Injecting the hocks of a jumping horse is very common practice.
Usually you want to make sure that there is, in fact a necessary reason
for injection through x-rays or even just flex tests. Arthritis is
something that happens to every sport horse eventually.
Injecting
the hocks or any joint with straight cortisone is not the best course
of action because you are going to have some degenerative effect and
put your horse on a cycle of needing that joint injected more and more
frequently.
I have injected my jumpers both lower level through
Grand Prix with the cortisone/HA mixture. This helps reduce
inflammation and also re-build healthy snyovial fluid within the
joint.
On most of the horses I have that receive hock injections, only need
this done every 12-24 months (depending on the horse).
When one of my
horses first starts showing signs of stiffness behind I start using
legend IV starting with a loading dose of once a week for four weeks
then once a month and Adequan IM once a month. This slows down
the arthritic process dramatically but does not stop it. Eventually
they still need joint injections, but it can put off that need for 6
months to 2 years depending on the horse.
Joint injections should
not be taken lightly and too many professionals inject too many joints
too often. Usually, they are using the straight cortisone injections
with disregard for the future/longevity of the horse. Another
precaution with frequent cortisone injections would be cushings. It
has been proven that horses that receive high amounts of steroids have
a much greater chance of developing cushings disease and at an earlier
age.
Good luck and talk to your veterinarian about all the
options. Don't avoid hock injections if that is what is best for your
horse. It can make a world of difference!!
Citizen Horse
http://www.citizenhorse.com
