A 9-year-old Quarter Horse mare used for barrel racing was presented to the hospital for colic. After treating the mare for colic, I was asked to evaluate her left hock. There was a moderate effusion of the left tarsocrural joint. The horse first developed left hind limb lameness approximately four weeks prior. Her lameness was not evaluated at this time, but synovial fluid was sent to the lab for evaluation. The joint fluid analysis returned with normal parameters. Seven days later the mare returned for a lameness exam. The mare was 1/5 lame trotting to the left. Flexion of the left hock produced a 4/5 lameness. Radiographs did not reveal any significant abnormalities.

The tarsocrural joint was injected with one vile of hylovet and 3 mg of vetalog. Due to the lack of improvement and because the lameness was becoming worse, the owner elected to take the mare to Oakridge Equine Hospital in Edmond, Oklahoma, for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The MRI revealed sub condylar bone damage to the medial trochlea of the left hock, desmitis of the long and short medial collateral ligaments of the tarsus, and effusion in the tarsocrural joint.

The horse returned for rehabilitation. After returning, both the hock swelling and the lameness became worse.

The Game Ready™ Equine System was sent home with the owner to treat the hock two times a day for 14 days for 30 minutes per treatment. The mare was 4/5 lame at a walk with severe swelling of the left hock. The swelling was articular and para-articular. The owner observed progressive improvement on a daily basis up to day 10. At day 10, the swelling had subsided over 50% and lameness had improved to 2/5 lameness. From day 10 through day 14 no significant improvement was observed.

The owner was very pleased with the results the Game Ready Equine System provided and is interested in trying it again when the new hock sleeve is ready for use.

DeRoy White, D.V.M.
Sapulpa Veterinary Hospital