Joint Ill in the Young Equine

Oct 12, 2011
Chris Thomas

Foals Should be Alert, Nursing and Weight Bearing - C. Thomas

A lame horse doesn't necessarily mean catastrophe. A lame foal on the other hand should be treated as an emergency until proven otherwise.

Newborn foals are particularly susceptible to infections. This can be especially so if they haven’t received adequate amounts of colostrum. It is possible for infections to get into joints and bones. When this occurs in the foal, it is known as joint ill or septic arthritis.

Cause and Signs of Joint Ill

Joint ill can occur on account of a bacterial infection making its way into the horse’s joint, and potentially the adjacent bone. Common signs of joint ill are a sudden lameness and when the foal’s temperature is taken; this is found to be high.

It should be noted that foals' temperatures are slightly above the recognised normal temperature of around 37.5 degrees Celsius for the mature horse, but something about 38.5 degrees, coupled with lameness should be taken seriously. If any foal displays signs of dragging a limb or not wanting to weight bear at all and there is no sign of why the foal is lame, joint ill should be suspected. Other signs may be a loss of appetite and the joint being enlarged and hot to touch.

Prompt Recognition the Key

As soon as it is noted that the foal is displaying these signs, a vet should be contacted to come and assess the young horse. Depending on the depth of the infection, it may be required that the foal is put under anaesthetic and the joint flushed out. Antibiotics will also commonly be administered. When multiple joints are infected, the prognosis is greatly diminished and it is possible that the foal will need to be euthanised.

Managing horses and the surrounding environment as well as having informed and alert staff, can best help to prevent problems, or pick up on issues early. Because joint ill arises from bacterial infections, having good hygiene practices on farms can help to reduce the risk of it arising in foals.

The foaling environment, whether a stable or a paddock, should be kept clean, with manure picked up and areas disinfected after foaling. Spelling foaling areas between seasons can also be beneficial. Other factors to consider include:

Small numbers, as opposed to overcrowding of horses
Good ventilation in any enclosed areas

Foals are particularly vulnerable to going downhill fast when it comes to their health. Having practices in place that help to minimise the spread of infection as well as staff that are alert to problems that can arise with foals, can greatly decrease the chances of a potential joint ill case becoming a fatality.