What is DJD?
And what can you do about it?

Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is a general term to describe arthritis and damage to the inside of any joint, most often the hock, fetlock, knee, pastern or shoulder.

Everyday, every joint in a horse's body is being repaired, because of natural wear and tear from walking, trotting, jumping, etc. When this repair system isn't working the wear and tear gets worse until it causes lameness.

The best way to tackle DJD is to help the body's repair process get back to normal.

• Supplement with glucosamine, which provides nutrition to enable cartilage inside joints to re-grow.


• Use a natural pain killer like Devil's Claw, White Willow or Meadowsweet. Although chemicals like bute may be necessary if the pain is acute, they do tend to make DJD worse in the long run. So look for ways to reduce the amount of bute you use.


• Feed MSM to reduce inflammation, and because joints require a high concentration of sulphur to function adequately.


• Vitamin C can promote cartilage growth. Start with 5 grams daily, gradually increase to 10 grams. If your horse won't eat Vitamin C powder, give herbs with a high Vitamin C content - Hawthorn Berries and Nettles, 3/4 oz. of each herb per day.


• Acupuncture can often give relief from pain and help increase movement. Best used along with Magnetic Therapy, which increases the circulation to an area, reducing stiffness and swelling.

Equine Products > Joints and Mobility