The daily activities of horses in training can lead to everyday wear and tear on the joint, which results in synovial membrane and joint capsule inflammation (synovitis and capsulitis). In most cases of equine OA, it’s this stress on the joint that initiates the process.

The barrel racer’s bone scan showed a hot spot right where the spine attaches to the base of the skull, indicating an injury. But the radiographs were inconclusive.

“No ‘bute’ or Banamine, forever,” Nolen-Walston said. “The biggest question was whether she would bounce back from disease to be a successful race horse, and could she be successful as a racehorse drug-free?”

“As a general rule all blogs should, by their very nature, be treated with extreme caution. The brilliance of the internet is that it has made a huge amount of information available very easily. Conversely, one of the main weaknesses of the internet is that it has made a huge amount of information available very easily,” Dr Milner said.

The presentation, “Neurological Exam: Evaluate Your Horse Before Someone Gets Hurt,” will take place on tonight, Tuesday, September 6, at 6:30 p.m. at New Bolton Center, 382 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA. The lecture is free and open to the public.

“There is science to this. There are ways to measure welfare,” Pierdon said. “It is important to have the students open their minds to the many new methods and ideas that are out there.”

Here are a few questions to ask your veterinarian if he or she determines an NSAID is needed:

What is the correct dosage and route of administration?
How often should the medication be administered?
When should I stop giving the medication?
How long before the medication takes effect?
Are there any side effects to this medication?
Should this medication be given with any other medications?

Tip #4- Time Your Feed- Horses should not be fed a large meal 3-4 hours before an extensive performance event. Feeding any closer to the exercise can hurt the horse’s performance as the blood used for digestion isn’t readily available to the muscle tissue.