Supplement For Horse With Stiffness And Inflammation

[NaughtyNative]

Looking for recommendations for a supplement/product that will ease/soothe the joints of my 24yr old mare, we only hack up to 5 days a week for an hour or so and very rarely trot as it's all roadwork and she can feel pottery on uneven surfaces and be very slow downhill. DO NOT want to use Bute as once this is the only thing to give comfort I would retire her . Have previously tried Equine America Liquid Joint, Devils Relief with very little improvement .

 

[Tiddlypom]

Seriously, if she's that stiff why not put her on a low dose of Danilon or bute? She may need it to be paddock sound even if you retire her. Or maybe try a course of Cartrophen injections, it's a POM but you can inject them yourself.

Off the shelf, boswellia is useful for mildly creaky horses. My arthritic mare is on boswellia, danilon and Cartrophen whilst she sheds a few more kgs, when she can have her hocks jabbed again . Keeping her in light work is best for her overall health and general well being.

 

[NaughtyNative]

Thanks for reply, I've obviously made her out to be worse than she is as vet said not lame just stiff and yes she's better if kept in work , Wouldn't ride a horse that needed Danilon or Bute to be comfortable.

 

[ester]

I've used boswellia for a spavin with good initial results but not so much when it progressed as he got older. It's easy to not be 'lame' if your legs hurt evenly. My own has a spavin on one side and annular ligament issues on the otherside. Few people (including the vet who has seen him recently) would say he is lame but he is, just fairly equally on both sides.

 

[TheMule]

As above, stiff is usually bilaterally lame.
I think it's pretty unfair on the horse to continue to ride it without a proven and effective painkiller

 

[be positive]

As above, stiff is usually bilaterally lame.
I think it's pretty unfair on the horse to continue to ride it without a proven and effective painkiller

I agree and really don't understand why you would prefer to use something "natural" over a proven anti inflammatory drug that is safe, plenty of people take a daily dose of asprin or paracetamol to help them and to my mind using bute or danilon is no different if used under veterinary advice.

 

[ihatework]

As above, stiff is usually bilaterally lame.
I think it's pretty unfair on the horse to continue to ride it without a proven and effective painkiller

Too right.
I would have no hesitation in keeping a 24yo ticking over on bute