Treatment Options for Horse Lameness
Treatment for horse lameness is most successful when it addresses the cause of lameness. In general, it helps to reduce your horse’s weight and amount of exercise, have your horse stand on soft flooring, undergo hydrotherapy, receive optimum nutrition, and take appropriate pain and anti-inflammatory medications.
Many horse owners also explore supportive therapies that may help recovery, including acupuncture, homeopathy, and moxa therapy. Some lame horses benefit from shockwave therapy because it tears the tiny blood vessels in the bone’s periosteal lining and stimulates healing of an injury the body was ignoring.
Medications for Horse Lameness
Medications used to treat horse lameness include products that fight pain and those that support healthy joints.
Pain medications for horses include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Banamine Paste and Surpass. Oral prescription NSAID products include Banamine Paste, Phenylbutazone, and Phenylzone Paste. Aspirin Powder is a non-prescription NSAID that may also be used in some cases under veterinary guidance.
Horse owners may also consider supportive products from the horse pain relief category at 1800PetMeds, which includes medications and therapies designed to help manage inflammation and discomfort.
The homeopathic T Relief Tablets may also be used to treat horse lameness. Injectable T Relief requires a prescription from your veterinarian.
Injectable Adequan protects the cartilage in the joint and supports joint health. In addition, many owners turn to products found in the horse joint supplements category to help maintain cartilage and joint fluid.
Products containing MSM are similar to aspirin in that they help control pain but do not have the same potential side effects, such as ulcers and kidney damage, that can occur with long-term NSAID use. SynoviG3 EQ Granules contain glucosamine, MSM, and creatine, which help support joint function and muscle development.
Prevention of Horse Lameness
Good husbandry and preventative health practices can reduce the risk of lameness in horses. Proper nutrition, exercise management, and routine veterinary care all play a role in maintaining soundness.
Consider the following preventative steps:
- Provide about one pound of forage per 100 pounds of body weight per day
- Make changes in feed gradually over two to three weeks
- Limit sweet feeds
- Supplement with vegetable oil, such as corn, canola, or soy oil, at the rate of one-eighth to one cup once or twice a day to provide energy rather than relying on sweet feeds
- Store grain in containers that horses cannot access
- Have your horse’s teeth floated to keep them aligned normally
- Prevent repetitive motion behaviors such as stall weaving
- Maintain a consistent exercise routine with adequate warm-up and cool-down
- Avoid very intense exercise on a single day, followed by several days of inactivity
- Mount carefully without pulling your full weight against the saddle horn
These precautions can help reduce strain on joints and soft tissues and lower the risk of lameness.
Vaccines That Help Prevent Lameness-Related Illness
Vaccines can help prevent illnesses that may contribute to lameness caused by loss of balance or stiff limbs. For example, vaccinate to help prevent infection from the herpes virus that causes rhinopneumonitis. Vaccinate with the West Nile Virus Innovator to help prevent infection from West Nile Virus. Use tetanus toxoid and anti-toxin vaccines when recommended by your veterinarian.
Fly Repellents
Protect your horse from disease-carrying flying insects such as horn flies, stable flies, house flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. Use fly spray and ointment products to reduce exposure to insects.
Hoof Supplements
Strengthen hooves by supplementing with products recognized as beneficial, such as biotin, zinc, copper, complete proteins, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Missing Link Equine is also a popular supplement and is high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
These types of supplements are often included in broader horse supplement categories designed to support overall hoof, coat, and joint health.
Joint Supplements
Chondroprotective supplements support normal joint cartilage and synovial fluid. Research with racehorses has shown that those receiving chondroprotective supplements before injury often experience less severe joint injuries than those that do not receive them.
The joints that allow the greatest movement and experience the greatest concussive forces are most likely to develop pain, swelling, and arthritis. In horses, these are the joints below the carpus and hock because this is where most concussive forces are absorbed.
These joints are protected with a cartilage layer over the ends of the bones and a fibrous capsule that encloses the joint and holds in joint fluid. Synovial fluid keeps bones lubricated and helps reduce concussive forces. It is produced within the joint by cells lining the inner capsule called synoviocytes.
Synovial fluid is similar in consistency to sewing machine oil. It is very light but able to dissipate pressure and heat. There is no blood within the joint.
Glucosamine and chondroitin, found in many joint supplements, help build normal, resilient cartilage that absorbs shock. They also help synoviocytes secrete thicker synovial fluid that improves lubrication within the joint.
Joint supplements are available as prescription injectable medications and over-the-counter oral supplements that can support long-term joint health.
