Maintaining a horse’s health can be a tricky affair because there are so many things to consider. There are diseases that horses are prone to, like ulcer and thrush, and then there are those that come due to special conditions, like backache and diabetes. As horses age, they are prone to get arthritis, which can be yet another source of concern for you as an equestrian. However, it doesn’t have to be because all you need is the best supplement for arthritis in horses. In this article, we’ll show you some of the best arthritis supplements money can buy, as well as give you tips on how to choose the right one for your equine.
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Contents
- 1 Guide to Choosing the Best Supplements for Arthritis in Horses
- 2 Top 15 Best Supplement for Arthritis in Horses
- 2.1 Innovet Equine PCR Hemp Pellets
- 2.2 T.H.E. Equine Edge FlamOxide
- 2.3 Absorbine Flex Max Pellets
- 2.4 The Missing Link 5-Pound Equine Plus Formula
- 2.5 Equithrive Joint
- 2.6 COX VETERINARY Lab Acti Flex Joint Compound Quart
- 2.7 Horse Health Joint Combo Classic
- 2.8 AniMed Pureflex W/HA
- 2.9 Grizzly Pet Products Joint Aid for Horses Pellets
- 2.10 Absorbine W F Young Bute-Less Pellets
- 2.11 RICHDEL Legacy Pellets Joint Support for Senior Horses
- 2.12 AniMed Via Calm w/Hemp
- 2.13 Equithrive Original Joint Pellets
- 2.14 Equinety Horse XL
- 2.15 Farnam Quietx II Pellets
- 3 Conclusion
Guide to Choosing the Best Supplements for Arthritis in Horses
Here are some factors you should consider before buying a supplement for your horse:
Nature of Supplement
There are various types of supplements, based on their nature – powders, liquids, and pastes. No one nature is better than the other as they all have their benefits. Powders can be mixed with the feed, liquids can be mixed with the horse’s water, and pellets can be fed without mixing. The one you pick should depend on your horse’s preference.
Ingredients
When picking a supplement for your horse, you should always look at the ingredients. Arthritis supplements should contain, among other things, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, and MSM.
They will usually contain other ingredients as well, but these are the major ones. Also, the nature of the ingredients – organic or chemical – also matters. You always want to choose products with organic ingredients.
Other Benefits
By other benefits, we mean supplements that do other things besides soothe the symptoms of arthritis. For example, some supplements also boost muscle performance and recovery. Some others are effective for calming the horse.
You should get a comprehensive list of the benefits of the supplement you want to buy and see if it aligns with your horse’s needs. For example, if your horse has arthritis, and it gets agitated during transportation, an arthritis supplement with calming effects is recommended.
Top 15 Best Supplement for Arthritis in Horses
You’re already familiar with what to look out for when shopping for joint supplements. All that’s left now is to show you 15 of the best arthritis supplements available online.
Innovet Equine PCR Hemp Pellets
This product by Innovet focuses on the symptoms experienced by the horse during arthritis. It addresses things like Joint ache, inflammation, and general discomfort. The product is 100% natural, and it provides a great alternative to any multi-supplement regimens that your horse might have been on.
Innovet Equine PCR Hemp Pellets is rich in Terpenes, which are responsible for many of its effects. This supplement supports performance, relieves joint pain, reduces inflammation, and eases the stress of nervous horses. It’s basically a single supplement that meets all your arthritic horse’s needs. What’s more, is that the product comes with easy to understand dosage instructions. You never have to worry about giving your horse too much or too little.
T.H.E. Equine Edge FlamOxide
THE Equine Edge is such a great supplement because it boasts of providing support, especially for older horses for arthritis. If you own a senior horse, you’ll know that age is not merciful on their bones and joints. Having a supplement that specializes in that kind of care is always refreshing. The product addresses the symptoms and effects of both arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
THE Equine Edge contains ingredients like hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and other compounds and minerals that are responsible for excellent joint support. It is very effective in reducing pain and joint inflammation while promoting activity and performance. This product provides complete protection and health for horses.
Absorbine Flex Max Pellets
Absorbine Flex Max Pellets boasts of two things – Optimized pellets for advanced joint health and mobility, and a highly concentrated joint and tissue formula. These two might sound insufficient, but they are all the supplement needs to have. Absorbine Flex comes in pellets that are easy to feed the horse and easily absorbed by the horse’s digestive system.
Absorbine also made sure to fill this compound with the most organic, most arthritis-soothing ingredients they can find. As a result, the supplement doesn’t just support joint health, but connective tissue health as well.
The Missing Link 5-Pound Equine Plus Formula
You may think that the product’s name is a little inappropriate until you find out what it can actually do. The Missing Link contains ingredients like Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate. These ingredients are essential to supporting healthy joints, as well as promoting flexibility in the horse.
The Missing Link also contains Omega fatty acids, which promote the absorption of the nutrients, as well as other foods that the horse might have eaten. The fatty acids also serve other functions like preventing heart disease and promoting good health.
Equithrive Joint
This product is a fantastic joint support supplement, and we’ll get to its ingredients shortly. But first, let’s discuss its distinguishing feature – a purified form of resveratrol. Resveratrol is a compound that’s useful for everything from soothing joint pain to preventing inflammation. It’s quite common in horse supplements, but never in its purified form.
Equine Joint also attacks the problem at the source by reducing the gene expression of inflammatory mediators. Its other benefits include relieving joint soreness and promoting cartilage regeneration. The product comes in a powdered form that you can administer simply by mixing it with your horse’s feed.
COX VETERINARY Lab Acti Flex Joint Compound Quart
COX VETERINARY Acti Flex contains key ingredients that work in remarkable synergy. These ingredients act to increase the joint lubrication in the horses by promoting an increase in the secretion of synovial fluid. The synovial fluid, in turn, lubricates, strengthens, and repairs the joints that are under stress.
Other ingredients include Glucosamine Sulphate, Chondroitin Sulphate, and Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). These occur naturally in the body, where they promote joint health. But in cases of arthritis, their quantity reduces. Acti Flex introduces these compounds into the horse’s body in sufficient amounts, thus promoting joint health.
Horse Health Joint Combo Classic
Like all the great horse joint supplements, this comes in pellets, making it easy for consumption, digestion, and absorption. As expected, the supplement contains chondroitin sulfate, manganese, and ascorbic acid. These ingredients support healthy hooves. But, they are more effective in promoting joint health and stability.
Horse Health recommends a dosage of 1 scoop every day for a 1100lb. adult horse. You can adjust the dosage based on the size and age of your horse. The supplement comes in cinnamon apple-flavored, which is a favorite among all equines. You’re not going to have any trouble feeding this to your pet horse.
AniMed Pureflex W/HA
AniMed Pureflex joint supplement is a standard supplement that does everything you expect it to do. It supports arthritic joints, promotes cartilage regeneration, reduces pain, and prevents inflammation. Thanks to the chondroitin sulfate and ascorbic acid in it, it is also responsible for fostering healthy hooves. However,this is a fringe benefit.
AniMed Pureflex is a liquid supplement, which means that you need a little bit of supervision to administer it effectively. Mix it with your horse’s water and ensure that it drinks all of it, or at least enough to fulfill the supplement’s daily dosage.
Grizzly Pet Products Joint Aid for Horses Pellets
Grizzly Pet is not new to the business of manufacturing animal supplements; another equally successful supplement is Grizzly Salmon Oil. Grizzly Joint Aid provides optimum support for the weight-bearing joints in the horse’s body, including the hips and knees.
Like any horse supplement worth its salt, it has a superb flavor and is very loved by horses. Besides Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM, Grizzly Joint Aid also contains Turmeric, which acts as in anti-inflammatory ingredient, and sunflower lecithin, which promotes digestion.
Absorbine W F Young Bute-Less Pellets
Absorbine Bute-Less Pellets is one of the most popular supplements on this list. It is loved by equestrians and equines alike because of its effectiveness and great taste, respectively. The compound supports a healthy inflammatory response. It also provides comfort and recovery support for the horse, while being gentle on the horse’s digestive system.
Besides the classic anti-arthritis ingredients, chondroitin sulfate and MSM, it is also rich in vitamin B-12 and Yucca. Vitamin B-12 is very important for general wellness, and specifically, it keeps the nerves and blood vessels in good shape. Yucca, on the other hand, is packed with vitamins and amino acids.
RICHDEL Legacy Pellets Joint Support for Senior Horses
Legacy Pellets are designed to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis in older horses. They are manufactured with all-natural ingredients and packed with several vitamins and amino acids. Equestrians and Veterinarians alike recommend this product because it is a very effective arthritic supplement.
It supports the joint by promoting cartilage regeneration, as well as synovial fluid secretion. The supplement also reduces joint inflammation. The proper dosage varies according to the horse, but two scoops per day should do. A regular-sized bucket will last up to a month.
AniMed Via Calm w/Hemp
The great thing about this supplement is that it doesn’t just address arthritis and pain. Even though these are a big part of what resolves, it also has calming effects on the horse. Thus, it is perfect for nervous horses who have arthritis or vice versa. AniMed Via Calm is a single supplement that’s designed to replace the cocktail of supplements that you currently feed your horse.
From the name, you already know that it contains hemp, which is one of its active ingredients. Others include calcium, magnesium, and thiamine. AniMed Via Calm also promotes mental alertness and agility, while supporting cognitive function.
Equithrive Original Joint Pellets
Equithrive Joint pellets have been clinically proven to be effective in reducing hock lameness in horses. The supplement contains resveratrol and Hyaluronic acid, two compounds that are very effective in promoting joint stability and health. The supplement also promotes production of synovial fluid.
If you own older performance horses, this is the supplement for you. It has been showed to promote performance in aging horses as well. Since the supplement comes in pellets, it is very easy to administer. All you have to worry about is the dosage.
Equinety Horse XL
Equinety Horse promises two things – Improved strength and recovery, and stronger and healthier coat and bones – and it delivers on both promises. The supplement supports the horse’s body on a cellular level, influencing cell growth, and regeneration. It also promotes muscle recovery and performance, while protecting the joints during the horse’s activities.
Equinety Horse enhances the horse’s focus and relieves stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation. Like the name suggests, it comes in a large size that can last a long time.
Farnam Quietx II Pellets
Farnam Quietx uses a combination of ingredients that have their individual functions into a single supplement that basically does it all. It promotes focus and alertness, especially during horse training and competition. It also soothes nerves and calms the horse when it’s nervous or agitated. Unsurprising for a supplement of its caliber, it doesn’t cause drowsiness or loss of focus.
However, Quietx isn’t just good for promoting performance and relaxation. It also supports the horse’s connective tissue, including the joints and bones. It relieves pain, reduces inflammation and improves muscle recovery. The supplement comes in paste syringe that’s both economical and easy to administer.
Conclusion
There are a ton of supplements out there for horses. If your horse has arthritis, there at least 15 supplements that will be perfect for restoring its health. If you want to narrow the choice down further, you can re-read the guide and pick a supplement that fits your needs. But, if we had to recommend a single product, it would be RICHDEL Legacy Pellets Joint Support for Senior Horses. It contains all the right ingredients, and it has been proven to be very effective. Additionally, it is meant for older horses, which happen to suffer most from arthritis. While RICHDEL is our recommendation, you’ll find that any supplement you pick from this list will turn out to be the best supplement for arthritis in horses.