The influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of osteochondrosis in a warmblood foal population (2008-2011).

Osteochondrosis (OC) is seen in humans, horses, dogs and swine. In horses, OC is usually diagnosed before the age of three years, at which time horses are radiographically examined for sale and breeding purposes and are beginning with training and further light riding work. This disease is a Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) and is more prevalent in larger horse breeds than in smaller breeds and ponies. Mostly warmbloods and racing horses are affected. Clinical signs include mild lameness and swollen joints, but not all lesions would point to clinical signs. Usually, OC lesions can be identified by radiographical examination as a smooth joint surface (A), as a flattening (B), an irregular subchondral bone surface (C) or loose fragments in a joint (D,E)(Dik et al. 1990). The aim of this research is to further evaluate proposed environmental risk factors that are associated with the development of osteochondrosis (OC) in warmblood horses during their vulnerable growth period, and tested in a randomly selected warmblood foal population (2008-2011).