Horse Hind Leg Issues

Of the entire body, the legs and hindquarters are the most common sites of injury in horses. Every joint is surrounded by joint fluid and, in the stifle, by thick pads of cartilage called menisci. The stifle joint is similar to the human knee and connects the horse’s femur and tibia. From there, muscles, tendons and ligaments run down to the hock, another joint that lies halfway down the back leg. Six small bones make up the hock, with no muscle, which makes it highly susceptible to injury and a common site of strain and arthritis. Here are a few types of hind-leg problems in horses and what causes them.

Types of hind leg issues in horses:

• Stringhalt is an exaggerated, over-flexing of the hind legs. If the horse looks like it is taking very high steps or stomping down with the hooves, it is wise to have it checked.
• Bog spavin is caused by wear and tear on the hock joint and results in swelling around the hock. Many horses perform fine with it, but left unmanaged, pain, inflammation and lameness can follow.
• Thoroughpin is identified by swelling in the upper hock. It is caused by inflammation of the deep digital flexor tendon sheath, from overuse or injury.
• Capped hock can be caused by unnatural impact or overuse of the tendons and ligaments. It is marked by a large, fluid-filled swelling on the point of the hock.
• Curb is inflammation of the soft tissue at the back of the hock, usually from impact or strain. Lameness may accompany the swelling because of the pain associated with the injury.

Rest and corticosteroids are often recommended for these conditions. Alpha2EQ® offers veterinarians another option: an acellular orthobiologic that delivers the horse’s own functionally isolated alpha-2-macroglobulin to the site of inflammation. It is not a corticosteroid, it is drug-free, it processes stall-side in about an hour, and one kit can treat multiple sites in the same visit. Ask your veterinarian, or contact us to learn more.