Joint Supplements

EmmaC2

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Nov 18, 2005
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Had the physio out last week to look at my horse and she noticed he was slightly stiff in his hind legs. The vet recomended putting vegable oil his feed. Has anyone tried this and was there any improvement?

Does anyone have any other recommendations for a joint supplement I could try? I have been looking around and there seems to be loads on the market. I was looking at Extraflex HA or maybe Codlivine. Has anyone used these or anything similar?

Thanks
 
I used to use vegetable oil but not for that reason its suppose to make the coat glow more but never heard it helps joints.

I havn't heard of Extraflex HA or Codlivine :eek: :eek: but this website great and it gives you loads of supplements including those for joints.

http://www.supplements4horses.com/
 
Just had a discussion with 1 of our vets a few weeks ago concerning joint supplements (which were the best,etc.) and he said that as far as all the studies out there here is what they KNOW for sure- Glucosamine/ Chondroitin combos work but it still has yet to be determined as to how much is truley used by the horse and how much ends up on the "stable floor" so to speak. HA works in the injectable form but again it really has not yet been proven that it truley works in the oral form. MSM works but again no true dosage has been formulated. Basically he suggested going with a mid-range dosage see if any results(might take a few weeks) and going from there. He cautioned when you read about results of any studies done on any supplements or medications to see who sponsered the study because even if it was done by a university it still could have been sposered by the drug company and the results are probably valid but maybe not as random.
 
If you're going to add an oil, my friend that went to Vet college says the best oil to add is linseed oil. Also for joint mobility etc I was recommended by my vet to use MOBIFOR as this helps with the symptons of early arthritis which is often stiffness. Basically arthritis is incurable so all you can do is manage it and keep your horse as well as you can. If stabled for long periods I use Magnets and these definately stop his legs from filling, but the best advice really is to keep your horse moving as much as possible with turn out, and when you ride him, school him really well, working him properly so buiding up his muscles on his topline and back end and then when he moves his muscles will do more of the work for him than relying on his bones and joints.
This is what I do and it works for us.
Hope this helps.
 
I was using NAF Superflex 5* for my mare and I thought it really did make a difference :) Expensive to buy but lasts for ages.
 
I had a very bad experience with a commercial joint supplement. It caused my mare to colic repeatetly until we figured out that it was the supplement that triggered it. Once we discontinued use she never had another colic (didn't have any before either) so it made me very cautious about supplements.
Ours do get oil and ground flax but not for the joints. I think if it looks like Bixby would benefit from something for her joints I would most likely try Apple Cider Vinegar or something similar where I can be sure it's not going to hurt her again. :)
 
NAF 5* superflex liquid for my tb who has a bad throughpin - seems to be helping(or is it wishful thinking)
 
One of my boys is a very old pony - over 35 for sure!

He gets Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements - we chuck the holland and barrets ones in his food, but if you had a fussy eater just feed them in a bit of apple. He eats em up fine and in fact one of the others gets them now!

He also gets a 30 plus supplement. I don't bother feeding oils - my sister has a degree in Equine science and muttered about it but to be truthful it made no difference to the pony and he wasn't as keen on his food.

We tried Super Solvitax RA formula and the old pony again went of his food!

A
 
I use 'Codlivine Supple Joint Supplement' on my two horses.
They have been on it a couple of months now & i see a great improvement.

Hope that helps.
 
My mare has been on Naf MSM for a few months now and I have noticed a big difference. It was my vet who recommended it. She is not as stiff in her hind legs and seems to be very full of herself (or is that just spring in the air!!!!!)
 
I used to have an old horse who we gave an injection, Cartrophin, it is also called Pentosin, this would help to loosen my horse up so that he could competed on. This injection had to be given by the vet but it definately improved his stiffness, I think it used to last a couple of months perhaps.
I'm not sure if it is used where you live, but it is available in Australia.

There is a little info above the picture that has the horses racing about its use in race horses http://www.horsemagazine.com/ARTICLES/M/Morgan, Vanda/RUPERT VANDA/Part 1/PART 1.html
 
SupaTania said:
can you start supplements on a young horse? Or is it best to wait until a problem occurs?

Isn't prevention better then trying to correct a problem.

Absolutely - My vet told me that Glucosamine is a prevention and not a cure it stops the breakdown before it causes a problem so I intend to feed it to my horse when he gets older. :)
Edited to say by older I mean around 16
 
hi attilathefun-ace name- i'm sure i read somewhere that glucosamine/chondroitin were good to feed for damaged joints too, mine has a bad throughpin, so i started him on a double dose of naf 5* superflex three weeks ago and it has imporoved.he's had it years and keeps aggravating it so i'm very interested to see if this works, and if the improvement will last.not sure how long to double dose him for, may start to reduce it soon.anyone had experience of double dosing?it says on the packet that you can double dose for 10 days.
 
Thanks for posting this thread EmmaC2. I'm in a similar situation. When my farrier came in Nov '05 to trim Ariel he mentioned that she was stiff in both hind fetlocks. And mentioned it again last month.
So, I'm thinking that the old girl should be put on something for this.

Some of you have mentioned glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. What brand name? Or which company makes these supplements?

Here in Canada we can also get herbal supplements for joints from Riva's Remedies (www.rivasremedies.com or contact Greenhawk), there's another company but can't remember right now (catalogue's at home).
In Australia there's Naturally Equine (www.naturallyequine.com)
 
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Hi LMS NAF is the brand name of the 5* superflex supplement i use - that has glucosamine and chondroitin in it.
I use it on my 7 year old as posred above, my 27 year old is generally stiff and he gets NAF devils relief which is based on devils claw.
devils claw is a bit controversial as it just acts as an anti inflamatory and pain reliever which is fine for an oldster,but with a younger horse the long term effects arn't known and it may be detrimental to health.
the problem is a lack of research so we have to rely on word of mouth.
 
Thanks for your responses everybody - your advice and experiences are appreciated. There are so many options that I'll have to have a think about it before I decide what to do.
 
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