Equine osteoarthritis (OA), or the degeneration of cartilage and bone in a horse’s joint, is a painful condition and the most common reason for lameness in horses. While there is no cure for OA, horse owners and veterinarians can work together to delay onset and slow its progression. Without treatment, OA can result in poor quality of life, early retirement, and even euthanasia if the associated pain is no longer manageable.

Two veterinarians answer your questions about preventive equine joint care during this Ask TheHorse podcast. This episode is sponsored by Arthramid Vet.

About the Experts:

Sarah le Jeune, DVM, CVA, Cert. Vet Chiro, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of lameness and various performance-related musculoskeletal injuries by an integrative whole horse approach. She is the chief of the Equine Integrative Sports Medicine Service at the University of California, Davis, and is also a board-certified equine surgeon and member of the UC Davis Equine Surgery faculty since 2003. She is certified in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and in thermographic imaging. She is the founder and chair of the International Task Force on Laterality in Sport horses.

Jennifer Feiner Groon, VMD, is an equine veterinarian with a focus on sports medicine. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006, she has since built a successful practice, The Feiner Equine, where she splits her time between Central New Jersey and Wellington, Florida. Groon's career has been marked by a diverse range of experiences. Prior to establishing her own practice, she served as a member of the Hagyard Equine Medical group in Lexington, Kentucky, and an ambulatory veterinarian at MidAtlantic Equine Medical Institute in Ringoes, New Jersey. She served as the Head of Quarantine and a USEF/FEI Veterinary Apprentice at the 2007 Beijing Welcome Games Test Event and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She was actively involved with the Area II and Area VIII Eventing Teams during the 2009 FEI Adequan North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. In 2010, she was in charge of the quarantine efforts at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In her free time, she competes in hunter and jumper disciplines. She loves sharing her passion of everything about animals with her family.