Alright, so based on another question, I'm curious.
In the past, before joint injections were available, horses didn't get them. Horses competed or worked until they could no longer do so at that level naturally.
Have there been any long term studies on the effects of regular joint injections?
What would make you decide your horse needs injections?
Mind you, I really have nothing against joint injections, it just is a bit worrisome that 80% of high level performance horses are getting them. Are our horses for some reason less hardy than those in the past?
I just answered the last question you refer to. I believe it is a trend ... like monkey see monkey do in many cases especially with certain disciplines where money is no object and owners and trainers hope that it makes the difference.
Part of it is because we work them harder in more intense disciplines than we used to. Part of it is bad trainers who push 2 year olds too hard. Of all the horses we've had we've only had I believe 1 injected that I know of. He was a 3 year old when we bought him and whoever broke him pushed him too hard so he needed hock injections. We start all our horses in the spring of their 2 year old year and have yet to have one need injections or go lame or anything except for one who we sent to a different trainer who pushed him too hard (we don't really work with that trainer anymore). We do put all our horses on a joint supplement when they turn 3 as a preventative measure and it seems to be working well. My 11 year old gelding is on it since he was a ranch horse for 8 years before I got him and he has navicular. He will have to get injections eventually because of his navicular but we have it well under control with corrective shoeing and supplements so it'll be awhile down the road before he needs them.
Yes and in the old days horses joints didn't last as long due to the wear and tear, and were done earlier. Now horses who get injections at the right age will have joints that are healthier and last longer because they are lubricated and move more smoothly and help the overall health of the joints. And ya some people abuse it and just do it because somebodys smokin hot horse is on them . But that doesn't mean they are gonna help your horse.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com And I use them because I notice a difference in my mares overall performance, she has smoother turns, and runs alot harder then without them.
Because there are 2 year old babies being started.
And people love money.
I use joint injections exactly the way LaLuna does. My mare has hocks and fetlocks that take a lot of wear and tear from her job as an all around show horse. She needs regular injections to help keep the integrity of her joints up as she ages. It makes her feel much better and really helps her performance. I also keep her on a monthly injectable joint supplement to enhance the joint injections.
Many people at my barn get their horses evaluated for hock injections with the rest of us. Several don't need it even though their owners really want to get them done. These owners don't know anything about horse health and they simply want to look like they own a show horse. I think they are just so prevalent throughout the industry right now since we are starting horses earlier than 10-20 years ago. That means that because the vet has half the barn booked for hock injections means that some of the others feel like maybe their horse needs it too because everyone else is getting it.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I think most of our medical problems stem from the fact that we are breaking horses as long yearlings and showing them at age two in futurities (at least in the stock horse side of things in the US). This really negatively impacts their joints and overall health and makes them less hardy than those horses of 20-30 years ago. Plus most of the horses in the QH and Paint side of things have some infusion of halter (at least 80% of them) which equals less hardy bone and littler feet that can't support. We have really gone downhill in the pursuit of money in the past few decades and we are suffering the consequences.
My trainer has a 18 y/o warmblood who is still doing grand prix level dressage. She started him on it as soon as he hit his teens. She does it as a preventative action, so that he won't get joint problems when he's older. He's sound without them, and has no problem with lameness. He'll still be competing well into his 20's (just not at that high of a level).
I do it because my horse has a history of joint problems. She's sound without them, they just make her more comfortable.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
My farrier starts all his horses on IM joint injections at the age of three. His older horses are still competing, and are living a very comfortable life without arthritis.
Joint injections aren't what people think they are, it's not like they keep the horse from feeling pain. They help rebuild the joint and protect from wear and tear. What's so bad about that?
We use joint injections because horses are broke as 2 year olds, and then for me, they are started on barrels at 3, and ran at age 4. They are still babies. We are taking horses, and asking them to do things completely unnatural. What makes me decide if a horse needs injections if they arent setting and are flipping their hip around the barrel etc. I of course have a vet check them out, but I'm definatly not opposed to injections. Jake and Dasher are both Injected. Dasher in his hocks, and Jake gets legend in the vein ...
