I have a 11-year old Tennessee Walker gelding that I purchased two years ago. Shortly after I got him home he began having a loud clicking sound in his right hock. The previous owner said she knew nothing about it. He exhibits no lameness and the clicking sound usually disappears as I work him. I ride him for pleasure about four times a week. I've had two vets look at it and said there was nothing that could be done. They also told me that a joint supplement would probably not help. One of the vets said the best thing for him is to keep him moving and the joint would eventually fuse. Well, two years later and he still has the clicking. I recently moved him to a stable where he has 24-hour turnout with plenty of access to roam and graze. He is an easy keeper and is fed grass hay twice a day. When the grass comes up he will be strictly on pasture grass. I would like to add a supplement to ensure he is getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs. Is there a joint supplement that you feel could help him? Thank you.

Where are you from? Casper, Wyoming

How did you locate this forum? web search

Hi Lori,

It sounds like you are on the right track. As long as his hock is not causing him any pain, your best bet is to keep the muscles surrounding the joint in good condition, so exercise is best.

I would recommend that you give him Equinyl CM (Vita-Flex) since it combines a several ingredients to protect joints, including vitamin C (which assists in the production of collagen). You’ll also want to feed a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement that offers the protection of probiotics. Accel (Vita Flex) or Select II (Richdel) are good choices.

Keep me posted!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thanks Dr. Getty. I will look into getting him started on the Equinyl CM. I did try Accel last summer but it made him very nervous and jumpy so I discontinued using it. Would you have any idea what ingredients in Accel would cause that? I'd be curious so I can avoid that ingredient.

Thanks again for your advice.

Hi Lori,

There really isn’t any ingredient in Accel that would cause a negative change in behavior. Perhaps he had more energy and was just not channeling it in the right direction. It is an excellent product, not only because its vitamin and minerals are in balance, but because of the amino acid profile and several probiotics.

However, every horse is unique. So, it may be worthwhile to try a different product. I highly recommend Platinum Performance.

All the best,

Dr. Getty