7 Arthritis Risk Factors

It’s impossible to know exactly what the future holds for your horse’s joints, but by reviewing his past and evaluating his present situation you can prepare for what may lie ahead.

- Christine Barakat

In one sense, arthritis is inevitable. Virtually any horse who lives long enough will develop a bit of creakiness in at least one joint. This type of arthritis is simply the byproduct of an active, long life, and it’s fairly easy to manage, perhaps with a dietary supplement and/or the occasional dose of medication.

But other cases of arthritis pose more of a challenge. Joint deterioration that develops early in a horse’s life or progresses to the point where his day-to-day activities are adversely affected can be career-ending and even lifethreatening.In those cases, significant intervention, including cutting-edge therapies, may be necessary to keep the condition in check and the horse comfortable.

Which type of arthritis a horse is likely to develop is impossible to know for sure, but you can prepare for the likeliest by looking for specific risk factors in his past as well as his current situation. Some of these can’t be mitigated---what’s done is done ---but knowing they happened can put you on alert for the earliest signs of arthritis, allowing you to get an early diagnosis and a jumpstart on managing the condition. Other risk factors may be ongoing, which means you can still take steps to eliminate or reduce their effects.

Here’s a rundown of events and conditions that put your horse in a higher risk category for the eventual development of arthritis.

RISK FACTOR

DEVELOPMENTAL ORTHOPEDIC DISEASE (DOD)