Joint injury, joint disease secondary to trauma or injury, and osteoarthritis are major causes of attrition and loss of function in horses. Joint injections can help veterinarians diagnose lameness or medicate a horse’s painful joint. Joint injections are most commonly used for putting medication into a joint to help it heal or protect it.

The potential benefits of a joint injection are far-reaching; but, medicating joints can be expensive, might not result in the desired effect, and can potentially result in a post-injection complication such as joint flare, joint infection, and irreversible cartilage degeneration. The decision of which product or combination of products is best will depend on the joint, the horse’s function, your veterinarian’s preference and timing before competition.