Did your horse take a funny step or are you just imagining it? He seems to be working happily and you checked his feet for stones before mounting. Yet he does seem to take a little longer to warm up for work recently. Could something be wrong?

When your horse comes up lame or even a bit stiff or lackadaisical under saddle, countless different ailments could be the cause. One likely reason for lameness or a reluctance to work has to do with soreness in the joints. Many joints work together to allow a horse to accomplish daily activities like walking and grazing in the field as well as athletic feats like jumping a cross country fence or performing a half-pass in the dressage arena. When a joint becomes painful, a horse’s ability to move comfortably is compromised.

Similar to humans, horses may develop arthritis in their joints that can lead to decreased mobility. Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is one of the most common causes of lameness. While it cannot be cured, the symptoms can be controlled so your horse can continue to do his job.

How Joints Work

To understand osteoarthritis, you must first understand a joint’s structure and function. In a joint, two or more bones connect and allow movement through the harmonious force of muscles, tendons and ligaments.

The ends of the bones are contained in what is called a joint capsule, the health of which is extremely important to a horse’s ability to move. In the joint capsule, a layer of cartilage on the surface of each bone prevents the bones from painfully grinding against one another. Synovial fluid, produced by the synovial membrane in the joint lining, fills the joint capsule to provide additional protection and lubrication.