b'SPORTS MEDICINESUSAN KORDISHExercise arthritic horses in scenarios that will promote longevity rather than place them at undue risk for more joint pain.and tear over the years, uneven weight- due to excess joint fluid, lameness/pain, loading through the joint due to poorstiffness, deformation caused by bony conformation or hoof care, or a traumaticchanges, and crepitusthat popping, incident. grinding, and crackling sound and sensa- Unfortunately, theres currently notion in an affected joint. cure for arthritisveterinarians cantFor early OA, the older horse may completely stop or reverse the conditionsappear to stiffen up if stabled overnight effects. So owners of arthritic horses andbut then seem sound later in the day or their veterinarians are left to simply man- (might act) cheeky for the farrier when age the pain caused by the condition, andthey are normally well-behaved, indicat-thats the biggest challenge, Malinowskiing they feel discomfort when flexing a says. limb or being asked to weight-bear just Every horse will perceive the pain levelon one limb, Jarvis says.differently, she says. Some will exerciseBut, of course, these clinical signs right through it, while others will not. can also point to other musculoskel-Finding and implementing appropriateetal issuesfrom soft tissue injury to treatments with a veterinarians help isfracturesome of which have very differ- key, and well cover that in a moment. Butent treatment and management protocols theres something else thats important tothan OA.remember about OA. Consequently, diagnosing why the We know that horses with arthritichorse might be sore or lame is always the joints do benefit from movement andbest answer, Malinowski says.regular exercise, Malinowski says. There- Have your veterinarian conduct a fore, horse owners should exercise thesethorough lameness exam when you start horses as long as the animal is able to doto notice changes in soundness to ensure so without obvious discomfort. youre dealing with OA and not a more acute condition that requires a different Dont: Assume its Only Arthritis treatment approach.The prevalence of OA is thought to be greater than 50% in horses older thanDo: Embrace Exercise, but Plan 15 years, Jarvis says, so theres a goodWorkouts Carefullychance youll deal with it at some stage.It might seem counterintuitive but, Classic OA signs include heat, swellingindeed, keeping an arthritic horse moving 38April 2020The Horse|TheHorse.com'