Choosing a Supplement for Horses with Joint Pain

Every single horse is different, so choosing a horse joint supplement can be difficult. Take your horse's age and situation into consideration. Horses with a heavy workload or who are often ridden will certainly need a stronger blend of micronutrients than those who do little work. Think about how diverse their diet is and whether they eat a variety of different foods.

Supplements for Prevention

If your horse is already healthy or has only minor joint problems, then you'll want to start them off with something that has around 5,000 mg of glucosamine and a mixture of other nutrients. Zinc, copper, vitamin C, methionine and manganese are all needed to help digest glucoasmine.

For Horses with Joint Pain

Even if your horse has experienced obvious joint pain, you'll still want to start them off on a basic supplement. If that doesn't help, then offer them something with the same mixture of different nutrients but a heavier blend of glucosamine. Some horse owners have had good results with hyaluronic acid supplements, which are easily digested by horses. These are great for senior horses.

To make your horse feel more comfortable, try a supplement that contains devil's claw, yucca extract or boswellia. These natural compounds can help to reduce the amount of pain that horses feel in their joints.

A Quick Word About MSM

Methylsulfonylmethane is often called MSM, and it's an extremely important nutrient for horses. Even humans require some intake of MSM. Very small quantities of this micronutrient can be found in corn as well as fruits that are safe for horses to eat. Amounts found in supplements are far higher than those found in foods.

While it's important that horses get enough of this compound, it's really easy to go overboard. If you're already giving your horse a diet that has enough of this compound, then supplementation of it could be dangerous. The reverse could be true too so dietary supplements can be a good idea if their intake is too low. MSM supplements are often good for horses who have suffered fairly severe joint problems.

Buying a Supplement

When you go to buy the supplement, make sure that the manufacturer is someone you trust. Well-known supplement manufacturers have a reputation to uphold. Don't be afraid to change out your supplement blend in the future if it doesn't work for your horse. Remember to always watch for any feedback that your four-legged friend is giving you.