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Opinions on a Joint Supplement?

6K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  chazzgibbons143 
#1 ·
There are about a billion joint supplements out there, so I am trying to find the right one for my horse and me. Can anyone help?

I have an almost 13 y/o paint gelding, we do light work, some jumping, nothing crazy. But, he has upright pasterns and I know he is going to get arthritis so I want to help prolong/prevent it as much as possible.

I think I have decided that I am wanting at least these ingredients:

Glucosamine, Hyaluronic Acid, MSM, Ester-C

So I have been looking around and here are my thoughts:

My first choice would be Cosequin ASU Plus, it contains everything I want in good levels

Nutramax Laboratories, Inc.

But, it is like $70 a month! I am a college student working part time and I do not think I can afford that.

I was also looking at Matrix 5+ H/A

Matrix 5+H/A - Equine Joint Supplements from SmartPak Equine

Which is more affordable but doesn't have MSM which I think is important.

Also, I found Acti-Flex 4000 which has everything I want, but I thought I heard you have to have 10,000 mg glucosamine for it to b absorbed and this only has 8,000. It is very cheap, but it is a liquid and I live in Ohio so that might not be a good idea for winter.

Acti-Flex 4000 in Joint Supplements at Schneider Saddlery

Finally, I talked to my vet and he said the main thing to worry about is the formula. He said a lot of companies have products with high levels of a bunch of stuff, but their formula isn't digestible for the horse so they are basically eating it and pooping it out, rather than absorbing it into their bloodstream. So that just adds another thing to the pile of, what the heck do I do?

Can someone please give me any advise at all?
 
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#2 ·
I was using the Smartpak ultra flex III for about a year. I liked it a lot and it was only about 50ish a month. I have recently switched to the Adequan (you need a prescription) but it's only about 46 per month. I'm thinking about adding something for muscle though...
 
#3 ·
grass, hay, and a commercial feed, and a mineral/salt block. the rest of the stuff is snake oil. manufacturers slap the label "supplement" on things to get out of proving they actually do anything. Its a huge market for people also. Actual blind studies over and over prove these supplements do little or anything. But people keep getting fooled by unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence and forking over their money.
 
#4 ·
I feed my OTTB that is 17 MSM once in the morning during feeding with a scoop and a half of vintage victory. and then again at night he gets a scoop and a half of vintage. During the day they are in the pasture with grass and then he gets about 2 or so flakes at night just for boredom.
 
#5 ·
I use Majesties Flex Wafers. It doesnt have Hydralic Acid or Ester-C in it, but my horse and I love it! I used to have her on Gluclosomine 5500, for about a year, but I changed over to these about 3-2 months ago, and I noticed a difference. She was a little bit more energetic and would run in her pasture (gasp!!!)

The gluclosomine: (i think you need a prescription by your vet, my vet recoomended it to me and i bought it from them, but this is the prodoct)
GLC 5500 Full Spectrum Glucosamine for Horses - 2 lb

And the Majesty thingy:
Majesty's Animal Nutrition - Home Page

Good luck :)
 
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