Limit Arthritic Changes in Horses Through Management

The development of some arthritic changes is almost a certainty as horses age. Joint inflammation and damage to joint cartilage seen in young racehorses in training may be the first indications that these horses will later develop arthritis. Scientists at Texas A&M University conducted research that indicated some cases of arthritis in older horses might be prevented or made less severe by management changes affecting the horses in their younger years. Specifically, mixing anti-inflammatory agents with daily grain meals could decrease joint inflammation in the youngsters, disrupting the usual progression to later problems.

Horses in the study had a sterile solution containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injected into their knee joints. This induced local joint inflammation and cartilage breakdown that resembled joint changes caused by intense exercise such as race training. Cartilage changes were measured by analyzing joint fluid removed from the knee at intervals throughout the study.

The horses were given various dietary supplements. One group of horses received glucosamine, which was found to increase new cartilage production and decrease the breakdown of existing cartilage. The glucosamine was administered at a rate of 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Horses in another group were given conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), another substance with known anti-inflammatory effects. These horses tended to show greater cartilage repair rather than breakdown after being injected with LPS.

The researchers have found that younger horses were better able to respond to inflammation by synthesizing new cartilage, but older horses more often showed degradation or damage to cartilage in the same situation. This indicates that supplementing young horses with anti-inflammatory medications to minimize inflammation and joint damage is preferable to treating arthritis in the same horses when they become older.