arthritis

I have a question about arthritis. The horse I'm hopefully getting has a very mild case of arthritis. What do you use on your horse to make it as painless as possible?

Well there is a huge gamet of things you can do...and when you did a google search you were probably be completely overwhelmed. Everybody has the "best" thing for it... First off...there is no cure for it...so if you want to compete seriously I would find another horse. You can halt it...but inevitably it is a losing battle.

Lifestyle changes...The best thing I've found for my horse is outside paddock 24/7. Movement is key. If he gets locked up in a stall even for a few hours he gets stiff. I've tried oral supplements with limited success. Second thing is no circles. Lunging, etc. aggrivates arthritis big time. I've since had to quit dressage because of it.

As far as supplements...Recovery Eq is a good all around supplement if you want to spend the bucks. Joint injections (a corticosteroid/hyaluronic acid mix that my vet makes) worked very well for me, but his arthritis was in his hocks and stifles so side effects were rare. I got the injections twice a year when we were competing. I've heard if the arthritis is in the front end you can only inject once or twice without side effects. I've not used the pure hyarulonic acid injections (Legend) so can't account for them...I've heard you have to get them every few months.

I have my horse on Omega Horseshine and I think it helps his joints...as a benefit it has made his tail gorgeous and is pretty easy on the wallet.

Hotreddun has pretty much covered it. I've tried, Recovery EQ, Lakota and Corta RX (which is not the same as Corta FX). They all helped for about a year and then my guy seemed to build up a resistance. This year I'm going to have to go to IM injections.

What are you planning on using this horse for? Have x-rays been done to determine the amount of deterioration? What age is he?

Tons and tons of horses have mild arthritis. What was the horse used for? Is it injury related arthritis or is it age... or activity related?

Keeping the horse turned out is the biggest thing for arthritis. Next is a joint supplement, there are tons. You can give glucosimine and what not. I would google the corozone injections or talk to your vet about them because I have a friend that used them and was told that after a long period of time it actually can cause damage. (she said her vet told her that). I don't know if that is true or not but it sounded viable.

I have also been told by a vet that there are 2 kinds of horses. The ones that have arthritis, and the ones that will get it... he is basically saying that eventually.... they all end up with it. But I'm not sure about that one because I have a 25 year old that has been lame twice (absesses)....

Good luck!

Recovery EQ is for soft tissue more than joints directly so not as good for arthritis. Arthritis supps will vary and some horses will build up a resistance plan, however by having a good supplement provider that will work with you, you can vary the brand and dose to reduce chances of a resistance. Personally I'm a huge fan of Finish Line for maintenence and AniFlx for cases that show visible signs of arthritis. I've also seen less resistance with the AniFlx than in other supps, and it comes in various formuals. Again i'm not the supplement guru- my friend who owns equisupps.com is, but either way, joint supps are one that I do have personal experience with! :)

Along with turnout and a good joint supplement, trimming/shoeing is extremely important as well.

My 1 gelding is on equinyl combo (the intense) they also make an extreme.
He's 9 years old and along with conformation issues, what he was used for in the past contributed to his arthritis (in his right knee and both hocks)

He gets 24/7 turnout when the temp stays above 40 degrees at night, but is stalled overnight when its below 40.

I would give you horse as much turnout as you can.
Also, watch your horse's weight. A heavier horse with arthritis will make it worse than a leaner horse with arthritis.

My 13 year old mare also has a mild case of arthritis in her navicular bones.

She is still very sound, though, and competes regularly.

She gets injections by our vet in six of her joints (yeesh) twice a year (I think?) and has MSM and Conquer powder as supplements, which are joint/anti-inflammatory supplements.

She has a regular turn out schedule and has some corrective shoeing.

It sounds like a lot, but really injections and supplements make a world of a difference.

I suggest, though, to above all talk to your vet :)

My 15 y/o has arthritis, and I put a pure MSM powder into her feed everyday, and it works wonders. It's about $30 a jar, but well worth it. Also, she's on a series of shots called Legend that my Veterinarian recommended - they run about $85 a shot, and she has to have one every few months. But, these two things help her immensely and she's got just as much get up and go as ever. :] Just make sure you keep up with the Legend if you decide to do it, because if you forget to get it done, she'll get sore again.

But,I agree, talk to your vet and find out what's best for your horse in particular. :]