Arthritis Treatment Inconclusive A case series treated with polyacrylamide gel was used to examine the effectiveness of the treatment for arthritis. Joints of 28 horses with naturally occurring arthritis in coffin, pastern fetlock or knee joints were injected with a medical grade preparation of the substance that is used as a lubricant or filler gel for plastic surgery or laboratory testing.

Using a cross-sectional survey of 942 randomly selected horses in the Netherlands, Dutch researchers described hoof health and the most common disorders discovered during routine hoof trimming. Several management factors were also analyzed to identify potential risk factors for the hoof problems of interest.

Resveratrol, a natural substance found in grape skins and other plants, is thought to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.

Researchers in Canada used cadaver limbs to study the effects of hoof angles and loading patterns on joint surface contact areas in the fetlock. Eight limbs from Standardbred horses that died for reasons unrelated to this study were fitted into a mechanical pendulum device to simulate hoof strike at a trot. Strips of pressure-sensitive film were placed across the joint surfaces inside the fetlock to measure contact areas, and the limb was loaded while simulating flat, toe-first and heel-first landings.

Farriers sometimes shoe horses with shoes that extend outside the profile of the foot.

The information, ideas and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United States Department of Agriculture.