Spavin
As a horse owner, you have probably already experienced your horse being lame. If this happens frequently, you may have a diagnosis of spavin. But what does spavin mean for your horse? Is it in constant pain and how can it be treated?
To ease your initial worries: A diagnosis of spavin rarely means the "end" for your riding horse. Thanks to veterinary care and treatment, husbandry and feeding as well as an appropriate exercise program, the symptoms of hock disease can often be significantly reduced - which contributes to a better quality of life for your horse.
DEFINITION
What is spavin?
Spat, also known as bone spavin, can be traced back to the Old High German term "Spatz" (= bone or knot) and is one of the most common joint diseases in riding and driving horses. It is a degenerative (i.e. wearing) disease of the hocks, which usually progresses in phases. This means that it is accompanied by both acute inflammatory and chronic symptoms. Unfortunately, spavin cannot be cured because the associated bone growths on the hock progressively lead to ossification of the joint.
However, affected animals do not suffer permanently from pain. They can generally live well with the disease - and you can continue to ride your horse. In addition, the course of the disease can be positively influenced by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
SYMPTOMS
How does spavin manifest itself?
The disease often goes unnoticed at the beginning, as severe symptoms such as lameness are only clearly visible during an acute episode. Typical signs of the onset of spavin are pain in the hock. This initially manifests itself as slight lameness, e.g. when your horse leaves the box after standing for a long time. It often disappears again after the animal has been moving for a while. Sometimes, however, the lameness only becomes apparent when trotting.
In an acute episode, on the other hand, the small joints, the periosteum and the bone are inflamed. You can usually recognize this by the fact that the affected hock is swollen and warm. The hamstring tendon, which is located on the inside of the ankle joint, is also often inflamed. If the inflammation persists over a longer period of time, it irreparably damages the joint cartilage and destroys the surface of the joint. This results in additional osteoarthritis.
The further the spavin has progressed, the more it will show in your horse's gait, such as in a swinging and shortened trot, shorter strides and kicks than usual, difficulties when changing pace or increased stumbling. Due to the pain and the resulting relieving posture, affected horses will rest on the tip of the hoof so that the toe or the shoe is worn down more in this area. If you have a show jumper, it may jump poorly or refuse to jump obstacles completely. Trotters canter at higher speeds or in turns. Relaxed postures lead to a decrease in the back and croup muscles. Tense, pain-sensitive back muscles or a crooked pelvis can also be signs of spavin disease.
CAUSES
What are the causes?
You are probably wondering how your horse got spavin. There are many causes:
- Genetic predisposition and growth-related disorders
- Mineral deficiency or incorrect feed
- Overloading and incorrect loading
- Injuries such as kicks, strains or sprains
- Unkempt hooves or incorrect shoeing
- Misaligned joints
- Lack of exercise or long periods of standing (e.g. after an injury)
Depending on the cause, the complaints can occur unilaterally or bilaterally and animals of all ages can be affected. In younger horses, the condition can usually be traced back to a specific event such as a fall, a blow or a severe twisting of the joint.
Good to know
What does the ankle joint actually do?
The ankle joint absorbs compressive and shear forces. It has a very complex structure and consists of several small bones and joints. Under high loads, small compressions, rotations of the bones and tension on the joint ligaments occur again and again. This favors the development of spavin, which is why sport horses and older horses in particular suffer from it.
DIAGNOSIS
Examination and diagnosis
Spavin is most likely to be diagnosed during an acute inflammatory episode when your horse is resting the affected hind leg and is clearly lame.
During the examination, your horse will be examined both at rest and in motion. Your vet will also carry out the so-called spavin or flexion test. This involves holding the hind leg up for about a minute and flexing it to the maximum. The horse must then trot forward for a few meters. Depending on the severity, the lameness may improve after several strides or your horse may continue to be lame. However, even if the spavin test is positive, there may be other joint problems behind it.
With the help of X-rays, the condition of the hock can be better assessed and the changes to the bone that are typical of spavin, namely incipient bone growths (exostosis), can be detected. An exact diagnosis can often only be made after several examinations and in advanced stages. Spavin can be diagnosed more clearly by anaesthetizing the hock (local anaesthetic of the painful areas): if your horse walks without lameness after the local anaesthetic and the new flexion test is also negative, this confirms the suspicion of spavin disease.
TREATMENT
How is spavin treated?
Unfortunately, there is no treatment that can completely cure spavin. The aim of therapy is therefore to relieve the animal's pain and delay the progression of the joint changes for as long as possible - and this is most likely to succeed if you start treatment in good time.
In the acute phase of the disease, the vet will prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medication for your horse. This will reduce the swelling in the affected joint and curb the progression of the spavin. If necessary, treatment with medication that is injected directly into the joint is also an option. Your vet will know what is right for your horse in your particular case.
In acute phases, your farrier is also an important point of contact. They can help your horse to relieve the affected areas of the hock joint and thus reduce pain through the correct position or special orthopaedic shoeing.
If your horse's condition is very advanced, it may be advisable to consider surgery. Various surgical procedures are available as treatment options. They all aim to accelerate the ossification of the joint so that your horse can walk again without pain.
Good to know
If you want to support your horse now, consider the natural veterinary medicines from Heel Vet.
Prevention
How can I prevent spavin?
Preventing spavin ideally begins at foal age. A sufficient and balanced supply of minerals, the right feed and exercise are essential for the development of the joints. The following applies to adult animals:
- A nutrient-balanced feed
- Correct hoof trimming by an experienced farrier
- Training adapted to the horse's performance level and an appropriate warm-up phase
- Regular rest breaks for regeneration
- Plenty of exercise to supply the cartilage in the joints with nutrients
- Avoiding hard surfaces and tight turns
- Avoiding high-impact work such as high jumps or traversals
It is best to consult your vet about training and nutrition.
