Intra-articular injections are a common pain management tool in horses, but their welfare implications — both benefits and risks — deserve careful consideration.
Joint injections can dramatically improve welfare for horses with chronic joint pain, enabling comfortable movement and preventing the suffering of unmanaged arthritis. However, they can also mask pain and enable continued work that worsens underlying pathology. The welfare calculus requires balancing pain relief against treatment risk, and critically, considering whether a horse is being asked to perform despite ongoing structural damage. Retirement or reduced workload may sometimes be the highest-welfare option.