3 ways to manage your horse to protect their joints
Daily care can keep our horses comfortable and sound. Here’s three ways to manage your horse to protect their joints:
- Keep them moving. Slow, regular exercise is the best thing for horses with arthritic joints. Turn your horse out every day, even if the weather is bad. You can encourage them to walk around by putting their hay at one end of the paddock and their water at another.
- Be consistent with hoof care. Schedule regular farrier appointments. Hooves that grow too long can stress the joints above them, contributing to (or accelerating) arthritic changes.
- Pay attention to their footing. Deep, slick, wet or uneven surfaces all take a toll on joints. If you have an arena, be vigilant about maintaining the footing. When trail riding, avoid mucky and excessively deep footing. You’ll also want to consider the surfaces your horse encounters when you aren’t riding. Stall floors should be level, and try to minimise mud in turnout spaces. Adding gravel or bluestone to high-traffic areas (such as gates and water troughs) can go a long way toward controlling mud.
If you suspect your horse may be suffering from arthritis and want to learn more about symptoms and treatment options, please check out our product pages or speak to your vet. Correct diagnosis and treatment can really help you get on top of arthritis, especially when identified early.