Freezing temperatures and deep snow can be extremely problematic for horses with arthritic and mobility issues. If a horse is mildly arthritic during the summer it could become unsound during the winter - especially with equine seniors. Combine cold temperatures, dampness, and deep snow or mud and a horse's joints can quickly become sore and less flexible.

There is something uniquely beautiful about the neck of a horse. That curve, the arch of the poll, the dip towards the shoulder. In function, those elegant lines came to be out of necessity, with such length required to balance out long limbs, allowing them to reach to the ground to graze for up to 20 hours a day. With the head and neck making up about 10 percent of their total body mass, horses use their neck to maintain balance, stability, and their spatial awareness when they are in motion. Over time, the equine neck has shifted in function and importance, and in the factors that impact and promote its well-being, but the fundamentals have stood the test of domestication.

A new review published in The Veterinary Journal demonstrates how research led by the University of Liverpool has changed the way we think about a crippling disease of horses.