Put into Google ‘what supplement will help my horse's joints?’ and a long list of mixes with different ingredients will come up. In this blog I look at the individual ingredients, how they help and when to feed them.
A little understanding of a horse's Joint.
Before we can look at the supplements we need a little understanding of the horses joints. Joints are where two or more bones meet and allow movement to happen, they’re also the horse's shock absorber.
Cartilage is a shock absorber and allows the bones to slide over one another. If you don’t maintain and support your horse’s cartilage, then you and your horse are in for an unpleasant ride; consider your car suspension and the ride you would have if that broke.
Things to Consider before choosing a Supplement.
Next, you need to understand if you’re feeding for prevention or treatment. Does your horse have a pre-existing joint injury you are trying to aid, are you wanting to offer support, have you increased your horse's workload, or do you need a supplement that will aid with pain relief?
Do you compete under FEI rules?
Does your horse suffer from any underlying gut issues as this can have an impact on which supplement you choose?
Ingredients
Let's look at the different ingredients we find in joint supplements and how they help.
Glucosamine is a building block for connective tissue and therefore aids the production of cartilage, ligaments, tendons and joint fluid. It also helps to:
Reduce stiffness and poor mobility in horses, making them more comfortable within their movement.
Naturally targets the body’s inflammatory response to assist with daily wear and tear, repair, and recovery, this helps to prevent and treat arthritis.
Another key point to it helping the horse mobility is that it can make the older horse feel more comfortable.
It Often used in conjunction with Chondroitin, another natural horse supplement beneficial for equine joint health.
it is safe for consistent long-term use, with no reported side effects in horses
MSM is a rich source of Sulphur essential for the healthy growth of ligaments, tendons, soft tissue, muscles and the hoof. Below we look at some of the benefits of MSM
Aids the making of a detoxifying antioxidant glutathione, which the body needs to keep tissues healthy, especially during times of stress such as during exercise or disease.
Prevents oxidative damage to the tissues helping muscles to recover quickly after exercise.
Believed to help with circulation, and better circulation helps with the repair of tissue.
Decreases exercise-induced inflammation, speeding up post-workout recovery and contributes to improved performance.
For horses in harder work it can help relieve pain and keep them more comfortable.
Can also help reduce pain in horses with arthritis
Supports the Keratin process which gives horses healthier skin and coat.
Supports the respiratory tract and has been seen to be beneficial to horses where pollen and dust cause breathing issues.
Supports the immune system during times of stress and illness.
For me, the best result would be to combine glucosamine and MSM and I think all horses should be on this.
Turmeric -
Can be a more cost-effective supplement but shouldn't be fed to horses with ulcers, as it increases the acidic levels within the gut.
Curcumin the active ingredient in turmeric has been well studied in humans and used as far back as ancient Greece but there has been little research into its use with horses. It is believed to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and be a strong antioxidant that is useful for soothing stiffness and pain, maintaining good digestion and alleviating skin conditions.
Feeding with black pepper and oil helps the absorption in the system. Equus health sells without the pepper as we believe mixing it within the packing process deters the grade of the product.
Benefits of turmeric are
Anti-inflammatory, especially for arthritis
Anti-oxidant
Antibacterial
Antifungal
Wound healing properties
Anti-cancer
It is believed that feeding turmeric long term can have an effect on the horse's iron level. I advise talking to a vet if your horse is under treatment for anime.
Boswellia is frankincense and when you see what it does it is no wonder the wise men gifted it to Jesus, I swear it was the amount of this I bagged during lock down that kept COVID-19 at bay.
Benefits of Boswellia are
Supports ligament, tendon and joint health to sustain all-round mobility.
Often used to aid digestion and provide colonic support.
Research in humans have proven that in it can be anti inflammatory and anti cancerous
Soothes gut issues,the germans rate it in the top 3 of gut treatments.
Devil’s Claw has a long history of use as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relief) agent. It has been effective on symptoms of arthritis, muscle pain, headaches, improving digestion and rheumatic pain. In horses it has been found beneficial for degenerative disorders, inflammation, pain due to arthritis and muscle pain. Harpogoside is the competent of the plant that works against inflammation.
Please note Devils Claw is Prohibited under FEI ruling
White willow bark
Famously known for being the source of salicylic acid (the precursor to aspirin) unlike aspirin, it does not thin the blood.
Has been used for thousands of years to relieve joint pain and to manage fevers.
An excellent remedy for arthritic and rheumatic pain affecting joints such as hips and knees, and also the back. It relieves inflammation and swelling, improving mobility in aching, painful joints.
Known as an antiseptic, analgesic, tonic, and astringent.
The proportion of salicin present can affect results, but it works generally well as a 'bute' replacement with no side effects such as those associated with aspirin. It can be used safely for long periods.
I hope this has given you more of an understanding on the different ingredients out there that can help your horses joints, please drop me a message should you need any further help
Comments