Arthritis is a joint deterioration which develops in every species, including humans. It can develop from different causes such as traumatic injury, being overworked, or old age. As an owner, the best thing you can do for your horse is to prolong the onset of arthritis, by taking preventative measures.

As soon as a traumatic injury to a joint occurs, an exam by Dr. Winter is recommended. Any impact to the joint such as a kick from another horse can cause the development of arthritis. These injuries can cause lifelong problems, so it is important to address the issue as soon as possible.

Overworking a horse can be defined as too heavy of a workload on a young horse or years of hard work for a performance horse. Proper care and good nutrition during a horse’s lifetime can greatly reduce the amount of damage that occurs. With young horses it is important to slowly increase workload and never overstress them. Preventative treatment includes joint injections, feed supplements, and IV or IM injections such as Adequan or Legend.

Senior horses naturally develop joint deterioration. As a result, it is important to closely monitor our horses for changes that can occur. Signs include swollen joints, soreness after riding, and general lameness without a definitive reason. Once your horse develops arthritis, the damages cannot be reversed. To reduce pain, they can be treated symptomatically, and exercised on a regular basis. It is ideal for arthritic horses to be kept on pasture. This helps eliminate pain and swelling that is created as a result of lack of movement.

Horses are unable to tell us, when symptoms occur and they often disguise their pain. It’s imperative for us to pay close attention to them on a daily basis so we can notice the subtle changes.