hock flexion test
A prepurchase exam can help you catch early signs of equine arthritis. | Kevin Thompson/The Horse
How much arthritis is too much arthritis? Before buying a horse, a prepurchase exam can help you pinpoint potential issues and long-term maintenance needs. Erica Secor, DVM, Dipl. ACVS-LA, gives her thoughts on purchasing a horse that has joint health problems.

This podcast is an excerpt from our Ask The Horse Live Q&A, “Equine Joint Health.” Listen to the full recording here.

About the Expert:

Erica Secor

Dr. Erica SecorErica Secor, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS-LA, grew up riding and training horses in Vermont. She completed her undergraduate degree and veterinary school at Cornell University and completed her residency at the University of Illinois. After residency, she worked as a staff surgeon in private practice before returning to Cornell in 2021 for her PhD. She currently studies the immune system’s role in osteoarthritis and is working toward improving diagnostic capabilities and understanding how arthritis varies among individuals, with the goal of identifying how to better tailor osteoarthritis treatment to individual cases. Outside of research, Secor enjoys trail running (there is a lot of time to come up with research ideas during 60-mile trail runs), riding her 24-year-old Morgan horse, Mocha, and hiking with her favorite dog, Annie, and favorite husband, Andrew.