Risk factors associated with hindlimb lameness and degenerative joint disease in the distal tarsus of Icelandic horses

The aim of this study was to evaluate potential risk factors associated with hindlimb lameness and radiographic signs of degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the distal tarsus in Icelandic horses, The material consisted of riding horses (n = 420) age 6-12 years sired by 17 selected sires representing all major breeding lines, and of riding horses (n = 191) in the same age range sired by other sires. The examination protocol included the following: interview with owners/trainers, assessment of conformation, motion evaluation and radiographic examination. At the interview data related to factors outside the horse (environmental variables) and data associated directly with the horse (intrinsic variables) were obtained. Data analysis was performed in 2 steps: screening using bivariate analysis, followed by testing with a multivariate logistic regression model, In the multivariate analysis, the factors of sire, age when broken to saddle and stud show participation were strongly associated with the prevalence of lameness. Height at the croup and ability to perform different gaits were also associated with the prevalence of lameness, but to a lesser degree, The risk factors of age, tarsal angle and birthplace were significantly associated with radiographic signs of DJD in the distal tarsus, Neither the variation in applied training intensity, the use of a professional or amateur trainer nor the temperament or front limb action of the individual horse was significantly associated with the prevalence of hindlimb lameness and/or radiographic signs of DJD in the distal tarsus in the Icelandic horse.