How do you pick the right joint supplement for your horse?

As if knowing if and when your horse needs a joint supplement wasn’t hard enough, how about picking one out? With the sea of options out there it is easy to get overwhelmed. To make it easier on you, it is import to understand what ingredients will best suit your horses needs.

Your horse naturally produces joint nutrients that help protect, repair, and strengthen their joints. Though injury, age, genetics, or use may inhibit their ability to manufacture these agents on their own. There are 3 major components to a horse’s joint that provides optimal health for them to continue to take on the work load and remain mobile. They are HA (hyaluronic acid), chondroitin sulfate, and glucosamine. I am sure, you have heard these tossed around the barn or vent with your vet.

So, what do they do? Hyaluronic Acid production in the joint is encouraged by Chondroitin Sulfate– these guys go hand-in-hand. Hyaluronic Acid prevents the breakdown of cartilage in the joint, which is important to warding off arthritis and keeping the joint stable. Glucosamine is your protector in your horses joint. It is important that there is enough Glucosamine in your horses joint to protect and help repair, and it is even thought to help produce new cartilage.

Having this information in your back pocket is key to siphoning out your choice on joint supplements. At Big Dee’s, joint supplements are our number one seller. Our customers understand the importance of keeping their horse’s joints healthy as well as keeping their horses pain free. Our top sellers are Acti-Flex by Cox Vet Labs, Cosequin ASU by Nutramax, and Mega-Flx Plus HA by Spectra.

What sets them apart?

Acti-Flex is available in an alfalfa based powder as well as a liquid. Which is great if you have a finicky that can work around powder. That being said, Acti-Flex is highly palatable and you can see a noticeable different in a few weeks!  The ingredient list on Acti-Flex is impressive too! This product contains per ounce, 8,000mg of Glucosamine, 4,000mg of Chondroitin Sulfate, and 125mg of HA. Also, and added benefit is the presence of MSM and Yucca for inflammation and pain.

Cosequin ASU is also available is a concentrated powder. For an average horse you will need to administer 2 scoops daily for maintenance. Each scoop provides 14,000mg of Glucosamine, and 2,400mg of Chondroitin. Hyaluronic Acid is not present in this supplement, even still it is our 2nd best seller! This is a great product with die-hard fans that have seen great results on their horses.

Mega-Flx Plus HA is 3rd on our list of joint supplements and is available in liquid form. This product treats joints and sore muscles congruently. Another highly palatable formula, this product uses a proprietary antioxidant blend to promote greater joint resilience, minimize inflammation, improve mobility, helps to repair and remodel the tissue in the joint, and overall joint protection. Mega-Flx Plus HA contains 150mg per ounce of HA. This is another fan favorite as there is noticeable difference in the overall feel of the horses body and improved mobility.

If you’d like to research more options, check out our impressive selection of Joint Supplements!