Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful, debilitating joint disease with no known cure. It is characterized by heat, pain, swelling, crepitus (a crackling, crinkly, or grating feeling or sound under the skin), and a decreased range of motion in affected joints. This condition can develop suddenly (e.g., secondary to a traumatic injury to the joint), or it can develop slowly over the course of months to years.

Recent estimates indicate that 60% of lameness problems in horses are related to OA. Since the U.S. horse population is currently estimated to be 7.3 million (based on a 2007 pet ownership and demographics study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association), this means that over 4 million horses are currently affected by OA!

Not only does OA negatively impact the horse itself, it also affects the 4.6 million people (owners, service providers, and businesses) associated with the equine industry. For example, the American Horse Council reports that the horse industry produces goods and services of $38.3 billion and has a total impact of more than $100 billion on the U.S. gross domestic product. Thus, it is clear that loss of horses due to OA has the potential to cause substantial economic losses