Taking care of your horses is probably the biggest worry that you have as an owner and though it can be very challenging it is very important to insure your animals are healthy all year long. Something that you may be worrying about that isn’t serious are the periodic pops or clicks coming from the joints of your horse. Colorado Horse Property is here to tell you that if your horse is a comfortable, sound animal than there is nothing to fret about.
Horse Joints
Most large animal veterinarians will tell you that noisy joints in horses are caused by the same physiological process that allows people to crack their knuckles. When you bend your fingers the joint capsule releases gas within the fluid rapidly, causing the noise; when the gases return you can crack the same joint again. This is the same thing that is happening to your horse.
The joints you usually hear cracking in your horse are the highly mobile ones closest to the saddle, which is how you can hear it in the first place. These joints include the knees, hocks, stifles, and rarely the back and neck. In most cases, cracking does not mean a joint is in any way misaligned or damaged. Though there are some injuries and orthopedic conditions that occur in horses that can cause the joints to rub against each other and cause a cracking sound, you will probably already be aware of the problems your animal has.
