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LCAO student Alex Hickey’s thesis provides a practical, in-depth examination of Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), drawing on their direct experience managing a
working trekking yard where horses of various sizes and abilities are ridden daily. The paper thoroughly examines the causes, risk factors, prevention, and management of DJD in real-world settings.
Hickey discusses multiple contributing factors, including the biomechanical stress on young warmbloods rushed through training, as well as often-overlooked environmental and nutritional influences
such as soil quality, calcium-phosphorus balance, and natural supplementation.
A significant part of the thesis is dedicated to the therapeutic role of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT). Hickey presents evidence that OMT can effectively reduce pain, enhance joint mobility,
and improve synovial fluid circulation, supported by a clinical trial that compares the efficacy of OMT combined with exercise against exercise alone. alone, which demonstrated statistically significant
improvements in the combined group. Whether you care for sport horses, trekking horses, or ageing companions, this thesis offers grounded, evidence-informed guidance on one of equine medicine’s most pressing challenges.
