Joint Sups -- What am I paying for?

I am going to start my mare on joint supplement to keep her comfortable this competition season. I went to Tractor Supply and found a ton of different joint supplements. The prices varied staggeringly -- from $20 to more than $50.


I read the labels and found they all contained the same amount of glucosamine (5000 per once). The levels of MSM varied slightly. Additional ingredients varied a lot; some supplements had herbal additives, or shark cartilage, or things like that.


Am I paying for additives and MSM? Is price really a reflection of effectiveness? What would you suggest I buy?

A shameful bump.

I make sure anything I buy is pharmaceutical grade and does not have fillers. It is more money but you use less and it's much more effective.

That is why I will not buy any sort of joint supplements from a feed store

An added benefit to the pharmaceutical-grade-no-filler products I buy is that they are safe to give my two senior dogs, who were both rescued years ago and have serious arthritis issues from old injuries. I just have to give the dogs smaller amounts

You may have to buy your stuff on-line - there are some very reputable joint supplement companies - do your research

Where would I get pharmaceutical grade stuff?

Smoke mirrors and snake oil salesmen, thes supplemnts are unregulated and generally could contain anything or nothing, Using the label "supplement" lets makers make all kinds of outlandish claims with no scientific data to back it up, But too many people love to waste there money Congress and the FDA wont touch em.
Actual studies of oral gluc have found only about 2.5% of what is injested makes it into the body. The rest just passes through.
An actual chemical that has been tested and actually shown to be effective wont be sold as a "supplement". You rhorse would benefit more from exercise to get blood flowing and a prescribed anti inflamatory on occasion.