Species
Horse in stride with focus on legs
Horse legs with blue background

Joint Health

Treat the Joints

Equine Joint Health

 

A 1,000-pound horse carries about 2,500 pounds on each leg in the support phase of a gallop. To bear this weight, equine joints are complex and masterfully engineered structures that provide nearly frictionless motion with every stride. Healthy joints aren’t just necessary for performance, but overall quality of life. They allow the horse to move freely, but they also help to effectively absorb concussion, especially at speed or with repetitive use.

Joint Disease

Whether it be a walk, trot or gallop, a horse's movement is just one of the things that makes it such a majestic animal. That’s why it’s important to care for and protect their joints. Joint disease is progressive in nature. It may begin with an acute injury that initiates inflammation. From there, the acute inflammation can turn into unresolved inflammation and early degenerative joint disease (DJD) that can lead to osteoarthritis (OA) which is permanent. DJD can also arise from cyclic, repetitive low-grade trauma. In other words, OA can result from abnormal use of normal joints or from normal wear on an abnormal joint.

 

While equine joint disease may be accompanied by early pain and visible swelling, it can also progress with few signs before ongoing damage results in irreversible changes. More than 60% of equine lameness is related to equine osteoarthritis and can affect horses of any age. It has a significant industry impact due to loss of use, cost of treatment, early retirement, and decreased athletic performance. 

 

In addition to OA there are other musculoskeletal diseases that can affect the joint membranes, surrounding tendons and ligaments, underlying bone, cartilage, bursae, and/or fluid within the joint (synovial fluid).

Preventative Strategies

Beside medical treatments there are management strategies that can help protect the joints of a horse.

  • Balanced nutrition throughout the horse’s life
  • Consider the horse's age and skeletal maturity when setting a training regimen
  • Incorporate appropriate warm up and cool down, and avoid working the horse beyond its fitness level
  • Maintain proper and regular hoof care and be aware of the footing your horse is working on
  • Keep them moving for strong muscles that help support the joints and to avoid being overweight

Treatment

Treatment might be necessary at some point during an affected horse's life. The goal is to interrupt the inflammatory cycle to reduce the clinical signs and slow down the disease progression. Boehringer Ingelheim provides a range of joint care products for horses that can help manage the pain and inflammation and can fit within the horse's specific needs.

 

  • Equioxx® (firocoxib), a COXIB class non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for horses that controls pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis for up to 24 hours with just one dose. Use with other NSAIDs, corticosteroids or nephrotoxic medication should be avoided.
  • Surpass® (1% diclofenac sodium), a topical NSAID cream for the control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in hock, knee, fetlock and pastern joints in horses. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Wear gloves when administering SURPASS.
  • Legend® (hyaluronate sodium) is an injectable treatment for joint dysfunction of the carpus or fetlock in horses due to non-infectious synovitis associated with equine OA. Legend may be given via intra-articular injection to specific joints or intravenously to treat multiple joints. The safety of LEGEND has not been evaluated in breeding stallions or in breeding, pregnant or lactating mares.
  • Hyalovet® (hyaluronate sodium) injection is for intra-articular treatment of carpal or fetlock joint dysfunction in horses due to acute or chronic, non-infectious synovitis associated with equine OA. HYALOVET Injection must not be administered intravascularly. As with any intra-articular injection, a mild inflammatory response may be seen in the joint following HYALOVET injection.
  • Hyvisc® (hyaluronate sodium) sterile injection is for the treatment of joint dysfunction in horses due to non-infectious synovitis associated with equine OA. For intra-articular injection in horses only. A mild inflammatory response may occur post injection.
Equioxx Products

EQUIOXX®
(firocoxib)

A COXIB class NSAID approved for use in horses. EQUIOXX has not been tested in horses less than 1 year of age or in breeding horses, or pregnant or lactating mares.

 

See Product Detail

EQUIOXX®
(firocoxib)

A COXIB class NSAID approved for use in horses. EQUIOXX has not been tested in horses less than 1 year of age or in breeding horses, or pregnant or lactating mares.

 

See Product Detail
Equioxx Products
Legend package shot all bottles

LEGEND®
(hyaluronate sodium)

Proven treatment for joint dysfunction associated with osteoarthritis. The safety of LEGEND has not been evaluated in breeding stallions or in breeding, pregnant or lactating mares.

See Product Detail

LEGEND®
(hyaluronate sodium)

Proven treatment for joint dysfunction associated with osteoarthritis. The safety of LEGEND has not been evaluated in breeding stallions or in breeding, pregnant or lactating mares.

See Product Detail
Legend package shot all bottles
Surpass package shot with box

SURPASS®
(1% diclofenac sodium)

The only FDA-approved topical NSAID for equine osteoarthritis. SURPASS topical cream is only approved for use in horses and has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant, or lactating horses, or in horses under 1 year of age.

See Product Detail

SURPASS®
(1% diclofenac sodium)

The only FDA-approved topical NSAID for equine osteoarthritis. SURPASS topical cream is only approved for use in horses and has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant, or lactating horses, or in horses under 1 year of age.

See Product Detail
Surpass package shot with box

EQUIOXX IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: As with any prescription medication, prior to use, a veterinarian should perform a physical examination and review the horse’s medical history. A veterinarian should advise horse owners to observe for signs of potential drug toxicity. As a class, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be associated with gastrointestinal, hepatic and renal toxicity. Use with other NSAIDs, corticosteroids or nephrotoxic medication should be avoided. EQUIOXX has not been tested in horses less than 1 year of age or in breeding horses, or pregnant or lactating mares.

 

SURPASS IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Like any medication, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as SURPASS may cause side effects. These are usually mild and affect primarily the gastrointestinal system, but more serious side effects can occur, such as diarrhea and renal toxicity. NSAIDs should only be administered under the direction of a licensed professional. SURPASS topical cream is only approved for use in horses and has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant, or lactating horses, or in horses under 1 year of age. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Wear gloves when administering SURPASS. If direct contact with skin occurs, wash immediately with soap and water. Please refer to the package insert for complete product information.

 

LEGEND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: The safety of LEGEND has not been evaluated in breeding stallions or in breeding, pregnant or lactating mares. The following adverse reactions have been reported following use of LEGEND Injectable Solution: Following intravenous use: occasional depression, lethargy, and fever. Following intra-articular (LEGEND Injectable Solution — 2 mL only) use: lameness, joint effusion, joint or injection site swelling, and joint pain. LEGEND 4 mL and LEGEND Multi-Dose Injectable Solution are administered by intravenous injection only.

 

HYALOVET IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Not for human use. HYALOVET Injection must not be administered intravascularly. As with any intra-articular injection, a mild inflammatory response may be seen in the joint following HYALOVET injection. The response is self-limiting but may last from 2 to 5 days after treatment. If inflammation is excessive or severe, the possibility of infection should be considered and appropriate antibiotic therapy instituted

Caution: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

 

HYVISC IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: A mild inflammatory response may occur post injection. For intra-articular injection in horses only. Do not use in horses intended for food.

Caution: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

 

 

EQUIOXX®, SURPASS®, and LEGEND® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. HYALOVET® is a registered trademark of TRB Chemedica International S.A., Geneva Switzerland, used under license. HYVISC® is a registered trademark of Anika Therapeutics, Inc, used under license. ©2021 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-EQU-0114-2021