Horse Joint Supplements?

Joint support products are intended for treatment of changes in joint cartilage associated with osteoarthritis. They do nothing to improve injuries and other types of conditions affecting joints or associated connective tissues, and many out there have been shown to be ineffective. Before beginning treatment, you need a confirmed diagnosis so you know what it is that you are treating. While a ten year old horse is likely to have some osteoarthritic changes, you should have him evaluated by an equine vet who can determine his diagnosis and then advise you on the best way to proceed with treatment.

Joint stiffness and lamenesses warrant veterinary attention to provide the best outcome for your horse.

taller horses usually have shorter strides if they are not using their back correctly, or if their joints pain them (generally a taller horse gets stiffer faster- more pressure on legs and joints). His owner (while I do not agree with him doing it) riding him 2-3 times a year really rough will not do much to the joints long term. If this was weekly or even monthy it could, but probably not in this case. If your horse is having leg problems- DO NOT JUMP HIM. You are literally just screwing it up more. Jumping is very demanding on legs. Even horses in top condition do not jump more than 2-3 times a week (and 3-4 times flatwork) because of the stress it puts on the joints. Oral joint supplements take a long time to work, and sometimes the results are not noticable until 2-3 months later. Cosequin is one of the only ones actually proven to have so much of the dose digested. All of the other brands may include 30mg (or whatever) of the supplement (glucosamine/msm/chondritin) but that does not mean the that horse absorbs 30 mg. All of the oral supplements can get very very expensive. What you can do is get glucosamine injections through your vet. A 100ml bottle of generic (not the legend brand) costs roughly $100 and you give a 5ml shot every 2-4 weeks IM. It is definately the cheapest way to go. I have a 17.2h draft mare I use for dressage- which all adds up to early joint problems. I have been giving the glu injection as a preventative and early treatment. You can really tell the day after the shot with how loose and flexible she is. Caution though, not every horse can have it- most riders at my barn use it, so I have seen different instances. There are a few TBs and arabs that can not have it- they feel so good after the shot that it is impossible to ride them- they will just canter and buck the whole time. There is an older arabian as well that the shots do nothing for, and he is on HA injections, which is another option. HA injections are giving over a specific period of time (weeks to months) to help out with the joints. I do not know relative cost or effectiveness, except for that they work excellently for the old arthritic arab. Now for the other part- lengthening strides- lay ground poles out a little bit farther than his normal stride so he has to stretch- do this at a walk and a trot- make sure that his head is down and back is up in a stretching position. You should see his neck muscle bulge out completely to his shoulder- no dents- if he is using his back correctly. A horse that does not use it's back will also have shorter strides.

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I use Adequan. It is an IM injection that you give monthly. It's about $300 a package and it lasts you 7 months. So roughly each vial is about $40-$45. That is much cheaper than any oral joint supplement. It is pure glucosamine and has been proven to help horses suffering from osteoarthritis. It is proven to help rebuild the cartilage of joints. Because it is an injection it reaches every joint in the entire body. Every drop of it is absorbed and used by the body.

Oral joint supplements are a waste of money. They are mostly made overseas, filled with fillers, never tested, and not absorbed by the body. Studies have been done that prove that HA and anything with HA in it is not absorbed at all by the digestive tract. The only way that HA can be delivered to the joints is to either be injected into the joint or to be injected into the bloodstream. That is why Legend is given as an IV shot and is the only joint supplement that is proven to work that has HA in it. It is only for horses that have healthy joints, as HA would not do much for horses with existing arthritis. It has also been proven that Cosequine must be fed at a level three times higher than listed to get the levels listed in the regular dosage. Oral joint supplements are just a load of lies and a way to get your money.

LubriSyn is liquid gold. It's stupid expensive but totally worth it. My navicular gelding is on it and doing fabulous and we give it to all our show cutting horses as a preventative measure and they haven't had any problems. Cutting horse people swear by it. There is a generic version that's cheaper but I don't know if it works as well or not just because I always use the name brand.

I also use Formula 707 5-in-1 joint supplement with him that I started him on before the LubriSyn which I noticed helped him as well. It's a pelleted supplement mixed with alfalfa so they love the taste of it. It's also a ton cheaper.

I have used Cosequin and Corta-flx. I am sold on Corta-flx HA. I have had great results with it, and just last week I shod a horse that had been put on it since the previous time I was there. This horse always had difficulty bring his hoof forward to place it on the hoof stand. Years ago he had fallen and fractured the spinal processes in his withers. Not his fault that he was uncomfortable, but made my job really difficult. This time life was so much easier!!! I have been shoeing the horse for about 5 years, and this was the easiest time by far, and the addition of Corta-flx HA was the only change in his diet and routine. I also had a horse in his early thirties that the Corta-flx HA didn't seem to be working as well on. I asked the vet if there was anything else I could do. He recommended Corta-flx Rx Ultimate (available from vets only) and it really made a difference. There is Corta-flx Rx, which is legal in competitions, and Corta-flx Rx Ultimate which has the addition of herbs that will drug test.

You don,t have to go any further in reading answers as the person GALLOP is right on all counts and knowledge of this area .I used on and prescribed the natural supplement MSM . When you give injections of corticosteroids over a long period of time it wears on the cartilages and eventually will cause unrepairable damage. Go to local drug mart 1000Mg's of MSM pills 4 per. day for 30 days then down to 1 per day for 30 more days eventually y 3 or 4 pills per week crushed in feed This will help your horse over stiffness and will relive and pain attributed to arthritis. I introduced this natural MSM in the 1960s to racing industry and it helped many horses old and young.

Ive used a couple and found good results on them both but then found a horse feed which already had the supplement in and just put him on cod liver oil with it.

I used Equine America Glucosamine 10,000 and Vetvits equiflex

not sure how old your horse is but the feed i use for mine is dodson and horrel 16+

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Majesties flex ha wafers do wonders, i had an old mare, she was on those from 31- 36 years, and she almost had to be retired due to arthritis but we got her on these wafers and the difference was amazing, she acted like a 2 y/o and she could go forever and could jump again without any pain:) and one of the best parts was that she never new she was getting a supplement, it was just a daily treat:)

http://www.statelinetack.com/Search.aspx?query=fle...

either one of those wafers work but the more expensive ones do make the most difference

I've had good results with SmartPak Ultra III. My horse is using himself better and stands better for the farrier. This supplement seems to have the highest amounts of glucosamin, chondroitin, MSM, and HA available.