How to treat osteoarthritis in horses?
VALERIE DE CLERCK
DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
01 AUGUST 2022
The most common cause of lameness in horses: osteoarthritis, a painful inflammation of the joint. This type of inflammation gradually causes wear and tear and leads to damage to the bone and cartilage. Your equine friend’s ligaments stiffen, and the joint becomes less flexible. The more advanced the osteoarthritis, the less you will be able to do about it. So, swift action is key!
This is how you help a horse suffering from osteoarthritis:
Do you suspect that your horse might be suffering from osteoarthritis? Don’t go it alone but contact your vet and have your horse examined, just to make sure. Don’t go it alone but contact your vet and have your horse examined, just to make sure.
2. Treat the inflammation
It is essential to get the pain and the inflammation of the joint under control as quickly as possible to prevent further damage to the cartilage. The vet will inject anti-inflammatories in the joint or put him on an anti-inflammatory diet. Keen to go the extra mile? Give him natural, anti-inflammatory supplements.
3. Ensure your horse gets exercise
Exercise is the one way to lubricate your horse’s joints! Start with daily hand-walks and build up gradually. Don’t even think about riding him until your vet and your horse give you the go-ahead. In some horses, the osteoarthritis is so far advanced that riding them is no longer an option.
These therapies not only help to keep your horse’s muscles and ligaments flexible but will also alleviate the pain.
Horses that are overweight put excessive strain on their joints.
6. Look after your horse’s hooves
Properly shod hooves are instrumental in ensuring that the load on the joints is evenly distributed.
7. Provide a peaceful environment
It is important to let your horse choose when he wants to go for a walk. So, regularly let him out into the paddock. Choose a peaceful environment where he is not being chased by other horses
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NOT CONVINCED YET?
A video says more than a thousand words
Cata is a 19 year old chestnut gelding. He has severe arthritis in both front feet. The first video was taken after one month of rest in the paddock and no medication was given. Even after this one month of rest Cata is still clearly lame left front grade 2/5.
After one month of FLEXI MIX the lameness left front improved significantly from grade 2/5 to grade 0,5/5. Nothing else was changed in his daily routine or nutrition (still rest in the paddock). No medication was given.
BEFORE FLEXI MIX (DAY 0)
AFTER 1 MONTH OF FLEXI MIX (DAY 29)