Q. We recently had our 4-year-old gelding X rayed due to months of periodic refusal to canter. What we learned was a shock: His hock had been broken and now has healed with what the veterinarian is calling bone spurs. He believes that the spurs are possibly rubbing against his tendon, causing pain. I have not seen the X ray yet, but the vet described it as being a clean break on the bottom bone of hock.

What is the long-term prognosis for injuries such as these? We have never heard of a horse’s hock being broken without indication of it. Should he be working? Or should we do whatever is comfortable to him, as we have no plans to show him? Should he be on any anti-inflammatory medications or supplements?–Tricia Arseneau, via e-mail

A. Those of you who have owned horses with arthritis might be familiar with the term bone spur. Or perhaps you had a prepurchase examination performed on a horse, only to discover that the horse had spurs in his hock joints