Advice About Equine Supplements

Tack outlets sell a host of horse products,
including tons of diet vitamin supplements. But
how do you know if these supplements actually
work or not? Sure, advertising will have you
trust that the supplement the company's pushing
will fix just about any problem you can think
of, but marketers aren't always to be relied
upon. And because equine vitamin supplements are
fairly new on the market, it's not easy to tell
which ones are effective, which ones are safe
and which ones just shouldn't be bothered with.

For the most part, equine supplements are meant
to combat arthritis and keep your horse's joints
healthy. Many horses experience joint pain at
one point in their life. You may want to try out
supplements now to ease your horse's discomfort
and pain, or you may want to start early to ward
off some of those problems in the future.

There are two basic substances contained in
supplements - some may contain one substance or
the other, while others will include both
substances. These substances are chondroitin
sulfate and glucosamine. Chondroitin sulfate is
found in joint cartilage. Glucosamine can be
constructed chemically in several different
ways. The most common form of glucosamine that's
found in equine products is glucosamine
hydrochloride. While chondroitin sulfate has
been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory in
humans, it's not yet known if it will have the
same effect on horses. Plus, other studies have
pointed to the possibility that chondroitin
sulfate cannot actually have any affect on
humans since it's not absorbed into the
intestinal tract. Whether you believe that the
substance is an anti-inflammatory, and if you
choose to believe that it will have the same
effect on horses as it does on humans, one thing
is just about positive - it won't harm your
horse, even if it doesn't help it. However, some
have less known substances, such as Devil's Claw.

They come in two main forms - oral supplements
and injections. Oral is much more common than
injectables. Also, injections are made up of
different substances, mainly hyaluronic acid or
polysulfated glycosaminoglycans. One main reason
why it's so difficult to find information on
their effectiveness and safety is because only
injectables are technically pharmaceuticals,
which means they're the only ones regulated by
the FDA. Oral, on the other hand, are considered
to be nutraceuticals and are therefore not
regulated for the most part.

Injectable have been proven by the FDA and show
to be effective, and there haven't been any side
effects associated with them. However, these
supplements cannot be given if the horse has an
infected joint. Oral supplements have been
tested and for the most part, it seems that
chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine work well
together. There is also evidence that points to
avocado and soy unsaponifiables,
methylsulfonylmethane and cetylated fatty acids
working well for a horse's joint health.

Unfortunately, due to the non-regulation that
nutraceuticals have, some companies don't print
accurate usage information on the labels.
Sometimes the supplement contains a smaller
amount of a substance than what reads on the
label. Other times the recommended dosage is
less than what's needed to actually make a
difference for the horse. Your best bet is to
stick with equine oral supplement companies that
have been around for a long time. Check user
reviews and speak with other people who care for
horses to get the best recommendations. Also,
stay on top of new research, since this topic is
of high interest to horse owners.

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This article hopefully gives you the reader a
better understanding of equine supplements in
the marketplace, if in doubt consult your vet.
Resourced http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com

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