Muscoloskeletal pain

Written ELT. Ann-Helena Hokkanen

Various injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system that cause pain are very common in horses. Pain may be caused, for example, by injuries and diseases affecting the joints, ligaments, tendons, bones, muscles, and fascia.

The signs associated with musculoskeletal pain can vary considerably. Pain may cause changes in a horse’s behaviour and movement. Tenderness and lameness are typical signs.

Myofascial pain is pain arising from muscles and fascia in the body. It is thought to be very common in animals, but it has not yet been studied extensively. In horses, skeletal muscles comprise a massive part of the body’s total weight and can, therefore, be a considerable source of pain and functional impairment.

See veterinarian Ann-Helena Hokkanen’s 2022 lecture on muscle pain in horses (In finnish)