Kim Walnes is one such expert on the subject—you may remember her name as individual and team bronze medal winner at the 1982 World Three-Day Event Championships in Germany and the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event winner the same year.

But even more so, she’s known for her incredible bond with her mount, The Gray Goose, during their banner years from 1980 to 1986 as members of the United States Equestrian Team.

You might assume their star-studded career began as a walk in the park, but that’s not the case.

“When I started riding Gray, he already had a bad reputation. He bit, kicked, and threw people off. He also bolted. I could see in his eyes and in his attitude toward life that, in his mind, the best defense was a good offense,” recalls Walnes, who also is a coach and clinician with The Way of the Horse.

Channeling Compassion

Horses are excellent teachers. Before Walnes acquired the legendary Gray, she had a 3/4 Arabian named Hunraff (“Raffy”). Raffy taught her to recognize the signs of fear in a horse. Due to early life experiences, both Raffy and Gray started out distrustful of humans.

“I stopped trying to control [Gray’s] behavior and began letting him know I was a safe space to be around,” says Walnes. Channeling earlier learnings from Raffy, she understood that aggression can come from a base of fear. “I was compassionate toward [Gray], and everything shifted. The cool thing with horses is they forgive us once we understand.

“Listening ensures understanding,” Walnes continues. “What I see a lot is, ‘My horse has to be disciplined.’ He can’t stop when he says he needs to—it’s ‘one more lap.’ When we listen to the horse and say, ‘Sure, I understand how you might be more tired than I thought, let’s stop here,’ they will start working with us.”

Fear & Confidence

“If you’re anxious in any way, for any reason, all the horse will feel is fear,” says Walnes. “Safety is his No. 1 priority. We’re supposed to be their leaders and protecting them, and if they feel fear from us, they will be looking for what’s wrong in their environment. The horse picks up on your emotions immediately.”

Walnes recommends taking a moment to ground yourself with reassurance.

Try these steps:

1. Calm your nervous system by putting a hand on your heart or stomach.

2. Observe your surroundings to confirm there is no danger.

3. Reassure yourself by voicing, “In this moment, we’re safe.”

4. Express your desire to work together when approaching your horse. Voice your anxiety and request mutual patience.

“Explaining things to a horse is like a miracle,” says Walnes. “Because they’re like, ‘Oh, OK.’ Horses are highly intelligent, sentient beings; we just don’t speak their language. In order for your horse to trust you, he must know you trust yourself.”

Acknowledgement & Presence

Try to be aware of common under-saddle errors, says Esther Kuhlmann, coach at Northland Equine Lessons and Training just outside Kansas City, Mo.

“A horse is a flight animal,” explains Kuhlmann, who was part of the Danish Team as a young rider. “The more you pull on the reins, the more the horse pulls against you. And when he goes faster, you [grip with] your knees because you are nervous—that is just human reflex. If you come forward in your shoulders and you hang on your knees, then the horse is just gone. You have to remember to let go.”

To help, Kuhlmann suggests groundwork and longe line lessons. Longe lessons help you concentrate on your riding form. She also recommends a lesson on a schoolmaster to teach you how the horse is supposed to feel.

Riding with tension can contribute to a horse’s stiffness and tension.

“I always go to the horse first to make sure there is nothing wrong with him,” says Kuhlmann. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, it is the rider.”

For a more fluid connection with your horse, she recommends practicing yoga and Pilates.

Riding with clarity is important for horses, “rather than going out vaguely and riding circles,” says Walnes.

“Training is like playing ‘hotter or colder,’” she continues. “It’s helpful to have a clear yes/no signal with the horse. You need to give the horse signals that he is on the right track, such as using a word like ‘good’ or a rolled ‘R’ sound, rather than the old paradigm that no punishment means he’s doing great.”

Tone & Behavior

“Horses understand us and what we say,” says Walnes. “They pick up the thoughts behind your words. When we label them or call them demeaning names, they feel the same as a human would feel in that situation. They tend to live up to expectations, and it builds resentment.”

Do your best to speak kindly and to be mindful of your emotions and bad days, such as an off day at work. On such days, Kuhlmann asks that students opt for a trail ride or longeing instead of a lesson.

“Otherwise, the horse feels it immediately,” she says. “Horses are sensitive and can read your heartbeat from 5 feet away.”

Consider this guidance when looking to improve the bond with your horse.

This article about under-saddle communication appeared in the October 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“Happiness — it’s something that we see in horses,” says Esther Kuhlmann of Northland Equine Lessons and Training near Kansas City, Mo. “When you work with horses, they speak to you and tell you how they’re feeling. They get a different gleam in their eyes; it’s something that you learn over time.”

Bucking, kicking out, or putting their ears back are all signs of displeasure in horses. Kuhlmann also says to watch facial expressions, such as tension in the nostrils, ears and eyes.

“Those signs of distress and displeasure are very reliable, but when we don’t see these indicators of unhappiness, don’t quickly assume that a horse is happy,” says Robin Foster, Ph.D., CAAB, certified equine behaviorist and university professor. “Historically, there has been emphasis on the absence of indicators of unhappiness or distress, with a focus on assuming that if the horse is not showing distress or displeasure, he must be happy. Now, there is increasing interest in looking for signs of happiness in horses.”

She further explains the change in research focus.

“Current research and theoretical interest is shifting away from, ‘If it’s not bad welfare, it’s good enough,’” says Foster. “We’re not looking at it that way anymore. For example, we know that a shut-down horse could be very stressed and not showing any behavioral or body language indicators of stress. Currently, we’re looking for behaviors and body language signals that indicate a horse is relaxed and content.” This means a happier horse overall.

Visible signs of relaxation and contentment are easily recognizable and may include:

◆ A horse that is attentive to and engaged with their environment.
◆ A soft, round eye with regular blinking.
◆ Slightly lowered and more relaxed head position.
◆ Posture that may not be perfectly square; for example, resting a hind foot.
◆ Relaxed and loose bottom lip, possibly displaying a slightly gaping mouth.

What if your horse could be happier? Here are five questions to ask yourself.

1. Unhappiness or health challenge?

When a horse in training becomes noticeably “unhappy,” Kuhlmann says she’ll contact their veterinarian to run a blood panel to ensure the horse is not managing through any pain or health challenges.

“It’s something I do fairly fast,” she says. “They may have a chipped tooth or need body work done from their chiropractor. It doesn’t take much.”

2. Is your horse social?

“If horses don’t have a social life with other horses, and a rich, complex environment, you can bet that affects their overall behavior,” says Foster. “No matter how much you care for your horse, humans have very complex lives with many demands—the horse being only one of many. Your life with your horse is maybe an hour a day. The amount of time a person spends with their horse can be limited, and what does the horse do the remaining 23 hours?”

3. Is he moving freely?

“Horses need the ability to move freely,” says Foster. “Happy horses are free to run, roll, turn wildly, race around and kick up their heels—not just move in a fixed way, such as longeing. All of this can play a role in a horse’s behavior.”

They prioritize turnout at Kuhlmann’s barn.

“We don’t keep horses in stalls 24/7,” she says. “I compare [stabled horses] to prisoners, in that they only get something to eat when given to them or socialization when we say ‘hi’ to them. This is where your cribbing, stress and weaving come from. They are herd animals and grazers, and they move better as their joints keep moving and they are not confined to standing still in a stall. The more turnout, the better for their bodies and minds.”

4. Does your horse enjoy his job?

“We all have our limits in what we can or can’t do,” says Kuhlmann. “When you look for a horse, be mindful that you find one who can do what you want and a partner who will enjoy the discipline they are in. If your horse is tight and angry, he won’t succeed in that sport. If this is your only horse, you need to do what your horse likes to do.”

5. Is it a partnership or a dictatorship?

“Your horse should see you as a partner, not the boss of them,” says Kuhlmann. “Instead of coming in and acting dominant and in charge, it’s more of a partnership. If you don’t treat your partner right, your partner won’t treat you right.”

As much joy as our horses bring to our world, keep these thoughts in mind to bring even more joy to theirs.

This article about horse happiness appeared in the November/December 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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While many broodmares are much adored by their owners—finding soft landings in lush, green pastures—there can be differing circumstances within a rather traditionally siloed industry.

“You have the racing side, which is very cognizant of aftercare,” says Kim Smith, founder and executive director of Second Stride, Inc., a Thoroughbred adoption center in Kentucky. “They understand the need for transition of the racehorse. The breeding side is a completely different part of the industry; they often don’t have access to those in the riding-horse community. Whether [broodmares] are being dropped at auction or put in a back field, neither is right, because they want a job, too.”

Retiring Broodmare Programs

Some Thoroughbred aftercare programs, including Second Stride, Inc., are reframing programs to specifically support retiring broodmares. The ASPCA’s Right Horse program has issued grants specifically to help fund broodmare and breeding stock retraining and educational programs.

“Before The Right Horse grant, we were funding general racehorse aftercare, and our budget would allow us to take in two to three [broodmares] a year,” says Smith. “They traditionally take more funding and time to transition. Now, we’re going to start taking in six to 10 a year or more. In regard to the on-the-track racehorses, there are still pockets across the country challenged with general racetrack transitional care, but with funding from organizations like TAA [Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance], TCA [Thoroughbred Charities of America] and others, we’ll keep working until it’s equal in other states. Thanks to funding from The Right Horse, we also have shipping grants to help transfer horses between approved organizations.”

Re-entering the Workforce

Smith compares retiring broodmares to human moms looking to get back into the workforce.

“A racehorse has their education at the track, quits work, and then has kids,” she says. “Now, the kids are grown and they’re not having any more— ‘So, what do I do now? Do I not serve the community at all? I can still do something for someone.’ When you watch these mares on their first ride in often a dozen years, they are in heaven. They’re so happy to be brought up from the field and doing something again. Nobody wants to be forgotten.”

Sara Busbice, president of Indiana-based Friends of Ferdinand Inc., agrees.

“They don’t get the same attention as horses coming right off the track,” she says. Their aftercare organization launched the Broodmare Bunch program in 2021, taking in five mares their first year. It started with a donation from the proceeds of the annual Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance stallion season auction.

“They are a great group of breeders that really try to support innovative and forward-thinking ideas that move our local industry forward,” says Busbice. “We’re so proud of the initiatives and support they have for one another and for the horses.”

All incoming retiring broodmares go through an intake exam by Angela Blackwell, DVM, of Horse & Hound Veterinary Clinic in Mooresville, Ind. If sound for a third career, they determine whether the mare prefers a job in flatwork or over fences, and start them out slowly.

“Health considerations for broodmares are mostly the same for any other off-track horse—we might just have to add a few things to our list,” says Blackwell. “For the older mare, we want to look at how much arthritis she has to keep her safely and happily retraining. It’s also important to make sure they don’t have any back problems, scarring or infection in their uterus, urine pooling or cervical damage that would cause pain. And of course, make sure they have appropriate hoof and dental care.” The last two are the most common issues Blackwell sees when examining broodmares at intake.

While the Broodmare Brunch mares hadn’t been ridden since their racetrack days, they took right to it.

“We have an 18-year-old mare in the program named Mongoose Gold, and she flexed cleaner than any [horse] in years,” says Busbice. “She’s off the track, had seven or eight babies, and went right to work. She’s participating in an archery clinic and will be starting hunter/jumpers soon.”

Lots of Things to Love About Retiring Broodmares

Retiring broodmares have many attributes to love. Here, Smith and Busbice share their top reasons for adoring these mares.

◆ Been there, done that: “Hands down, if I were an adult amateur looking for a horse, I’d pick an older broodmare,” says Smith. “They’ve been around, they’ve traveled, trailered, and been extensively handled. They’re ready to do something and have some love. They’re sweet. My view of them is when you have the summer camps, 10 little girls can finger paint and braid bows on them, and they will stand there all day and get hosed and brushed. They are not keen; they’re just appreciative.”

◆ Protective, motherly instincts: “The broodmares already have a strong instinct to protect, so if you can become their person, that will carry over to you—they’ll take care of you,” says Busbice. “Also, they’re more settled, and with their life experiences, they take things in stride.”

As organizations and individuals continue working together to offer these deserving mares a safe landing and fulfilling career, ask yourself this: Could a retiring broodmare be your perfect next mount?

“These mares are the backbone of the horse industry, and they don’t get their due,” says Blackwell. “It’s exciting to think of all the possibilities ahead for these mares.”

This article about rehoming retiring broodmares appeared in the July 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The Appaloosa and the Knabstrupper are both beautifully spotted breeds, and while they are quite similar in many ways, there are key differences. Learn more about these eye-catching horses.

The Appaloosa

A staple of the once-wild West and a canvas for western art, the Appaloosa is revered for its rich history, unique coat patterns and versatility.

As Spanish conquistadors and settlers made their way to the Americas, they brought horses with them—including spotted ones. These colorful horses eventually entered horse-trading circles of Mexico, California and Oregon, painting the Plains.

Horse trading was common among the Native American tribes. The Nez Perce tribe in Washington, Oregon and Idaho were renowned for their refined craft in breeding “a Palouse horse,” named after the nearby Palouse River. Soon referred to as “Appaloosas,” they were bred not just for their spots, but for speed, endurance and intellect. These characteristics helped the tribe elude the U.S. Calvary in several battles during the Nez Perce War.

In October, 1877, a five-day battle took place in Montana, ultimately forcing the Nez Perce tribe to surrender. The Appaloosa Museum documents, “The U.S. Army took over 1,000 of the tribe’s surviving horses, sold the horses that they could find buyers for and shot many of the rest.”

The Appaloosa Breed Today

Efforts to revive the breed began in 1938, soon becoming the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC), located in Moscow, Idaho. More than 700,000 Appaloosas have been registered since the ApHC’s founding in 1938.

Since 2018, the organization says they’ve seen a 20 percent rise in the number of registrations and transfers (horses changing hands). Appaloosas are found in nearly every discipline, from horse racing and western pleasure to dressage, jumping, endurance, working cattle and more.

Horses can be registered Appaloosa if they are from registered Appaloosa lineage or foaled from one registered Appaloosa parent with an approved cross. These include registered Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred or Arabian. Geldings or spayed mares with color and an unknown pedigree can be “hardship registered.”

Appaloosa characteristics include a recognizable coat pattern, vertically striped hooves, mottled skin (mottling of pink and black skin), and visible white sclera of the eye surrounding the iris.

Like a Dolly Parton song, Appaloosas can have a coat of many colors, with base colors such as black, gray, palomino, chestnut, bay, buckskin, cremello, grulla and dun.

Several genetic factors influence the Appaloosa’s coloration, which is credited to the leopard complex allele (LP), which in conjunction with PATN1 and other not-yet genetically testable PATN modifiers helps to control the amount of white patterning. This unique leopard coloration likely dates back thousands of years. A riveting topic in itself, you can visit The Appaloosa Project website for more details.

Spot the Spots: Appaloosa and Knabstrupper Style Common terms used to describe Appaloosa and Knabstrupper coat patterns include: ◆ Spots: White or dark spots ◆ Snowflake: White flecks across dark body ◆ Leopard: Dark spots across white body ◆ Few-spot leopard: Mostly white with a few dark spots ◆ Blanket/snowcap: Solid white over hip area; contrasting base color ◆ Blanket with spots: White blanket/snowcap; dark spots within white area ◆ Appaloosa roan/varnish roan/marble: Mixture of dark and light hairs ◆ Roan blanket/frost: Standard roan coloring with white blanket over hip area ◆ Roan blanket with spots: Roan blanket; white or dark spots within roan area ◆ Solid: Solid base color with no blanket, spots or other

The Knabstrupper

Similar in color to the Appaloosa, the Danish Knabstrupper also traces back to Spanish horses from the late 1700s and early 1800s in Denmark.

Knabstruppers carried Danish officers in the Schleswig War (1848-1850) and traversed the globe as circus horses. The Knabstrupper traditionally was an all-around horse that could be driven in harness or ridden under saddle.

Today, these spotties are sought-after for dressage, driving, eventing and more. While their popularity across Europe and the U.S. has increased significantly, they are still relatively uncommon.

“Knabstrupper breeding requirements are more akin to a warmblood breeding book, which selectively controls the breeding pool through both pedigree requirements and a grading process, which ensures a more unified type,” says Renee Tucci of the Pennsylvania Knabstrupper breeding farm Murder Hollow. “Over the last few decades, the breed has been selectively bred to a more modern sport horse type.”

Appaloosa vs. Knabstrupper

Whereas the Appaloosa has a variety of builds, the Knabstrupper sport horse should have a long, sloping shoulder with good freedom of movement and a well-defined wither, which flows into a strong back with short muscular loins, according to Tucci.

Next time you see either of these beautiful breeds, will you be able to spot the difference?

This article about the Appaloosa and Knabstrupper breeds appeared in the June 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Sammy galloped dramatically after our horse trailer as we hauled Wicklow to an eventing horse trial without him. He ran alongside us until the end of his field, calling for her, and her to him. It was such a sweet and dramatic display of their love for one another.

My now-husband, Drew, and I planned a sort of “couple’s trip” for our honeymoon to horse-lovers’ paradise, Mackinac Island, Mich. Everything was booked, including Wicklow and Sammy’s boarding on the island.

Just months before our wedding, we lost Wicklow overnight, with no trace of knowing what happened to her. Losing her was beyond devastating; she was my heart horse. I was inconsolable.

Wicklow was an off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB) mare adopted from Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation in Guthrie, Okla. She was my dear friend and adventure partner. We camped overnight alongside Drew and Sammy, rode trails at state parks, entered eventing horse trials and the fall hunter pace—an event where we all galloped at a fast clip.

She often paused and looked back, waiting for her shorter-legged Appy friend to catch up to us. She had the kindest heart.

Following her death, I couldn’t sleep, frantically researching causes of sudden death in horses, to little avail. I then navigated my dedicated wee-hour search for any horses of her lineage, and then her dam. Drew found a phone number for Wicklow’s breeder and previous owner, and two hours after phoning Mark Swartz, he returned my call.

Sharing the Love

Delighted to connect, Mark recalled Wicklow as a foal and her earliest moments in training. While her heart didn’t beat for racing, I assured him he bred an outstanding jumper. His trip down Memory Lane surfaced wonderful memories with his beloved wife, JJ. With a shared love for their horses, they had named Wicklow’s half-sister—a competitive racehorse—JJ’s Forever.

We talked for more than an hour about Wicklow. I sent him pictures of her jumping and my engagement pictures with her and Sammy. He forwarded me pictures of her in training and one nursing her dam, In Perpetuity. And then, hesitantly, I asked him if he knew what happened to her dam.

In Perpetuity was now 14, recently retired from breeding just outside of Lexington, Ky. She was being cared for by her original owner, Mark’s longtime best friend, Mark Corrado. Soon after my call with Mark S., they both phoned me on a three-way call to tell me all about the great race mare, In Perpetuity.

Once in training with well-known Thoroughbred trainer Kiaran McLaughlin—who simultaneously had horses in training for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—In Perpetuity broke her maiden at Aqueduct in her second start. She was unfortunately clipped by a loose 2-year-old early in her career, which led to her retirement from racing and the beginning of her broodmare career.

An Amazing Gesture

They detailed more about her, and at 9 p.m. that night, they offered us the most special gift a broken-hearted horse girl could have received. Explaining how much it meant as owners to know their filly Wicklow went to such a loving home, they gifted us her beautiful dam, In Perpetuity. They were rehoming the dam of my heart horse to me.

Early the next morning, without delay, we set off from Oklahoma to Kentucky to bring her home.

Upon reaching the barn, we were led to her stall. I was taken aback as there in front of us stood a beautiful bay mare with Wicklow’s mirror-image kind brown eyes and a white sock on the left hind. She greeted us like old friends as I buried my head into her neck in tears.

Sadly, it’s not terribly uncommon to see Thoroughbred horses retiring from their racing or breeding careers to a grim fate rather than owners rehoming them. In Perpetuity was fortunate to be retired in excellent health to a stunning farm, and Mark C. said there was truly no other alternative.

“My dad and I raced her, and Mark and I each had some of her foals. It was time for her retirement. She’d been a nice mare and a really nice racehorse. [But] even if she had been a lousy racehorse, I would’ve done the same thing. If ever given the choice of not being able to eat or not being able to care for a horse and give them a nice retirement, there would be no choice.”

Mark C. continues to contribute to several Thoroughbred horse retirement and rehoming organizations per year.

“To me, that’s the responsibility of owning a racehorse. I 100 percent believe that and can’t imagine anything else.”

So now in our barn is the incredible mare who brought sweet Wicklow into our lives. Moving gradually toward her third career, I tacked her up for that first ride, letting her see and smell my saddle and pad. She inhaled so deeply, ears forward, I really believe she understood that Wicklow was once there with us.

The marvel of her being here, and my level of gratitude toward Mark C. and Mark S., is infinite.

This article about rehoming a horse to heal a broken heart appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“In my experience, horses almost never say no,” says Steve Allday, DVM, an equine lameness specialist with more than 35 years’ experience caring for an impressive list of equine athletes. “Horses can talk, and it is our job to learn how to speak their language and above all, to listen and be their advocate.”

Allday has been the lameness specialist for equine legends that include Triple Crown race winners, 29 Breeders’ Cup race winners, and five Thoroughbred Horses of the Year—including legendary racehorses A.P. Indy and Cigar—among other elites, such as World Equestrian Games jumpers. In addition to being a top sport horse veterinarian, Allday has also founded and developed a line of joint supplements.

1. What is equine osteoarthritis?

Sometimes hidden and other times obvious, equine osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that impacts horses regardless of age, breed or discipline. It’s estimated that OA is responsible for up to 60 percent of all lameness in horses, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

Also referred to as equine degenerative joint disease, OA is a chronic disease-causing degeneration of the joints and resulting in pain, inflammation and reduced flexibility and range of motion. To understand OA, it’s important to understand the three different types of joints horses have:

1. Synovial joints: These allow different degrees of movement and rotation, acting as a hinge for the primary mode of flexion and extension. Examples include fetlocks, knees and hocks.

2. Fibrous joints: These do not allow for movement between the bones, such as the joints between bones of the skull.

3. Cartilaginous joints: These connect bones with cartilage, allowing limited movement and shock absorption, like the joints between the vertebrae of your horse’s spine.

Osteoarthritis can occur in synovial and cartilaginous joints, and it’s a common condition horses can experience.

“Osteoarthritis is ubiquitous in all mammals, and progressive as a rule,” says Allday. “It can occur anywhere on the horse: in their hips, hocks, stifles, knees, fetlocks and other joints.”

2. What causes equine osteoarthritis?

You may have wondered if different equine sports affect specific joints. Although any horse in any discipline can be affected by OA, there are common themes and joint problems that occur in the varying equine sports.

For instance, cutting and reining have greater impact on the hocks and stifles, causing horses to have heightened OA risk to these joints. And jumpers are more likely to have front-limb lameness in the coffin or fetlock joints. The bottom line is that any joint that is more significantly used on a horse increases its likelihood for developing OA.

3. Can osteoarthritis be prevented?

To help avoid joint health problems, you need to get ahead of what problems can—and unfortunately, likely will—arise due to a horse’s conformation flaws, stabling or training environments and everyday injury risks.

“Whether a racehorse, dressage horse, cutting horse or a barrel horse, by maintaining things preventatively and staying a step ahead of potential problems before they become a major issue, you can help ensure your equine partner’s performance,” says Allday.

You can help prevent equine joint health problems by:
◆ Offering quality nutrition for strong bones and healthy cartilage.
◆ Prioritizing hoof care and keeping horses on a regular trim schedule.
◆ Keeping horses at optimum weight and avoiding obesity, which stresses the joints.
◆ Riding on softer footing and limiting work on hard surfaces.
◆ Incorporating joint supplements to help maintain their joints and cartilage.

4. How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?

Allday assures us that as the No. 1 human in your horse’s life, you are the best diagnostician of any changes in your horse’s joint health.

“This is simply because you know your horse,” he says. “I don’t have a crystal ball. When I go look at a horse, I’m taking a snapshot of that moment, while you have known the horse for days and years—sometimes, his entire life—before I got there that day.”

Every time you’re grooming or tacking up for a ride, check your horse for symmetry: If you fear one side is larger than the other, you can just compare it to his opposite side.

Give your horse a proper once-over: Rub his back and palpate it, checking for soreness.

When you pick up his hind leg, check the hock for any fluid. This daily interaction with your horse, coupled with knowledge of his particular history, will be invaluable to your veterinarian when diagnosing any joint problems.

Should your veterinarian suspect joint problems, it’s likely he or she will perform a routine lameness evaluation. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, this includes summarizing the horse’s medical history; a visual appraisal of the horse at rest; a thorough, hands-on examination, including palpating the horse’s muscles, joints, bones and tendons for any heat or swelling; an evaluation of your horse’s three gaits in motion; and a joint flexion test.

“Every horse deserves a full and thorough veterinary examination,” says Allday. “It’s not just a choice—it’s a necessity to help maintain these equine athletes and keep them at their best.”

In addition to lameness evaluations, diagnosis of OA can also involve diagnostics such as:
◆ Radiographs
◆ Fluoroscopy
◆ Nuclear scintigraphy
◆ CT
◆ MRI
◆ Nerve and joint blocks
◆ Ultrasound
◆ Thermography

5. Is equine osteoarthritis curable?

While there is, unfortunately, no definitive cure for OA in horses, the pain and inflammation associated with it can be treated. Prevention, along with early diagnosis and treatment, is critical to keep the condition from progressing.

“OA isn’t the end of their career, but it’s certainly something you have to be on top of, address rapidly and maintain routinely,” says Allday. “You have to remember that osteoarthritis is progressive, and as it gets worse as the horse gets older, you’ll need to be very proactive. You may even have to go to anti-inflammatories to maintain a horse’s athletic career.”

6. What are treatment options?

Treatment for equine OA focuses on alleviating pain and inflammation in the joint, allowing horses to have improved mobility. For horses diagnosed with osteoarthritis, veterinarians may recommend prescription medications, like Equioxx, Adequan I.M., Legend or Surpass Topical.

Should OA be diagnosed, your veterinarian will work closely with you on joint health supplements to prevent further progression of joint damage, as well as anti-inflammatory treatments available to manage the pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis.

Allday recalls a conversation he had with Allen Paulson, founder of Gulfstream Aerospace and renowned owner of more than 100 graded stakes race winners. Paulson’s horse was the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, but due to a joint injury, he was scratched.

“I told him, ‘A horse isn’t like the planes you build—you have to go with the original equipment.’ And it’s true—you can’t put a horse up on a rack and switch in a new part. Taking care of their original equipment is the epitome of how you can preventatively maintain your horse throughout his career.”

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