Osteoarthritis

Question 1

What is OA?

Answer 1

A degenerative process of a joint due to “wear and tear”, which can affect the joint lining, cartilage, bone, and surrounding soft tissues.

Question 2

Why do performance horses develop OA, even at a young age?

Answer 2

Regular, repetitive exercise; injury or trauma; abnormal joint loading (poor conformation)

Question 3

Why does OA make horses lame?

Answer 3

Inflammation causes swelling and perpetuates degenerative changes; thinning cartilage results in loss of cushioning during impact and bony remodeling; swelling and formation of osteophytes (“bone spurs”) decreases range of motion; as the disease progresses, the joint can lose its normal shape

Question 4

What medical therapies help horses with OA?

Answer 4

Providing the joint with healthy building blocks (oral joint supplements like Cosequin, Legend, Adequan, or Pentosan); joint injection with steroids or biologic product (like ProStride) to decrease inflammation; systemic anti-inflammatories; decreasing the rate of bony remodeling with OsPhos or Tildren

Question 5

What management changes help horses with OA?

Answer 5

Reducing days of high impact, repetitive exercise (no lunging in tight circles, heavy exercise like jumping or barrels only once or twice a week, avoid hard/rocky ground when riding); maintaining low stress activity like regular turn-out and light-moderate work; corrective shoeing