Arthritis in Horses

Arthritis is a common problem in horses, especially older ones.  It is inflammation of a joint and associated with symptoms from stiffness to severe and painful.  It is caused by wear and tear of the joints over time or from injury or trauma.  It can’t be cured and is difficult to treat, but it can be managed.  Some signs of arthritis include swelling of the joints, limited range of motion, stiff gait, lameness, and pain severe enough that horses don’t want to move.  Always consult your veterinary to make sure that it is arthritis and not another condition or disease affecting your horse.  Your vet can also work with you on a plan to manage the pain that works best for your situation.  Treatment can include joint protectants, pain relief medicines and injections.  Also talk to your vet about other therapies such as monitoring weight, exercise levels and stretching to help alleviate the pain.

 

University of Minnesota Extension has an article on Caring for your senior horse which has a section about Managing Arthritis. 

 

The College of Veterinary Medicine University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a series of articles around this topic which goes into more detail about joint function and treatment options available and some recent research developments to help with treatment.

·       OSTEOARTHRITIS AND THE EQUINE ATHLETE

·       MANAGEMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS IN THE EQUINE ATHLETE

·       TREATMENT OF EQUINE OSTEOARTHRITIS: THE NEW FRONTIER

 

Hopefully these articles will give you more in-sight into ways to help manage arthritis in your horse.