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.
Degenerative 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. At its earliest stages, that inflammation is called synovitis: inflammation of the synovial membrane and synovial fluid. 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 age1. It has a significant industry impact due to loss of use, cost of treatment, early retirement, and decreased athletic performance.
Download the Horse Owner Lameness Brochure to help horse owners identify and understand the common causes of lameness. Physical copies are also available upon request to your Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager.
Share the benefits of EQUIOXX® (firocoxib) with your clients. Physical copies are also available upon request to your Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager.
Share how LEGEND® (hyaluronate sodium) helps synovitis in horses. Physical copies are also available upon request to your Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager.
Share how HYALOVET® (hyaluronate sodium) and
HYVISC® (hyaluronate sodium) helps horses. Physical copies are also available upon request to your Boehringer Ingelheim Territory Manager.
Download and share this horse owner's guide to lower limb lameness.
Share the benefits of EQUIOXX® with your clients.
Share how LEGEND® helps synovitis in horses.
Download and share this horse owner's guide to HYALOVET® and HYVISC® .
Treatment
Pharmaceutical intervention 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 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: 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.
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 intravenous injection: occasional depression, lethargy, and fever. Following intra-articular injection: lameness, joint effusion, joint or injection site swelling, and joint pain.
SURPASS IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: 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.
HYALOVET AND 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.
1. Oke S, McIlwraith CW. Review of the economic impact of osteoarthritis and oral joint-health supplements in horses, in Proceedings. AAEP 2010;56.
2. EQUIOXX product labels and FOI summaries and supplements
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. ©2025 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-EQU-0114-2021-V3
