What Is A Capped Hock On A Horse?

A capped hock represents a swelling over the point of the horse’s hock (tarsus). If you look at your horse from the side, the point of the hock is located on the back of the hock where the tendons turn the corner and then head down the lower leg.

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.

What causes a capped hock on a horse?

Capped hock is due to distention of the subcutaneous bursa or development of an acquired bursa over the tuber calcanei. This usually results from repetitive trauma (eg, kicking or leaning on stable walls) and is not usually associated with lameness.

Is a capped hock a blemish?

Capped hock
A thickening of the skin or large callus at the point of the hock is a common blemish.

Is a capped hock serious?

A deep capped hock can cause lameness due to local pressure and inflammation, but usually improves with rest. Capped hocks almost always merely represent a cosmetic blemish, but if a wound is involved, the bursa can become infected which represents a much more serious condition.

How much are hock injections for a horse?

How much does it cost to get a horse’s hocks injected? Hock injections can range anywhere from $65 to $250 per joint.

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 long do hock injections last in horses?

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 hock pain in horses?

For OA in the horse’s hock joint, the usual course of action from your vet is the injection of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids, directly into the hock joint (intra-articular injections). Your horse will need to have a couple of days rest afterwards and then slowly ease back into work.

What are the signs indicating that the horse foot was neglected?

The sole should be arched and should not appear flat as in “dropped sole.” Check for “hard heels” or sidebones, ringbone, corns, contracted feet and thrush. If the horse is shod, check for wear on the shoe from contraction and expansion of healthy heels.

Can you bandage a horse hock?

1 Place a sterile dressing on top of the wound. 2 Wrap a padding bandage over this and around the leg above the hock, to hold the dressing in place. 3 Bandage around the hock in a figure of eight, without covering the point of hock.

How do you reduce swelling in a horse hock?

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.

How long do hocks take 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.

Can a horse recover from a fractured hock?

In general, full sized horses with a fracture below the knee or hock may be candidates for surgical repair. Fractures above the knee or hock in full sized horses carry a poor prognosis unless the bones are not displaced at all.

How do you strengthen a 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 can you do for hock arthritis?

The most common form of treatment is the injection of steroids into the joints. This will significantly reduce the inflammation in the joint and slow the progression of the arthritis, hopefully reducing the chance of extreme changes.

Is hock arthritis common in horses?

Arthritis of the small joints of the hock is a very common condition affecting all types of horses. It is not just a disease of old horses, in fact we regularly see this in horses around 7 or 8 years old.

What age do horse hocks fuse?

around nine to 11 years
Most often, bone spavin is first identified in middle-aged horses between around nine to 11 years of age.

Are horses sore after hock injections?

The presence of medication in your horse’s joints can result in mild discomfort that can last for several days. Therefore, we suggest giving your horse some time off prior to resuming normal exercise. This will allow the medication to take effect as well as the secondary problems (such as back soreness) to subside.

Can hock injections cause laminitis?

Dosages above 80 mg are believed to increase the risk of laminitis and because these drugs can affect a horse for a period of time after injection, it is a concern to inject joints on horses too often.

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.