Joint Supplements

Hello Everyone. I have a 16 year old Thoroughbred who used to race and he has some mild arthritis...I can hear him popping and cracking sometimes while riding him. I was wondering if any of you have some recommendations for a decent joint supplement that one, seems to make a difference and two, doesn't break the bank.

He doesn't do any heavy duty working just our family riding horse but I don't want him to be in pain and if I can do something to help that I will.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Tammy

I'm not a supplement expert, but my friend terry is - she started EquiSupps.com and i'm sure would be happy to give you suggestions. If you go to her site, you can email her for more info, and her prices are really affordable - she also prepackages them but in baggies so its smaller and takes less room. I tell people she's like smartpak, but cheaper lol and also donates part of the proceeds to the Arabian Rescue Mission, and has a TON of knowledge since she's worked with so many horses and rescues she does an aweosme job with the supps.

Hope you're able to find something that works for you!!! :)

I love Corta-Flx pellets for my 17 year old OTTB mare. She has done great on them and I have used them for 3 years. When she was in competition and needed a little more support, she was on Adequan injections but now that she is not in work and is retired, she gets the Corta-Flx.

I had good luck with Glazen GL from horsetech.com. It's an all-in-one supplements for joints, skin, and coat. They have a bunch of other joint related supplements too. They are very nice to work with and they sell direct to the public, so you know it's fresh. They'll also custom blend you a supplement for no extra charge (just for the ingrediants).

I would recommend getting one that has Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Vitamin C, and either MSM or Yucca. The MSM and Yuccan are anti-inflamitories. I take MSM for myself, and it really helps reduce my sore knees during the winter.

Talk to your vet about giving him a little bute on days you plan on riding him harder than usual, or on days he just looks a bit off.

Also, talk to a farrier about giving him a more natural trim, with lower heels and shorter toes. That can help some horses loosen up quicker and be more comfortable on their feet.

The main thing with arthritic horses though is movement. He should be turned out 24/7, or as much as possible, and should be ridden or worked often. If he's too stiff to ride, take him on a "walk" on the trail. Walking in hand is a lot of fun and a great bonding experience .

I use a pure MSM powder in my mare's feed. It runs about $30 a jar, but that'll last a few months. It really works wonders on her joints. She's a QH, and she'll be 16 here in a few days (can't believe she's that old already!) But I really do like the MSM.

I also get her an arthritis shot every few months called Legend. It runs about $85, but it's very much worth it.

Hope this helps!

Thank you all for your advise...I will ask the farrier about the natural trim idea, I didn't realize that.

I wish he could be let out 24/7 however my boarding stable does not do turn outs so it's up to me and if we turn out a horse we have to be there. I do like taking him for walks so I will try to do some more of that too.

I'm going to look online today at some of the supplements you all suggested, thanks again!

Tammy

Get a Legend shot. It's a shot given IV that is meant to lube up their joints. In the summer, I give my 16 yr old mare a shot every 2 months. In the winter, about every 3. Ask your vet if they carry it, it really works.
Other than that, I use BL Pellets, and other joint powders as well.
MSM is usually for muscles & inflamation, but it can help aid in rain relief relating to arthritis.

Pure MSM is great!