Supplements for general stiffness

[SVMel]

Hiya,
Just a quick question, I have a mare who has spent her life in a go anywhere, do anything frame of mind, even better if we can do it flat out She is 18 yo now, and over the last few months has started to stiffen up a lot. First noticed it when picking out her feet, farrier commented on it too, mainly her back feet. She always had a bit of a cold back, but has worked fine after a relatively short warm up.
These past few weeks, she has had bouts of general stiffness which loosens off after warming up. The past few days I tack her up, walk her out to get on and she is very stiff behind, to the point where she appears lame. I have found that if I walk her about in her tack for a while before getting on it slowly wears off, and as long as we take it easy for the first 20 mins she seems fine.
20 years ago I used Hilton herbs Reflex on my old boy, which was brill, and really the first sort of thing on the market. Now, there is so much choice I need your opinions on what you've all found to be the best.

Please!!!!!! Choccy biscuits to all those who got this far, and are now rolling their eyes thinking "not another one...."

 

[BethH]

Hi, I use Rosehips and celery seed powder, they are cheap and cheerful but good for general stiffness and it seems to help my boy. Apparently they can provide some mild joint support/anti-inflammatory effects. I have also used marigold (aka Calendula) which helps my boy as is great for soft tissue healing and again has a very mild anti inflammatory effect, so I mix and match depending on how he is feeling to ride.

I have also done some research into Boswellia which is making a name for itself as being better than Devils Claw but it is more expensive to buy, although still a lot cheaper than the likes of cortaflex.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

http://www.equimins-online.com/cgi-...ijoint_Cartilage_Supplement_49.html#aP46#aP46

flexi joint can rec this soooooooooooooo highly
made my stiff mare in to a changed horse rec this 110% she will be on this 4 ever as liveries and dog is better as for donkey

stiff never moved now trots round gets up easy canters

its the shark cartilage which is unique to equimins puts lubrication back into stiff joints i dont think any other joint supp has it in

Equimins Flexijoint Cartilage Supplement
A powerful supplement to support healthy cartilage, strong joint structure and the quality of sinovial fluid.

Containing a superb specification of Shark Cartilage, Chondroitin Sulphate, Glucasamine, MSM and Ascorbic acid.

600g will last up to 60 days.


Chondroitin Sulphate 200,000 mg/kg 4000 mg 2000 mg
Glucosamine HCL 200,000 mg/kg 4000 mg 2000 mg
MSM 200,000 mg/kg 4000 mg 2000 mg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 50,000 mg/kg 1000 mg 500 mg
Saccharomyces Cerivisae Yeast 10,000 mg/kg 200 mg 100 mg
Organic Minerals:
Zinc 6 mg 3 mg
Copper 4 mg 2 mg
Manganese 4 mg 2 mg
Cobalt 0.5 mg 0.25 mg

 

[YasandCrystal]

Technyflex has been recommended to me - seems expensive but you only feed 1g a day - its £114 for a 250g tub. It contains bromaline, MSM, Glucosamine plus other things www.technyflex.com

 

[itsonlyme]

We've just started (3 days ago) on this http://www.vetvits.co.uk/horse-supplements/equiflex/productdetail-p15877-c3184.aspx Obviously, it's too early to tell how good it is, but if you look at the ingredients and then at the price, it seemed like such a bargain, i had to try it!

"Each 8g level scoop contains 5,000mg glucosamine HCl (providing 40% more glucosamine per scoop than standard glucosamine), 1,000mg chondroitin and 260 mg antioxidant manganese ascorbate.

62 servings per tub for an average sized horse." £18 a tub.

Now compare that to the £150 a tub we used to pay for Cosequin

"Each tub contains 212 scoops, (you're looking at 6 scoops a day for the initial loading dose (2-4 weeks), then 3 scoops a day for the maintanance dose)

Each level of scoop contains;

Glucosamine HCL*99 % 1800MG

Sodium Chondroitin Sulphate* 100% 600mg
(Low molecular weight)

Vitamin E (D, L - Tocoferol acetate at 33%)

Manganese (as manganese sulphate)"

Obviously, the Cosequin will be better, but is it worth the extra £130 a tub?! We shall see.....

VetVits also do an EquiMSM, which can be fed alongside the EquiFlex.

 

[texel]

I have a similar problem with my 21 year old gelding. over the past year he has changed, he has lost his get up and go, is stiff behind, shows signs of tetany and seems to be better once warmed up. He lives out and has access to a mineral lick and seaweed. Whilst searching for supplements I came across the following article which seems to make sense. It would seem that potassium, which occurs in grass and many supplements including seaweed, causes major mineral imbalances in horses with dire consequences - an interesting read and as a result I am in the process of addressing the imbalance.

http://www.gotcha.com.au/articles/aspects_of_pasture.php

 

[SVMel]

Wow, what a lot of info, thanks everybody!!!!!! There's lots of interesting stuff here, got a lot of reading to do!!!! There has to be something (or many things!) to suit her, so I'd better get on with it!!!

Many thanks, I love HHO for the broad range of peeps happy to help

 

[domane]

Turmeric!

Inexpensive and brilliant results....

There are even some clinical trials singing it's praises...

http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/Holistic_Pet_Remedies/Natural_Therapy_Equine_Osteoarthritis.pdf

 

[Shutterbug]

Turmeric!

Inexpensive and brilliant results....

There are even some clinical trials singing it's praises...

http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/Holistic_Pet_Remedies/Natural_Therapy_Equine_Osteoarthritis.pdf

I have just put my boy on this - he has slight arthritic changes in his right hock and it can come through as stiffness in his canter. I took the leap on the advise of a woman at work who is from India - he was on Superflex previously. Hes like a different horse - I had a flat work lesson on him a few nights ago and he was striding out really nicely and moving more fluently - I will be assessing him over the next few months and the real test will be over the winter months, but it does appear to be working

 

[soulfull]

We've just started (3 days ago) on this http://www.vetvits.co.uk/horse-supplements/equiflex/productdetail-p15877-c3184.aspx Obviously, it's too early to tell how good it is, but if you look at the ingredients and then at the price, it seemed like such a bargain, i had to try it!

"Each 8g level scoop contains 5,000mg glucosamine HCl (providing 40% more glucosamine per scoop than standard glucosamine), 1,000mg chondroitin and 260 mg antioxidant manganese ascorbate.

62 servings per tub for an average sized horse." £18 a tub.

Now compare that to the £150 a tub we used to pay for Cosequin

"Each tub contains 212 scoops, (you're looking at 6 scoops a day for the initial loading dose (2-4 weeks), then 3 scoops a day for the maintanance dose)

Each level of scoop contains;

Glucosamine HCL*99 % 1800MG

Sodium Chondroitin Sulphate* 100% 600mg
(Low molecular weight)

Vitamin E (D, L - Tocoferol acetate at 33%)

Manganese (as manganese sulphate)"

Obviously, the Cosequin will be better, but is it worth the extra £130 a tub?! We shall see.....

VetVits also do an EquiMSM, which can be fed alongside the EquiFlex.

I've been using it for several months and really rate it. I only started feeding it my 7yr WB as a preventative BUT it has made a difference so will continue to feed it