Everything you need to know about horse joints

they affect the whole body they can inhibit the actions of other beneficial prostaglandins and if used for too long or too high a dose lead to side effects such as gastric ulcers or inflammation of the large intestine.
Intraarticular medications
The act of injecting straight into the horse joint itself is not without risk. There is the risk of introducing infection into the joint failing to get the medication where it needs to be or the horse reacting badly and damaging themselves or injuring the vet.
Corticosterioids are highly effective at reducing inflammation and arresting the changes that lead to degenerative joint disease. They are the most frequently used type of joint medication and must be used carefully. If used too often they can lead to thinning of the articular cartilage and subsequently worse lameness.
Hyaluronic Acid is a natural component of horse joint fluid and may be injected into joints alone to improve the quality of synovial fluid. Or more frequently it may be used along with a corticosteroid to prolong the antiinflammatory effects.
It may also be given intravenously when it can have a short term antiinflammatory effect on any inflamed joints.
Polyacrylamide Hydrogel is a relatively recent arrival in the equine world. When injected into a joint it mimics the viscoelastic action of synovial fluid and provides a synthetic form of lubrication improving joint function and comfort.
Regenerative medicine for horse joints
The use of products derived from the blood of the horse which contain natural antiinflammatory molecules that block the effects of cytokines is now widespread. These products also contain growth factors that can stimulate additional repair within the joint.
Commonly used products are IRAP and ProStride both of which are made by extracting and then processing the horses own blood and turning it into a product that is then injected back into the diseased joints. It produces no unwanted side effects such as laminitis and because the product is entirely natural theres no risk of falling foul of any antidoping rules for those horses who compete under rules.