[caroline_cunningharm Topics Started: 0Replies Posted: 5]

Try switching his SmartPak supplements to SmartFlex IV. It has more HA and seems to have really worked for my gelding who is 21.

Also, we have been dealing with an ankle soft-tissue injury that’s taken a year to completely heal. Might I also suggest seeing if you have anyone who does MagnaWave in your area – the website is magnawavepemf.com. My boy had three sessions and it really helped him along. Trust me when I say I am skeptical, but after seeing a friend who has racehorses who uses it all the time, I gave it a try.

[caroline_cunningharm Topics Started: 0Replies Posted: 5]

Try switching his SmartPak joint supplement to SmartFlex IV. It has more HA and seems to have really worked for my gelding who is 21.

Also, we have been dealing with an ankle soft-tissue injury that’s taken a year to completely heal. Might I also suggest seeing if you have anyone who does MagnaWave in your area – the website is magnawavepemf.com. My boy had three sessions and it really helped him along. Trust me when I say I am skeptical, but after seeing a friend who has racehorses who uses it all the time, I gave it a try.

[TWH Girl Original Poster Topics Started: 2Replies Posted: 31]

Caroline, that is so funny you say that. I did just switch his Smartpak to Smartflex IV and it will be coming in March. And, my next course of treatment (which hopefully I don’t have to try) would be shockwave therapy. We are about 15 min from WI Equine Clinic and Hospital who has an excellent lameness specialist so that would be our next stop if needed. I haven’t really ridden so can’t tell too much if the injections have been helpful. On vacation next week and then when I return on the 7th I will start on him again to see how he feels. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Donna Topics Started: 0Replies Posted: 1]

I had a similar issue with my Rocky..also gaited. Have a running history of hocks/stifles…even had a nuclear med study done…saw nothing. I finally found a wonderful vet chiropractor. He checked hocks and stifles and said I could either start injecting or get wedges on her back heels. We started with 3 degrees…She had been barefoot. By next visit, she was FINE…And by next shoeing, her angles were excellent and no wedge was needed…She has been perfect! She was simply wearing here heels down and that was affecting her hocks…

Good luck!

[TWH Girl Original Poster Topics Started: 2Replies Posted: 31]

Update: While improved, Trace is still not 100%. He is not noticeably lame but still feels stiff and drags those hind toes in the arena. He has an appt on 3/31 with an equine lameness and sports medicine vet at a large clinic in our area. So, will updated more at that time. Possible suggestions for his issues were SI.

[TWH Girl Original Poster Topics Started: 2Replies Posted: 31]

OK, final upate:

Took my boy to the sports medicine vet on 3/31. We did a full lameness eval, and I rode him. We took x-rays of his hocks, stifles and his back. He flexed positive on the R hind and palpated for mild SI pain. X-rays showed R stifle OCD and only some mild hock athritis. He did have his hocks injected in February so we left that. He got his SI injected on both sides, and also both stifles.

It took about 2 weeks, but he is MUCH MUCH better now and has some real power in his hind end. My dressage instructor says he looks much more comfortable and improved. So we are back to work to continue to strengthen the stifles and back.

I truly feel the SI injections made the most difference in him. If it’s something I need to do every year, so be it. It’s really worth it. I am giving him Pentosan every other week (after we did the loading dose), and he’s on Absorbine Flex Max due to the high level of HA- it doesn’t break the bank as much as Smartflex IV.

[Saddleseatrider Topics Started: 0Replies Posted: 2]

(This is probably extremely late lol)…. I have a 12 year old TWH mare that’s doing a lot of the same things, and I’ve had stifle cutting suggested. If he relapses or gets worse, you may want to see a vet about cutting them. Quite often, the stifle gets in the way of a horse’s natural stride (especially gaited breeds since theirs is usually longer) and needs to be cut to free up the hind and let the horse move. Again, I know this is probably extremely late, I just thought I’d put it out there🙂

[Joe-Joe Topics Started: 17Replies Posted: 1205]

Another suggestion would be to try acupuncture. I know some people who have had surprisingly great results from it. Since I live on the outskirts of nowhere, I have not been able to try it myself, so have no personal recommendation.

It is never the horse's fault

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