i am trying out a 7 yr old gelding....horse works well and seems sound.....but when he walks his back legs pop like someone cracking a knuckle.....its not real loud but loud enough you can hear it.....seems to be coming from both legs and with all movements.....any ideas..???
Posted 2007-09-04 4:17 PM (#67161 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK
At 7 I'd say almost always this wouldn't be acceptable. At 15-20, it might be depending on what the vet check results were.
You need to have a good equine vet (not just a vet that can see horses) to inspect this horse from top to toe. Sounds like X-rays or a fluoroscope on those rear legs would be in order.
Having said all this, I recommend buyers plan on spending as much on their vet check as makes them comfortable. What seems to be enough for a $25,000 horse's exam might be too much to spend on a $1,500 horse's exam. Do what you feel needs to be done in your price range. (An $80 set of X-rays might save you thousands in injections over time...a good vet will play the pro/con game with you and explain everything. The vet needs to know what you will do with the horse and what you would be willing to treat and what is a deal breaker. I always test horses for drugs and do cultures on mares no matter what their purpose.)
Posted 2007-09-04 10:04 PM (#67185 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644
Location: Odenville, Alabama
I have a 24 year old Arabian that I've owned for 21 years. He's an ex-Endurance and NATRC horse with over 3K competitive miles. He's been "popping and cracking" for the last 15 years now. Every vet who has ever examined him says it is nothing to worry about. He's always sound and has no swelling of his legs. His neck even cracks when he turns to bite his butt. I want to say (if I remember correctly, It's been a while since I've been concerned about this) that one vet said it was something like "air" in his joints.?? Talk to the vet, but I'll bet they'll tell you to not worry.
Posted 2007-09-05 3:10 AM (#67207 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Veteran
Posts: 148
Location: columbia tn
i would want a vet to check this out before i purchased....better safe than sorry. i have a horse that pops just a little in hind legs (but he is a 34 yr old qh) this yr when it gets real cold i may put him on a gram of bute going to talk to the vet about that this wk...hope all goes well with your horse.. happy trails
Posted 2007-09-05 11:55 AM (#67235 - in reply to #67194) Subject: RE: popping joints
Regular
Posts: 67
Location: Romulus, Michigan
I had a TWH gelding whose back ankles would "pop". Asked a very respected vet and he said not to worry a bit as long as it didn't bother him, which it didn't. Never had any problems other than the noise.
Posted 2007-09-05 7:06 PM (#67278 - in reply to #67207) Subject: RE: popping joints
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378
Location: Nebraska
Originally written by kershawsowner on 2007-09-05 3:10 AM i would want a vet to check this out before i purchased....better safe than sorry. i have a horse that pops just a little in hind legs (but he is a 34 yr old qh) this yr when it gets real cold i may put him on a gram of bute going to talk to the vet about that this wk...hope all goes well with your horse.. happy trails
Now why would you want to give bute to a horse that hasn't been examined ? Just because it's cold? Bute won't keep the horse warm.
Posted 2007-09-05 9:37 PM (#67297 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Veteran
Posts: 148
Location: columbia tn
who said he has not been examined by the vet, i said i was going to talk to them more about it...he has been examined and taking care of he is 34 yrs old when you have one that old you can give me your expert advise...
Posted 2007-09-06 10:20 AM (#67333 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Regular
Posts: 93
Location: Cherokee, Ia
I agree with N2ridin. I worked with an orthopedic surgeon for years, and we humans "pop" in our knees sometimes when we squat down. This is just air in the joint space which is dispersed with flexion or extension of the joint .Have a vet check him out. They can feel when the joint is flexed/extended for crepitis ( that gravel/gritty noise) that is usually associated with arthritis or joint injury. At seven yrs. unless he was a reining, calf ropin or barrel horse, his backend should be pretty sound, unless other injury.......but still, have a good equine vet look at him..............ya just never know!!! Good luck!!!
Posted 2007-09-06 4:46 PM (#67354 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Member
Posts: 42
Location: corinth, ms
thanks to everyone....this horse is a freebee...a friend can't feed him anymore.....great lil horse ......built well been child rode.....knew if i asked i would get good advice.....thats why i luv this site.....p.s......i was the "geld or not to geld" if anyone remembers....18 year old stud....still a stud and doing great....put up a fence he can't climb.....put him out to run whenever i'm at the barn....got with some friends who had mares in pasture and let him run with the girls....he's having a great retirement....
Posted 2007-09-06 9:59 PM (#67376 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378
Location: Nebraska
I've had my share of old tired animals(dogs,cats and horses) that have been entrusted to me, and I've done a good job providing quality care. Expert, not in my opinion, with my education and 30+ years experience, when it comes to equine health and nutrition I'm very knowledgeable with plenty of hands on know-how.
PS : notfromtexas, I might take an advil before seeing a doctor. But phenlybutazone, unlike advil, is not an OTC drug.
Posted 2007-09-11 7:24 AM (#67641 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Veteran
Posts: 294
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
"Contrary to popular opinion ‘Bute’ is one of the safest drugs on the market today. Literally millions of doses are administered to horses every year – adverse reactions when ‘bute’ is used within normal dose rates are virtually unheard of. When used over a prolonged period (i.e. years) ‘Bute’ can cause mild damage to the liver although this is uncommon. For any horses on a repeat prescription e.g. for chronic lameness, it would be a good idea to do an annual blood test.‘Bute’ – more correctly called phenylbutazone is one of the most commonly prescribed medicines used in equine practice. It belongs to the group of drugs that are known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). This is the same class that includes Ibuprofen and Aspirin. Phenylbutazone is primarily used in horses for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. It is particularly useful for the treatment of orthopaedic pain i.e. lameness, but is by no means confined to this. " (Pool House vets website)
I'm aware that it's a controlled substance, hconley. At one point, so was ibuprofen and naproxen. At one point, it was legal to buy cocaine and heroin, too. My point was that a good horse person should be able to give a slightly stiff or sore horse a little help for a day or two.
Posted 2007-09-11 4:01 PM (#67679 - in reply to #67590) Subject: RE: popping joints
Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico
I can get bute without going to the vet's office, so for me it is OTC.
How? I give my old girl bute before the fairrer comes out because she has arthritis in her hips and getting those back feet up high enough for a trim is tough on her. The vet here doesn't think she needs it and I'm almost out.
Posted 2007-09-12 11:04 AM (#67745 - in reply to #67278) Subject: RE: popping joints
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
Location: Grapeland, Texas
Originally written by hconley on 2007-09-05 7:06 PM
Originally written by kershawsowner on 2007-09-05 3:10 AM i would want a vet to check this out before i purchased....better safe than sorry. i have a horse that pops just a little in hind legs (but he is a 34 yr old qh) this yr when it gets real cold i may put him on a gram of bute going to talk to the vet about that this wk...hope all goes well with your horse.. happy trails
Now why would you want to give bute to a horse that hasn't been examined ? Just because it's cold? Bute won't keep the horse warm.
kershawsowner, if you reread your post you will see how hconley got the impression the horse hadn't been examined, I thought the same thing, so go easy on him. One missing word makes a difference.
Posted 2007-09-12 1:29 PM (#67758 - in reply to #67722) Subject: RE: popping joints
Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico
I working on it, I've been talking to everyone around here and they all agree on one vet in the next town(80 miles away). We have an apt for the Oct first so we will see. For the moment there is only one vet in town (next is 70 or so miles) but there is a new vet who is supposed to be moving in, the building is going up.
Posted 2007-09-12 8:14 PM (#67777 - in reply to #67149) Subject: RE: popping joints
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378
Location: Nebraska
Most horse people know the side effects of NSAID's, but don't know how these drugs work, and that can be harmful to the horse. Several classes of horses should not be given NSAIDs or have restricted doses, pregnant mares, foals, older horses, dehydrated, and debilitated. I think NSAIDs have a place in everyone's tack box, but that person should also be able to recognize when a horse's circulation isn't jeopardized. For a vet to prescribe bute without an examination is unethnical.