Supplements for tendon injuries?

Aragon56

Aragon56

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My horse has torn DDFTs in both front feet, and is a light hack only. She's had a lot of time off for it, and this is probably as good as she's ever going to be. Since May I've been gently hacking her out and doing some very light work in the school, and she has been coping fine. I've been going by how she feels, and up until a couple of weeks ago she was still keen to be out and about, the longest hack she's done is probably about an hour.

Two weeks ago I stupidly let someone who was too heavy for her ride-I was advertising for a sharer and wanted to give her a chance, despite being apprehensive about her weight. She was only on for 3 minutes and Angel went hopping lame in trot, so that was the end of that. I don't know if it was coincidence, or because of the rider, but either way I've never seen her that badly lame. Since then she's been better but not 100%-although she never will be really. On Saturday she went lame towards the end of a hack, but then was ok yesterday. A lady at my yard recommended I try putting her on devils claw to see if it helps.

back in January my vet actually recommended giving her bute as and when she needed it, however I wasn't keen on using bute in the long term so I didn't follow the advice. The idea of her constantly being on painkillers doesn't sit right with me, but I'm thinking that its worth trying a more natural supplement.

I know some people won't agree with me keeping a horse in work that needs some kind of pain relief, and I wouldn't either if I thought she was in pain. So to make it clear, she is more than field sound. She still gallops round, and is keen to canter on hacks (even though she's not meant to at the moment as I'm taking it slowly). The mare is only 14, her tendons aren't going to get any better and she's never going to do more than light hacking. My options are pretty limited-it seems a waste to retire her and for her to spend the next 15 years in a field, which, although I'm sure she would enjoy, she does like to be brought in, and taken out. I also have a real battle with her weight in the summer, despite using grazing muzzles and bringing her in for a few hours a day, so keeping her in work and at a sensible weight is better in the long run. I also don't have the money to buy a second horse, although I wish it was that easy!

What do other people with tendon injury horses feed in the way of supplements?
 
I'm in a similar position with my mare, SDFT/annular ligament problems, 14 years old, probably only ever be a light hack, but I want to keep her life as full as possible to keep her happy and interested. Like you, we've done the vet route/long rehab (18 months) and she went lame again beginning of summer, so on agreement with my vet, I've given up the costly vet route, gave her some time off, and am just bringing her back into whatever work she can do now and will do as you do, go by her soundness/attitude and work her when she's happy, not when she isn't.

I am using Global Herbs Tendonease - not sure if its made a difference or not, but my mare has made a significant improvement over the last few months - could be coincidence though, but she'll stay on it.

She is also on a low maintenance dose of Boswellia Serrata to ease her joints as she gets a bit stiff. I did use a higher dose at the beginning instead of bute when she was on rest and it made a big difference so does work well as a bute alternative. The dose she is on now is low enough to not cover up any down turn in the tendon, but enough to help her other slight athritic issues.

I buy it from an Ebay seller.
 
Bute for a few days/week if you need to - there are times I wish I would have been quicker to bute my horse up when she went lame (she tore one front DDFT two and a half years ago). Devil's claw works on some horses and not others, and on some injuries but not others. It helps to keep Maiden sound if ever she gets uncomfortable and I don't mind using it for a few weeks at a time to help her along.
I also feed her MSM (I would use the Global Herbs Tendoneaze supplement if they were keener to tell me what was in it...) to make sure that if she ever tweaks it again, she has enough MSM in her system to be able to repair the tendon again as quickly as possible.
 
Silmarillion - funny you should say that about Global Herbs, I almost didn't buy it because they kept skirting the issue of what was in it - in fact told me out right lie in that it was printed on the label, so I ordered some and it wasn't! I did manage to get written confirmation that it was OK to feed with specific other supplements I fed and that it contained MSM, but nothing else - ummmm....you've reminded me now, I might pursue that line with them.

The only reason I am being trusting with them is that I do highly rate their products, but it does annoy me that they do not see fit to let people know what they are feeding their animals.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Silmarillion - funny you should say that about Global Herbs, I almost didn't buy it because they kept skirting the issue of what was in it - in fact told me out right lie in that it was printed on the label, so I ordered some and it wasn't! I did manage to get written confirmation that it was OK to feed with specific other supplements I fed and that it contained MSM, but nothing else - ummmm....you've reminded me now, I might pursue that line with them.

The only reason I am being trusting with them is that I do highly rate their products, but it does annoy me that they do not see fit to let people know what they are feeding their animals.

[/ QUOTE ]

It really irritates me - their products do apparently really work (everyone I know who has managed to get their horse to eat a GH supplement, has said it worked) but I refuse to feed my horse anything that doesn't have an ingredients list on the label. I'm sure someone told me (at uni - I did a horsey degree) that it is some sort of legal requirement to list ingredients on the label... I couldn't get any information out of them so I gave in.
 
Have emailed them again yesterday and requested information - no response yet. I can feel the devil coming out in me now and I am going to keep bugging them for it!!!

Completely agree with you, I only gave in and fed it as my mare's injury is so ongoing and have got to the haven't anything to lose stage!
 
Thanks everyone. Kind of relieved that I haven't been shouted at yet!

I think I'm going to try Global Herbs tendoneaze, as a few people have suggested it. How strange that they don't label the ingredients! Does it actually contain some msm then or should I be adding this separately?

Where does everyone buy theirs from? I've had a look online but when you add the postage cost it might just be cheaper to get it from the local tack shop.

I was going to add some pink powder over winter, should think its ok to mix the two.
 
The Tendoneze definitely contains MSM, as that was one thing that they did tell me, as I was feeding separately.

I have just ordered my latest batch from Supplementsolutions.co.uk, as I can get the 5kg one with no postage to pay and it works out £18/19 per kg, instead of £23 from my tack shop.

Other than that its cheaper to buy from a shop without postage, although I did get some from MillburyHill.co.uk, as if you buy two pots, you get free postage and their price is only £21 per kg.

A kg lasts my 500kg horse about 1 month.
 
Thanks, those links were really useful. Have ordered 2 tubs of it off the Millbury Hill site, so will see how we go. Its going to be damn expensive for the rest of her working life if it does work!
 
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