Do horses really need joint supplements?

[AlpacaTeddySJ]

Hi,

I’ve read a few articles for/against joint supplements - and do wonder how much bias there is given the size of the market ££££.. A lot of studies conclude that the bio availability of a lot of supplements is actually very low and the levels in the blood etc aren’t actually that useful.

I myself currently buy a well known joint supplement, along with FP hoof & skin (FP has had a noticeable affect).

I wanted to know what some of you forum users think of joint supplements - unbiased please?

Do you feed them, or is it an expensive ‘waste’ of money just to make ourselves feel like we are helping?

Eg I’m currently splashing out around £85 a month for my 2 just on a joint supplement alone..

Interested to hear your thoughts!

 

[milliepops]

I stopped buying the oral ones. And noticed no change. After a chat with my vet we agreed the same kind of money was better spent on Cartrophen so i did that for a while instead as my horse aged. she's retired now due to injury but i would do the same again I think.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

I have noticed a huge difference since putting my dogs on a joint supplement (a horse one as I had excess)....don't know about horses as I use it as a preventative measure from the moment they come into my my life.

 

[Widgeon]

I stopped buying the oral ones. And noticed no change. After a chat with my vet we agreed the same kind of money was better spent on Cartrophen so i did that for a while instead as my horse aged. she's retired now due to injury but i would do the same again I think.

Similar here. I do feed boswellia, because it's cheap and (IMO, for my horse) I think it does seem to help with maintenance (this is for a horse who already has arthritis). However I don't feed any of the expensive supplements and instead use the money for cartrophen and a steroid jab when the vet agrees that it would be helpful. TBH with the cost of some of the supplements, I'm probably saving money with this approach!

 

[Squeak]

I noticed a difference when I put my arthritic horse on a joint supplement. However I would say that these days I think they're better fed as a preventative before a horse has problems and once there is damage and pain then I would swap to something more along the lines of MP and Widgeon.

 

[MummyEms]

I think it's proven to help and I would rather give it knowing its likely to be helping my horse and by daughters ponies even if only slightly. They do so much for us, I just think everything even little things that could help are worth giving them

 

[skint1]

I've tried various over the years, for my own horses Devil's Claw seemed to be quite effective, and it's banned by the FEI so I feel it must work to an extent