Arthritis in Horses - Causes, Symptoms and Prevention

Arthritis is a very inconvenient illness not only in humans but horses as well. The pain it brings can limit movements and affect the general behavior of the animal. If you think your horse is suffering from this disease, the cause of it can be attributed to a previous injury - recent or otherwise. Heredity can also play a factor in your horse having arthritis. Whatever the causes, there are some simple but effective ways to ease the pain it brings as well as prevent it altogether.

Before anything else, however, it is essential that you understand how arthritis works. The limbs in a horse's body - like in humans - are connected by joints, which are protected by cartilage. These joints allow movement, and this is done with ease as long as there is enough liquid and cartilage in the joints to provide lubrication and protection every time the limbs move. When there's not enough joint liquid and cartilage covering the joints, what happens is direct contact between the two bones when you move, which means a lot of friction which results in pain. The most common area arthritis sufferers complain about is the knee - the body part that bears the most weight and movement. This is true with horses as well.

To make sure you give your horse the best chance of getting early treatment for arthritis, you need to be observant and catch early signs of the disease. Your horse isn't really going to come up to you and inform you that its knees are really painful, so taking note of its behavior and movements is a key.
When your horse starts to show signs of discomfort when walking or trotting, there might be a chance it has arthritis. You also need to watch out for stiffness and swelling in its joints, as well as a change in its overall behavior. Pain in any part of its body can cause an animal's temperament to change and this includes horses.

Set an appointment with your equine veterinarian as soon as you notice some of these signs in your horse. There's no harm in getting a professional opinion, and you're also improving your horse's chance of getting treatment for arthritis before the illness gets more serious.

To help avoid all these issues, however, good diet and exercise can do wonders to prevent the disease. Arthritis in horses can be avoided if you make sure your animal works out regularly as movement can help strengthen the joints and bones of the body. Proper supplements are also essential to your horse's diet. The focus of the supplements should be to improve the health of the horse's joint fluid as well as the cartilage. There are several online stores that offer great deals on supplements to prevent arthritis in horses, but make sure you first meet with your veterinarian to ensure you're getting the right supplements and doing the correct preventive measures. You don't want to start out with the best intentions only to purchase supplements online that will worsen your horse's situation.