Normal physical stress, strain or injuries can take a toll on horses, even those without obvious conformation defects.1 Lameness has been defined as any alteration of a horse's gait. Lameness can also present through changes in attitude or performance. These abnormalities can be caused by pain in the neck, withers, shoulders, back, loin, hips, legs or feet.2 Lameness accounts for the most substantial financial losses in the equine industry, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.3 Lameness affects horses of all kinds and at all levels. 

Lameness is actually a clinical indication rather than a disease. Mechanical lameness is best described by complete upward fixation of the patella with its characteristic gait abnormality, but can also be the result of fibrotic myopathy of the semitendinosus muscle or of restrictions caused by annular ligaments, adhesions, or severe fibrosis.2 Identifying the source of a lameness issue is essential to proper treatment.

Diagnosing Lameness in the Horse

Because each horse has unique performance characteristics, evaluating lameness can be challenging. Experienced riders may detect minor alterations in gait before they are apparent to an observer. Lameness may appear as a subtle shortening of the stride, or the condition may be so severe that the horse will not bear weight on the affected limb.1

Factors that predispose horses to lameness include physical immaturity, developmental orthopedic disease, poor conformation, improper hoof balance or shoeing, adequate conditioning and repetitive stress.2 Other factors include direct or indirect trauma, fatigue resulting in incoordination of muscles inflammation and infection. It is important to correctly determine the cause of the lameness, because the treatment will vary greatly depending on the causative factor(s). Quantitative gait studies have revealed that a large proportion of horses in training, perceived as free from lameness by their owners, show movement asymmetries of equal magnitude to horses with mild clinical lameness,3 and disorders of the locomotor apparatus are collectively the most common reason for equine veterinary consultations.2,3

There are specialized systems that have been developed for evaluating horses with lameness. The essential features of a thorough examination include:

• Medical history of the horse

• A visual assessment of the horse at rest

• A hands-on exam by the veterinarian

• Hoof testing

• Evaluation of the horse in motion

• Joint flexion tests

Meloxicam for Treating Lameness in Horses

Meloxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) of the oxicam class which acts by inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis via preferential COX-2 (inducible cyclooxygenase isoform) inhibition.4 Meloxicam treatment has been shown to result in a reduction in visual lameness scores, a reduction in head movement asymmetry and in a suppression of synovial fluid markers of inflammation, MMP activity and cartilage turnover when compared to placebo. In horses with clinical musculoskeletal pain, meloxicam was more effective in alleviating lameness than vedaprofen. Evidence suggests that meloxicam reduces musculoskeletal pain of inflammatory origin.3

Where to buy Meloxicam

Meloxicamis available in the U.S. through several pharmaceutical manufacturers and through veterinary custom compounding companies. 

Meloxicam carries numerous potential drug interactions. Please consult your veterinarian prior to beginning any treatment regimen.

FOR RX ONLY: A valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian is required for dispensing this medication.

1acvs.com.

2Merck Veterinary Manual.

3Persson-Sjodin E, Hernlund E, Pfau T, Haubro Andersen P, Holm Forsström K, Rhodin M (2019) Effect of meloxicam treatment on movement asymmetry in riding horses in training. PLoS ONE 14(8): e0221117.