in the early stages.

Should I buy a horse with bog spavin?

Simply having a bog spavin does not preclude a horse from upper-level dressage or other elite competition. But it might signal a weakness, previous problem or injury, and therefore a horse that has a bog spavin should be carefully examined to determine the cause.

Is bog spavin painful?

It may first appear as a soft swelling or bog spavin or begin as an arthritis. Signs of spavin pain are evident when the affected hind leg is picked up or when the affected leg is made to support all the horse’s weight as the other is picked up. The horse will seem stiff and painful when it is being trimmed or shod.

What does bog spavin mean?

Bog spavin is excessive fluid in the largest of the hock joints. This can result in slight or severe enlargement of the hock. One or both hocks may be affected. It is more commonly seen in younger horses, although it can occur at any age.

Will a bog spavin go away?

If your horse is young, bog spavin will often resolve itself with rest and compression bandaging. However, surgical drainage of the joint may be necessary followed by anti-inflammatory injections directly into the joint.

Is a bog spavin hard or soft?

The joint becomes distended by excess synovial fluid and/or thickened synovial tissue bringing about a soft, fluctuant swelling on the front of the joint, as well as in the medial and lateral plantar pouches. Bog spavin is generally an indication of underlying pathology within the joint.

Is spavin hereditary in horses?

It is thought to be caused by repeated compression and rotation of the small bones within the hock; although in some breeds e.g. Icelandic there may also be a hereditary component. Horses with poor hock conformation e.g. sickle or cow hocks are more prone to develop the condition.

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.

How many mares can a stud cover in one day?

one to three mares
A stallion can typically cover one to three mares a day and about 30 to 40 mares in one year.

Why are my horses hocks clicking?

They may sound alarming, but periodic pops or clicks coming from the joints of a comfortable, sound horse are nothing to fret about. Noisy joints in horses are caused by the same physiological process that allows you to “crack” your knuckles: Stretching of the joint capsule releases gas within the fluid rapidly.

What happens when a horses hocks fuse?

Once the hocks are fused, any discomfort or lameness tends to be eliminated, and the horse should usually be able to carry on in normal work.

How do I know if my horse has hock pain?

Common signs of hock problems can include:

1. Shortened hind end gait.
2. Reluctance to engage from the hind end.
3. Reduced spring over jumps.
4. Shifting weight when standing still.
5. Resistance to going downhill.
6. Stiffness that resolves during warm-up.
7. Heat and swelling in the hock area.

How do you prevent seedy toe in horses?

Your horse should be exercised regularly and stabled in clean dry conditions. Your horses’ feet should be regularly trimmed and shod (every 6-8 weeks), by a competent farrier, to avoid the development of long toe conformation which may pre-dispose to laminitis, which can predispose to seedy toe.

How do you reduce swelling in a horse hock?

Swelling may be reduced by draining the bursa and injecting anti-inflammatories. A wound with obvious lameness indicates an infection, requiring more urgent treatment. Bog spavin: distention of the main joint of the hock – the tarsocrural joint – appearing as excess fluid in the upper part of the hock.

What causes a horse’s hock to swell?

A diffusely swollen “big” hock is usually caused by traumatic injury or infection. The joint can also mysteriously fill with blood (Blood Spavin). A hard knot of swelling on the lower inside of the hock (Bone spavin) usually relates to arthritis of the lowest joint of the hock.

Would you buy a horse with a capped hock?

An uncomplicated capped hock is considered to be only a cosmetic problem for the horse, and will not affect athletic performance. However, if there are underlying complications, such as infection or damage to nearby bony or soft tissue structures, there may be a detrimental effect on performance.

How can I improve my horse’s hocks?

Riding over raised poles (cavaletti) is helpful for developing strength in the horse that has weak stifles or hocks. The slow action of lifting the hind legs up and over the pole will strengthen the Tensor muscle as well as the Long Digital Extensor. Both muscle groups are responsible for the stability of the stifle.

What are cow hocks in horses?

Summary. A horse with “cow hocks” has hind limb conformation in which there is inward (medial) deviation of the hock (tarsus). In most cases, when viewed from behind, the lower limb angles outward from the hocks, placing the feet wide apart and making the horse appear “splayfooted”.

What is the definition of spavin?

spav·​in ˈspa-vən. : swelling. especially : a bony enlargement of the hock of a horse associated with strain.

What is a Spayvine horse?

Spavin is a degenerative joint disease in one or both hind legs of a horse, also referred to as arthritis or osteoarthritis. The disease is the most common cause of hind limb lameness.