Horse Joint Health

Nobody knows your horse like you do. You are the most important element when it comes to recognizing issues in both health and performance with your horse. Was he slow to move? Did he barely clear that last jump? Was the last time around the barrels much slower? How long has this been going on? Unfortunately, horses can't tell their owners if and where they help. However, we do know that perception is common to both humans and animals, so a guideline to follow is, if you think a certain activity would cause you discomfort, you can assume it will do the same to your horse.

Recognizing the signs
The key is to look for a change of behavior in your horse. Since the signs become more apparent as the concern worsens. It is important to observe horses closely for signs such as:

Decreased activity
Reluctance to walk, run, jump or play
Difficulty rising from a resting position
Acting aggressive or withdrawn
Exhibiting other personality changes

If you notice any of these changes, consult your veterinarian. The sooner the condition is recognized, the sooner your horse can be active and flexible again!

Understanding joint anatomy
To understand your horse, one must become familiar with the anatomy of a healthy functioning joint. Let's start off with understanding the joint capsule. The joint capsule is a thick fibrous tissue that connects the bones, provides the outer layer of the joint and holds the fluid inside the joint cavity. The muscles serve to support the joint capsule and to provide joint movement. The tendon is an elastic cord that attaches the muscle to the bone and assist with movement. The synovial membrane is the inner lining of the joint capsule. It is highly vascularized and therefore is responsible for carrying nutrients to the joint and most importantly, producing the synovial fluid. The synovial fluid is a clear viscous fluid that lubricates the joints. It consists of blood plasma and hyaluronic acid. Without it, joint movement would be extremely painful and articular cartilage becomes damaged. The cartilage covers the ends of the bones and absorbs most of compression and stress in the joint. Because it is a slippery material, it allows the joints to move smoothly and easily. Overall, the parts of the joint have to work together, but the two most important parts are the synovial fluid which provides the lubrication for the joint and the cartilage, which absorbs the stress.

Veterinary validation of joint concerns
Validating joint concerns can be very difficult. Your veterinarian will have his own protocol, but listed below our some of the tools that you and your vet might use.

First your vet will evaluate the case history of your horse. As part of this backgrounding your vet may ask you several questions about your horse's care and activities to determine a potential cause.
Next your vet will do a physical examination of your horse. This usually involves palpating the areas of concern. Most vets are very skilled with their hands and can often feel if a joint is swollen.
The veterinarian will inspect your horse at a walk and a trot. They will walk them in a straight line watching for abnormal gait.
Your veterinarian may perform a flexion test. This is done by bending the joint and holding for at least one minute and then released. After the joint is released, the horse is observed while walking and trotting. Often times this will exaggerate the concern and make it more clearly visible during activity.
It may be necessary to perform a radiographic x-ray examination to get a visual representation of what may be cause.
Your veterinarian may remove by needle some of the synovial fluid located in the joint to determine if an infection is present.

Deterring joint issues
Older horses have a variety of joint issues due to a number of environmental stressors, but you can help some of these stresses by:

Avoiding obesity and heavy loads.
Providing routine foot care every 6-8 weeks.
Avoiding quick changes in duration or intensity of exercise.
Avoiding hard and unstable ground surfaces, ride on soft surfaces such as grass or appropriate arena footing
Feeding a diet high in protein and other nutrients. Joints can never become stronger without proper nutrition.

In summary
Joint issues can be very difficult and horse owners should become very familiar with recognizing them. Because joint issues are progressive, early action on your part can give your horse a better chance at getting back to their normal activities such as walking and running. If intervention is not started early, often times the joint is far past repair and it is quite likely that the horse will never regain normal movement.