Supplements: How many to give

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claracanter

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Hi

My TB is currently on a supplement for his tummy and it seems to be easing his windsucking. However he has recently been diagnosed for hock spavin. Is it ok to use more than one supplement: one for tummy and one for joints. I don't want to load him up with too many powders. Interested in peoples thoughts and how many supplements they combine?
 
When you say hock spavin to you mean bone spavin? If so try Charnwood or Simple Systems' micronised linseed, some people on here have also had success with turmeric. Bruce might reply too he has had success with barefoot spavins. Personally I find that a lot of supplements duplicate each other so only give them if necessary.
 
Can't comment on your horse's specific condition, but I got so fed up of feeding multiple supplements to support Kal's poor hoof condition, his gut, his mental state, his respiration, etc., that I started feeding him a balancer instead. Worked a treat!

Thing is, though, supplements are only good if they provide something the horse's body actually needs and isn't getting from his hard feed, forage, grazing, etc. Without having your grazing, hay, haylage, etc. evaluated how do you know what's missing/needs to be supplemented?

And, yes, I just contradicted myself . . . and, yes, I'm taking a somewhat scattershot approach to balancing Kal's feed, but he'll excrete what he can't use and he doesn't have a chronic condition that requires managing. If and when we hit the navicular wall (and I expect we will at some point - his conformation type is certainly prone) then I'll take a much more scientific approach . . .

P
 
Oh and the other thing, and I might get shot down in flames for this (don't shoot the messenger!lol) is that I was led to believe that you don't want to give the wrong sort of supplements with a spavin because you want the joint to fuse and therefore wear away the cartilage (I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got this wrong) so the horse stops being lame.
 
I give my horse Equine America 10,000mg Gloucasamine with MSM in it - about £16 for 900gms. He is also on NAF haylage balancer, slippery elm and magnesium supplements. The problem is with the 'carrier' i.e what feed you mix the supplements in with. I use readigrass but because he is on so many supplements he dislikes the taste of the readigrass as the supplements are in too high a concentration. But when I use more readigrass he won't eat it all up as he gets too full! He is on less than a round scoop of readigrass between two feeds now.

I put the magnesium, joint supplement and haylage balancer in the evening feed and the rest of the haylage balancer and slippery elm in the breakfast feed. Very soon he won't be having a breakfast feed so not sure what I am going to do to be honest! Even now its hit and miss whether he will eat his feeds up or not. There's no way he will have it all in the evening feed.
 
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