Popping Hock ?

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shaepony

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My new mini's left rear hock pops when he walks(sometimes more than others) it is easy to see and hear though it doesn't seem to hurt him at all. What might the problem be? and would a yucca or glucosamine suppliment help the problem?
 
This is very unfortunate and I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems with your new horse like this but it sounds to me like you just bought yourself a lame horse.

Hock problems are complicated. It can be stifle related, hip, back, related. (fixation patella etc.) Remember that it's all connected. It's anyone's guess without a complete exam and X rays by your vet.

Don't try anything by yourself. Don't buy any products until you get a vet to work on this horse.

Have him examined and X rays by your vet. Until then, do not exercise this horse in any way because you may do more harm than good. Depending on the outcome, and also sometimes a horse with problems like this should be exercised. But until you know what you are really dealing with I would suggest to you not to force any exercise on him at all.

And before you get too upset, there are many things available to you on the market for options for these kinds of troubles. I had a mare that really messed up her hocks badly but she did fine after adequan injections. But again, do nothing without the guidence of your vet. I hope things turn out ok.
 
Shaepony,

I agree with Marty. Have your horse examined by a vet to determine exactly what's going on before excersing or treating on your own.

MA
 
I basicley agree but would like to throw out that if Molly gets a little bit of a "off trim" she has a snapping hock when she walks. I can only here it when she is at a walk on the pavement. Not sure its the same thing.. Id be a little worried if you could see it pop.
 
I agree with the others, get a vet to do a thorough exam on him. BUT maybe you will be lucky , like me. My paint geldings hocks pop all the time. I had all sorts of tests done on him and the vet decided that it was his tendon snapping over his bone (or something similar, its been 15 years now) and he has NEVER made a lame step. And he was ridden HARD (all day rides) when I was a kid. He is now, 28 and still no signs of any problems. Good luck!
 
I have seen this too. Not actually heard it pop but have seen it and it looks like it should pop (sound) . In my case it was trimming. The feet were not properly trimmed, toes were too long.

It is always best to call the vet in any case.

Oops sorry, not the hock! I don't know about the popping hock. Thought you meant his fetlock/pasturn area.

Beth
 
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This seems to be a fairly common thing--there has been a thread or two on this here in the not so distant past, and I've seen a number of horses that "pop". We had one filly do it here this spring--she was having kind of a growth spurt, and the one day I was trotting her in hand & she was REALLY using herself. Next day she was popping--you could see and hear it. We trimmed her feet so the toes were a bit shorter, and gave her rest & some glucosamine supplement, and she quit popping and hasn't done it since.

Many people, even judges, seem unconcerned by popping hocks. I have a friend who was selling a couple horses with this--she pointed out to the buyers that the horses had this tendency, but the buyers weren't at all concerned about it. They wanted driving horses and didn't seem to think it was any problem.

In most cases it does seem that if you trim the toe back a little bit so that breakover is a little bit easier, the popping hocks quit popping.
 

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