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[RC] Injecting hocks - KarenDepends on what was injected as to how the drug rules apply. Usually hocks are injected with a combination of HA (Legend) and a steroid. Steroids, from what I have been told, can test for some time, so you would not want to go to a ride within 30 days (maybe more?) of being injected because you might fail a drug test. Personally, I would not let a vet inject something into my horses joints without having xrays done first to know exactly why the joint needed to be injected. My horse (the one that had the stifle problem) also has his hocks fusing. With nearly 6000 competition miles over 10 years and being a teenager, and with slight sickle hocks this is probably not a big surprise. yet I know that the hock injections he has had include the steroid so that it will speed the fusing process by breaking down the cartilage. How would you even know what joint to inject (there are several joints in a hock)? (I am pretty picky about who/why/where stuff like this is done on my horses) Fusing hocks are also best managed by lots of riding to help speed the process. Plus the increased work keeps the horse in better shape, and the more a horse with arthritis is worked the better off they are, same as with us humans who feel better when we move around more versus just sitting around. At some point my horse will hopefully work thru having his hocks fuse, and be able to go to endurance rides again. Actually, I am under vets orders to keep taking him to rides, but I just haven't because I've got other horses to ride that don't have any problems/issues and do sort of feel in a way that taking a horse on rides that is 'on steroids', is not necessary. It's been a few months since he was last done and is <knocking on wood> staying sound finally, so who knows what the future holds. Maybe next visit we'll do another set of xrays and see how far along the fusing process has gone. Supposedly once that particular joint fuses, we'll be all set.If a horse just needs some lubrication, it might be worth just trying a series of HA shots and seeing if that works. Anytime a joint is injected, there is a risk involved. I have been at my vet clinic when they were trying to save the lives of (and not always succeeding) horses that had infections in their joints caused from injections. That is another reason why I am so picky about who and where stuff like that is done on my guys. One of the best hocks fusing stories I know is this one, about Brent Johnson's horse: http://www.xprides.com/Jazlum.asp Karen in NV =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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