Arthritis In Horses

It`s always hard to see horses suffer and just like people with arthritis, it`s hard to see your horse suffering from such pain as well. Luckily, there are ways to help you ease the suffering and manage your horses` arthritis to make sure they`re in as little pain as possible, as comfortable and as happy as possible.

Painkillers

The obvious solution to arthritis is to talk to your vet and enquire about any painkiller options that could take the edge off. While there are many other natural things you can do to soothe their suffering, this is the first thing you should check. If your vet thinks they`ll benefit from a painkiller, then everything else you do will only make them more comfortable rather than starting from pure pain to begin with.

Weight and Exercise

A horse who doesn`t exercise will become more overweight and if they`re overweight it increases the chance that their arthritis will become more painful because their joints will be taking too much stress. By trying to keep their weight in check you can help diminish some of those symptoms that they will feel with arthritis.

Supplements

There are supplements out there that are all natural that help easy joints and decrease inflammation. This can be a good step towards helping sooth your horses arthritic pain but as always it`s important to do your research first to see if there are any good fits before you try to give it to them.

Shoeing and Trimming

It`s important to keep your horses` feet trimmed and shoed properly and regularly. When they`re already suffering from arthritic pain, you want to make it as comfortable as possible for them to stand to minimize joint strain.

Watch Out For Terrain

If your horse is in a field with lots of rocks or hills, consider moving them somewhere that`s a bit more appropriate. Something flatter and grassy will be much better on them and their arthritis and they`ll have to exert less energy to move around. This will not only help sooth the pain, but it will also keep them generally happier.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Food that`s high in fiber (such as hay and grass) is considered an Omega-3 fatty acid and can help with arthritic horses. It reduces inflammation, which in turn will decrease pain and make them a much happier horse. So make sure they have adequate grass and/or hay outside or in their stall.

Seeing any horse suffer in pain is hard, but when it`s something that`s not treatable like arthritis it does make it harder. With these tips you`ll be able to take every precaution necessary to make sure you`re easing their suffering as much as you possibly can. If you liked this article, be sure to share it to help everyone help horses stay comfortable.