Horse supplements NZ

Equine joint supplements – a closer look at 10 top ingredients

Equine joints are expected to bend, flex, extend, jump and turn quickly -often at speed! plus carry a human! These unnatural forces result in wear and tear to equine joint structures.

Equine joint supplements are often used to supply nutritional building blocks for healthy joints.

Most research to date is on human subjects for joint nutrition because this is the largest and most profitable market, therefore where research is most concentrated.

However, there is a number of equine joint care ingredients showing promise in this area too. We take a closer look at these.

Equine Joint Supplement Ingredients:

The ingredients that are used in most equine joint supplements consist of Glucosamine Sulphate (or Hydrochloride), Chondroitin Sulphate, Hyaluronic acid (HA) and Collagen Peptides or type II Collagen along with Methyl Sulphonyl Methane (MSM), antioxidants, various herbal remedies and omega 3 fatty acids.

These joint health nutrients either provide nutrition or precursor nutrients thought to provide the building blocks for joint structures, tendons and ligaments. Therefore, may help build and protect cartilage, synovial fluid and connective tissues.

1.Glucosamine Sulphate or HCl:

• What does Glucosamine do for joints? -Glucosamine is a precursor to glycosaminoglycans. Glycosaminoglycans are what the body produces naturally to nourish and keep cartilage healthy, but levels made naturally decline with age. Glucosamine is thought to offer a source.

• Promising benefits:  A clinical study shows Glucosamine when fed orally to young horses with a joint trauma helped cartilage repair, with significant improvement when compared to the control group. Other studies in vitro show benefits for reducing inflammation. More studies are needed to understand and validate how glucosamine works in the body.

• Dose: a minimum of 10,000 mg fed daily per 500 Kg horse is recommended. Studies however show 20,000 mg of Glucosamine was fed to 450 Kg horses with a joint trauma.
• Type: It does not matter if Glucosamine Sulphate or the hydrochloride form are used. Both break away to release Glucosamine in the gut, where the body can then absorb and use.

2.Chondroitin Sulphate: 

• What does Chondroitin Sulphate do for joints? – Chondroitin is a precursor of glycosaminoglycans for healthy cartilage and encourage elasticity. It provides the nutritional building blocks for joints.

• Promising benefits: Some studies show combining Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate together may provide more synergistic properties than each used alone.
• Dose: The recommended dose is a minimum of 1,200 mg Chondroitin Sulphate fed daily per 500 Kg horses along with Glucosamine 10,000 mg. Some equine joint supplements may also contain Green lipped mussel extract. This is thought to be an absorbable form of glycosaminoglycans, and studies have been positive showing a reduction in joint inflammation when Green lipped mussel was used orally, administered to horses. Explore NPC Health’s green lipped mussel equine joint supplement Hydra-flex Active Joint Supplement for horses
• Type: Low molecular weight Chondroitin should be used, or Green lipped mussel may be used and may provide a more absorbable source.

3.Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

• What does hyaluronic acid do for joints? – it lubricates joints by providing viscoelastic properties to the synovial fluid helping to keep it hydrated.  Also providing shock absorbing properties for cartilage.
• Promising benefits: Studies show the body has a natural affinity for hyaluronic acid, where cells recognise and distribute this throughout the body. This can be fed orally or injected. A clinical study of young horses fed hyaluronic acid for 60 days showed increased levels of hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid. Another study showed decreased joint effusion in a group of thoroughbreds suggesting decreased inflammation and swelling when fed hyaluronic acid.
• Dose: 100 mg daily or more of Hyaluronic acid daily per 500 Kg horse is considered a good dose.
• Type: High molecular weight should be used for best absorption. The cell receptors do not recognize or are able to correctly utilize low molecular weight types of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, when fed orally the most benefit comes from high molecular weight hyaluronic acid.

4.MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) & Methionine

• What does MSM do for equine joints? MSM is a natural source of sulphur that helps reduce inflammation in the body and supports collagen production. Methionine is a sulphur amino acid used by the body to strengthen connective tissues, hooves and hair. It is thought the body can use MSM to make the sulphur bonds required for sulphur amino acids such as Methionine.

• Promising benefits: Studies with MSM show promise for reducing inflammation and also may increase the absorption of other substances due to its solvent action. Therefore, combining MSM with other joint ingredients such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin may work synergistically to offer joint benefits.
• Dose: generally used at 6 grams of MSM per 500 Kg horse. However, larger doses up to 12,000 mg are often favoured for inflammatory properties. A clinical study showed levels as high as 20,000 mg administered daily per 500 Kg horses provided effective anti-inflammatory properties without changes in blood chemistry. However, a dose of 20,000 mg would not be recommended for continual use, but more a short-term measure, before reducing the dose.
• Dose: 2 – 5 grams Methionine (sulphur amino acid) is thought to be a good supplementary dose to support healthy hooves, hair and connective tissues alongside a good diet.

Anti-Inflammatory & Antioxidant Herbs

These help to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which can damage joints.

5.Turmeric (Curcumin)

• What does Curcumin do for joints? -the active ingredient in Turmeric is Curcumin a powerful antioxidant. Curcumin can be isolated from turmeric providing a direct source.
• Potential benefits: human subjects show improvement in movement and improvement with inflammation and pain. Many human studies show this ingredient to exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has poor bioavailability so must be fed alongside a fat source such as omega oils to help with absorption. Piperine the active of black pepper will also increase absorption, where it may increase the level of absorption 2000 times. However, using pepper extracts in conjunction could be argued that the finished dose could lead to potential toxicity.
• Dose: Pure Curcumin 95 % is commonly used at 500mg or up to 1,500 mg or more used in conjunction with a fat source.

6.Boswellia Serrata

• What does Boswellia do for joints? -the active compound in Boswellia is Boswellic acid a natural anti-inflammatory for joints.
• Potential benefits: human subjects show a good reduction in joint pain and inflammation, especially in chronic conditions. It is oil soluble so requires to be fed in conjunction with a fat source.
• Dose: Boswellia Serrata 65 % standardized extract 5:1 -a good dose is 3 g or more for a 500 Kg horse. An extract strength of 3 grams would be the equivalent to 15,00 mg ordinary powder.

7.Devil’s Claw

• What does devils claw do for joints? – the active constituent in devils’ claw is Harpagoside, a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic for joints, often used for arthritis in horses.

• Potential benefits: A recent clinical equine study showed horses can tolerate quite high levels of devils’ claw and higher levels may be needed to obtain the right result. No horses in the study had any gastric issues when fed high levels, long term in the study. The best way to achieve a high level of harpagoside is to use a standardized extract such as Devils claw for horses | High quality where each batch has a known level of harpagoside.

• Dose: It is the harpagoside level which counts. This should be tested so you know how much your horse is receiving. A good level is 300 mg – 600 mg for maintenance and higher levels up to 1500 mg may need to be used for arthritis or more chronic conditions. NPC Health devils claw offers a standardized extract of known level, click here for more information Devils claw for horses | High quality🧪

These protect cells from damage and support overall joint health.

8.Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) and Vitamin E

• Benefits: Vitamin C has a role in Collagen synthesis and as an antioxidant defence.
• Benefits: Both Vitamin C and Vitamin E have powerful antioxidant benefits and pair with other nutrients to protect cells in the body and reduce oxidative stress.

9.Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Omega 3 is made up of fatty acids, either in the form of alpha linolenic or DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

• Omega 3 found in Flaxseed or chia seeds are available as alpha linolenic where the body can convert and use some as DHA and EPA. Or it can be added as a direct source such as fish oil which provides readily available and useable levels of DHA and EPA.

• DHA and EPA are only found in fish oil.

• Benefits to health: Omega 3 fatty acids have strong anti-inflammatory effects which support joint, skin, coat and overall health

• The long chain fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in fish oil is the best source.
• Horse feed sources of omega 3 fatty acids show improvement in the symptoms of osteoarthritis and show improvement in skin, coat overall health.

10.Collagen (Type II)

• The body requires collagen for healthy bone, connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage and skin. As the body ages there is a reduction in collagen.
• Benefits to health: Supports cartilage regeneration and joint flexibility, supports the healthy framework for joints.
• Studies in horses have showed improvement in joint function.

Conclusion of Equine joint supplements:

• Synergistic effect: A combination of active joint ingredients may have a better effect than used on their own.

• Dosing: Proper researched levels of active ingredient are crucial for effectiveness. Many supplements do not contain the correct amounts.

• Most promising: The best formulas that show promise are a combination of ingredients such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin or a source of glycosaminoglycans as green lipped mussel, along with antioxidants, MSM, collagen and Omega 3 with natural ingredients such as Boswellia, Devils’ claw and Curcumin. NPC Health provides Hydra-flex Care Best Supplement for stiff horses  and Hydra-flex ALL HORSES | Equine joint supplement  covering these ingredients listed.

Explore the NPC Health range of joint supplements today that provide researched levels of active ingredients for the nutritional building blocks of healthy joints.