The latest research (up to 2025) on glucosamine supplements for horses shows mixed but optimistic results—particularly when glucosamine is used in combination with other joint nutraceuticals, although its oral effectiveness still requires more study in horses. Here are some key findings and studies for the use of Glucosamine supplements in horses.

4 Key findings for using Glucosamine Supplements for horses:

1. Bioavailability & joint penetration

  • Oral glucosamine has low absorption (3–9%), but measurable levels were detected in synovial fluid 12 hours after dosing—and especially in inflamed joints; reference: justhorseriders.co.ukvet.ker.com.

  • Comparative studies suggest glucosamine sulphate may have higher bioavailability than glucosamine hydrochloride, with higher concentrations in joint fluid: reference: vet.ker.com.

2. Dosing & duration

  • Doses of 10 grams Glucosamine per 500 kg horse daily are common where noticeable effects can often take around 4 weeks: reference: vet.ker.com.

  • A study using 10 g glucosamine HCl twice daily for 84 days reduced cartilage damage after joint injury; reference: feedmark.com+15vet.ker.com+15horsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu+15.

  • Another study (Yamada et al. 2022) using glucosamine (4 g) with chondroitin showed reduced lameness and inflammation markers over 90 days; reference: capeequine.com.au.

3. Combination ingredients may be more effective

  • Results consistently show stronger benefits when glucosamine is paired with chondroitin sulphate (CS)—reducing lameness, synovitis, PGE2 (a joint inflammation marker), and cartilage degradation in controlled models; reference: bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com.

  • Supplements with added MSM and hyaluronic acid offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support, though still require further study to validate

4. Study quality

  • A 2008–09 study reviews found most trials were of low quality—often small sample sizes, poor controls or lack of placebo groups, reference:  en.wikipedia.org. However, since this date there has been more studies.

  • Commercial products reporting positive findings have a bias and conflict of interest. It is important to see a non-bias source.

Studies to date using Glucosamine in vitro or feeding Glucosamine supplements for horses 

1. Hanson et al. (1997) (referenced in a later trial)

  • Design: Oral glucosamine + chondroitin for 6 weeks in horses with degenerative joint disease.

  • Findings: Stride length increased from ~165 cm to ~177 cm in treated group, reference: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

2. Dechant et al. (2005)

3.Forsyth et al. (2006)

4. Vachon et al. (2008)

  • Design: Pharmacokinetic study: 20 mg/kg glucosamine‑HCl via nasogastric or IV, with inflamed vs. healthy joints.

  • Findings: Inflamed joints had 4× higher glucosamine levels (~422 ng/mL vs. 93 ng/mL in healthy joint fluid), showing inflammation enhances joint bioavailability—though clinical efficacy wasn’t directly tested, reference: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

5. Leatherwood et al. (2016)

  • Design: 14 yearling horses given oral glucosamine HCl (30 mg/kg twice daily) for 98 days, then challenged with intra-articular LPS.

  • Findings: Post-challenge, glucosamine horses had lower synovial PGE and C2C (a cartilage breakdown marker), and higher CPII (a collagen synthesis marker), indicating reduced inflammation and enhanced repair, reference:  en.wikipedia.org+15pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15madbarn.com+15.

6. Goulart et al. (2022)

  • Design: Experimental metacarpophalangeal osteoarthritis in 16 horses; oral glucosamine + chondroitin for 120 days.

  • Findings: Treated group showed improvements in visual lameness scores, reduced synovial PGE₂, better flexion angles, and histological cartilage repair—though some parameters lacked statistical significance, reference: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

 

Summary to date of Glucosamine Supplements for horses:

  • Oral glucosamine can reach joints, but an effective level is crucial for a set duration
  • Using a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin shows improvement in lameness scores and joint inflammation when used at a high enough, therapeutic level.
  • There may be more anti-inflammatory effect when combining with other nutraceutical ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid and MSM (Methyl Sulphonyl Methane).
  • Choose well researched products that are formulated at effective levels of at least 10 g Glucosamine and at least 1.2 grams Chondroitin or Green lipped mussel
  • Injectable Glucosamine is another option for administering Glucosamine.

NPC Health offers a high-quality Glucosamine, click here for more information: Glucosamine for horses and dogs | Ultra-pure

 NPC Health also offer combination products which contain Glucosamine and Chondroitin, click here for more information: Hydra-flex ALL HORSES | Equine joint supplement