Horse pain from joint wear and tear

Some injuries are fatal for a horse due to non-recovery or severe joint pain. Fortunately, many injuries allow full recovery. However, many horses fall between these extremes: they are too worn out, too old, or too injured to work, yet too important to say goodbye. These horses often suffer from chronic conditions like navicular bursitis, bone spavin (hock joint osteoarthritis), or spondylosis (osteoarthritis of the back).

What is osteoarthritis in horses?

A joint consists of bones, cartilage and synovial fluid (joint fluid). Osteoarthritis is not damage to the bone but to cartilage. The function of cartilage is to reduce friction and to smooth movement between bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage is smooth and resilient, but osteoarthritic cartilage is rough and stiff. This causes inflammation, and the body starts to form new bone in response because it cannot produce new cartilage. When a horse forms new bone, nerves may become trapped, which causes joint pain. The inflammation associated with osteoarthritis can be treated by a veterinarian, so that the horse feels less pain. The symptoms of osteoarthritis can be treated in part, but osteoarthritis cannot be cured.

What are the causes of osteoarthritis?

• Wrong movements and overload
  Monotonous movements continually strain the same joints. For example, dressage horses that train repetitive head and neck positions and exercises have a considerably increased risk of wear and tear.
• Overweight
  Extra kilos put more strain on the joints, which increases the risk of joint pain and osteoarthritis.
• Trauma
  A horse can suffer damage to the cartilage in the event of a fall or injury.
• Hereditary predisposition
  Some conditions are hereditary, which means that there may already be a defect in the horse’s DNA, making it prone to osteoarthritis without another cause.
• Wear due to age
  It is normal for old horses to have a little wear; this is why old horses often walk a bit stiffly and have trouble getting up.

Management of a horse with joint pain from 'wear and tear'

Make sure the horse is not kept on hard ground, can move freely, and has a blanket during the winter. In addition, appropriate nutrition matters for older horses with joint wear. Hartog Senior is specially tailored to the needs of an older horse. Always consult your veterinarian about pain management.