Joint disease including osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent causes of pain and reduced performance in horses, requiring proactive management combining veterinary care, appropriate exercise, and weight control.
Joint disease in horses causes chronic pain that significantly impairs welfare across multiple domains. Lameness reduces the horse's ability to move freely, graze, and engage in social behaviour, while pain disrupts sleep, appetite, and general demeanour. Horses often mask pain stoically, making early recognition dependent on subtle behaviour changes — reluctance to be caught, altered facial expression, reduced willingness under saddle, or changes in resting posture. The welfare of horses with joint disease is best served by early veterinary diagnosis, appropriate pain management, and realistic assessment of what level of work the horse can comfortably sustain. Forced continuation in demanding work despite diagnosed joint disease causes additional tissue damage and prolonged suffering. Retirement from competition, transition to light hacking, or pasture retirement — depending on severity — should be considered as welfare decisions rather than simply economic ones. Weight management is a high-impact welfare intervention since excess body weight accelerates joint deterioration.