I currently own an 18 year old AQHA gelding, I bought him around this time last year and he has been my first show horse and all around very wonderful for me. However, about 6 months ago, he became unable to pick up his right lead. This led me to first try the chiro, then finally, in January, a new vet. Vet said that my horse has a degenerative joint disease in his hocks. This has led to a growth in his left hind hock along with all other old age degeneration (I will attach x-ray of his left hind hock and a photo showing the lump from the outside). The vet also said that even with injections of any kind, he was to the point that it would only really help him for 4-5 months before they would actually be innefective on him. This was extremely upsetting as we did have him vetchecked when we bought him, and he passed completely aside from normal degeneration. This led me to do some looking (as I thought the growth had come on awfully fast), and I found pictures from when he was 11, and you can clearly see the lump on his hock. Judging from this, I'm guessing it was missed, passed over, or ignored in his initial vet check. So it has been around for years, and for some reason only just now started to bother him. He was then promptly moved to 24/7 pasture and (although his weight has dropped a little), his joints have greatly improved and I have been riding him (he's the type who needs a job to stay sane). My barn owner and a few other have suggested that I need to show him again. And I absolutely would love to, he absolutely loves showing also. But I have the reoccurring issue of him being unable to pick up his right lead. Although I could always show walk trot, there aren't many opportunities for that in my area, and I wouldn't be able to show 4H (I'm a sophomore in high school, and that was something I was really hoping I could get into this year. My first club show of the year would've been the Saturday after next. My tentative plan is to take him and enter in the w/t open western Pleasure (it is the only w/t class with a turnout of more than one or two people). This will allow me to see what the turnout is like and enjoy a class. Anyway, I guess I'm just looking for suggestions to show and what I could do for my gelding. He currently has no maintenance except for a feed joint supplement which has all in all done so much for his joints and movement. I haven't looked into any further maintenance due to what the vet said about injections. Do you think there is any way to help him more than I already have? Any way I could ever show lope again with him? Or that I should send in the x rays to another vet for a second opinion? If you have any questions don't hesitate to let me know, thank you.