Equine Athleticism - It All Hinges on the Joints

Equine athletic potential and subsequent performance, success, and longevity hinge on healthy joints. Joints are essentially where two or more bones meet, yet they allow the body to perform complicated functions. Some allow for movement, influencing range of motion, stride length, and overall comfort.

There are three different types of joints:

• Cartilaginous joints are those in which the bones are connected by cartilage, a firm but flexible tissue made up of specialized cells called chondrocytes. They permit a limited amount of movement and include pelvic joints and joints in the vertebral column.
• Fibrous joints do not move and there are comparably few of them in the body. Examples include the places where the bones of the skull come together.
• Synovial joints enable the most movement, transfer weight (load) between bones, and are the most common joints in a horse’s body. They are filled with fluid encased in a membrane and surrounded by a joint capsule. They include ball and socket joints, hinge joints, and gliding joints. Examples of synovial joints are hocks and stifles.

Since synovial joints are the most common and allow for the most movement, they are the primary type for consideration when it comes to joint health. A synovial joint can be thought of as an organ made up of different types of tissues. Articular cartilage is present at the ends of the bones, cushioning them and acting to distribute loads and minimize friction during movement. It is composed of an organized arrangement of collagen, water, and proteoglycans, which are chains of sugar units called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, stabilize the joint’s range of motion.

Cartilage is not well-equipped to heal itself, so it is important to think about preservation beginning at an early age to maximize soundness and performance longevity. Unfortunately, all it takes for cartilage to begin to degrade is an excessive amount of inflammation,