lameness problem

[newme2014]

Any of you lovely folk who are waaay more knowledgable than non horsey me have any advice?
DD’s horse has been referred for a full lameness work up as he is lame at the minute.
DD has felt he’s been just a bit off on his hind left at times when ridden but doesn’t look lame as such. Had vet out and prescribed Bute and box rest which has made no difference hence the referral.
He’s 15hh Welsh D who’s only 8. DD has done a wee bit of everything since we bough him a year ago. Dressage/SJ/XC and he’s been brilliant. He’s definitely not been over worked with us. Far from it in fact.
She wants to do eventing but was doing small stuff ( not jumping too big etc)
Vet mentioned stifle and hock arthritis and its put the fear into me as they are scary words even to someone who knows bugger all about horses.
So anyone ever have issues and how did it go? DD is worried she wont be able to ride him ever again and we cant afford to have another on livery so that’ll be her finished with riding.

I don't know very much more than you. But don't panic. I understand that there is lots that can be done.

Purely anecdotal, as all cases are different.
I bought my mare at 3 and broke her in. She has led a charmed life with me.
Very early on, I noticed she had a 'not quite right' feel.
Long story short, arthritic hocks and arthritic front fetlock joints. Fetlocks not treated.
Had hyaluronic acid into hocks, not steroid as she was always a bit weighty and a course of cartrofen.
She is 15 now, so 12 years on, still plodding on no worse than she was when she was 4.
There is hope, it's not all doom and gloom.

I have know a lot of horses come right from hock arthritis (what I have always called spavins) - including mine. She had her initial treatment some years ago now when the veterinary advice was to walk in hand, followed by a gradual increase in ridden exercise (so many weeks of walking, followed by introducing 10 minutes to trot etc). She was cleared to do whatever we wanted to do with her after a few months and she remained absolutely sound until we noticed some stiffness earlier this year.

Her hocks weren't fused with the initial treatment, just injections into the joint, and she had another injection and we were told to just crack on with her as normal straight afterwards. The shorter the time needed between injections following initial treatment (assuming the vet doesn't go straight for fusing the hocks) could be an indication that you are moving towards fusing - or so our vet told me.

The only difference we have noticed with her is that she absolutely hates hard ground now and we deliberately do absolutely nothing when the ground is hard. Not that you should anyway if the ground is as hard as it's been this summer. However, following the initial treatment she had no trouble going out and winning show-jumping and hunter trials and doing Pony Club etc.

But they are all different, and the arthritis will be at different stages.

But it is a very treatable condition.

Don't panic, you don't know what it is. Wait for a diagnosis and proposed treatment and go from there. Going to a specialist vet for a lameness workup is the sensible thing to do.

Start with the vet and lameness work up. It could well be a muscle problem, so don't over worry now (just when the vet bill comes in), I have a friend bought a 4 year old which walked very slightly short in 1 leg (I was surprised the vet didn't notice) a few sessions of chiropracter and was fine.