Intra-articular injections are widely used in performance horse medicine, but their welfare implications — including overuse and masking of underlying pathology — require careful scrutiny.
The welfare concern with joint injections is not primarily the procedure itself but the risk of using them to return horses to work without addressing root causes of joint pathology. Regular competition in horses with joint pain masked by corticosteroids causes progressive harm. Best practice requires a comprehensive lameness workup before any joint injection, informed owner consent, and a documented rehabilitation plan. Competition exclusion periods post-injection protect horse welfare.