Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic lameness and reduced quality of life in horses. As horses live longerāmany reaching 25-30 years with good careāage-related joint disease becomes increasingly prevalent. Effective pain management and appropriate management adjustments are welfare imperatives for arthritic horses.
Arthritis involves progressive degradation of joint cartilage, synovial fluid changes, and bone remodeling that causes pain, joint stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Common sites include: fetlock joints (particularly in sport horses), hock joints (bone spavin), coffin joints, and the stifle. Severity ranges from mild stiffness to severe, debilitating lameness. Climate and work intensity significantly affect day-to-day variation in pain levels.
The equine pain face (using the Horse Grimace Scale), gait analysis, and lameness scoring provide welfare assessment tools. Horses stoically mask pain, so behavioral changesāreluctance to move, changed social behavior, reduced appetite, altered postureācan indicate inadequately managed chronic pain even when lameness is not immediately obvious.
NSAIDs: Phenylbutazone and meloxicam provide anti-inflammatory pain relief. Long-term NSAID use requires gastrointestinal monitoring. Joint injections: Corticosteroids, hyaluronan, and biologic products (IRAP, PRP) provide variable-duration joint pain relief. Controlled exercise: Appropriate, regular gentle movement maintains joint lubrication and muscle support better than rest for most arthritic horses. Weight management: Reducing excess weight decreases mechanical joint load. Farriery: Appropriate shoeing adjustments reduce concussive forces on affected joints.
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