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3 Things to Look For in an Effective Horse Joint Supplement

Published by Faith Hanan on July 17, 2023
image of two gray horse legs

Last updated on October 8, 2024

3 Things to Look For in an Effective Horse Joint Supplement

It’s safe to say that the majority of performance horses are on one type of horse joint supplement or another. Whether it’s to prevent injuries, aid in recovery from an injury, or keep the symptoms of osteoarthritis at bay, we pay a lot of attention to a horse’s joints. According to a study done in 2012, 63% of participants reported using joint supplements in their horses’ diet. [1] With their popularity growing, there is a wide array of joint supplements on the market, all promising different things and listing different ingredients. So how do you know you are buying something that is actually going to WORK? There are 3 things we think you should look for in a horse joint supplement, to make sure you are purchasing the highest quality product.

An Effective Horse Joint Supplement Will Have:

1. All Natural Ingredients

  • Mother Nature often times has the most powerful remedies. Ingredients like methylsulfonylmenthane, or MSM, might be hard to say but it is actually a natural ingredient. MSM is a form of sulfur that can help slow down the degradation of cartilage, and act as an anti-inflammatory. [2] 
  • Glucosamine is another naturally produced ingredient common in equine joint supplements. It aids in cartilage regeneration and pain reduction.

2. Little to No Fillers

  • Fillers provide no real health benefits and are used to…well FILL the container or bind the other ingredients together. Many fillers are natural and can seem like they’d be beneficial, but in reality are not doing anything of importance in a joint supplement. Look out for ingredients like grain millings, flax and sunflower seeds, whey protein, soybean cellulose, any type of oils, rice and wheat bran.

3. Reputable Company

  • Since horse joint supplements are not regulated by the FDA, quality and safety are not held to one specific standard. It is important that you know and trust the supplement manufacturer and pay attention to the label:
  • Are their claims too good to be true? 
  • Are all the ingredients labeled clearly? (look out for ‘proprietary blends’ with no additional explanation)
  • Do they have contact information easily available for questions or concerns?
  • Are dosage instructions clear and easy to follow?

A High Quality Horse Joint Supplement

 As with ANY supplement, we believe that your horse’s joint supplement should show a noticeable difference. We’ve seen time and time again that when paired with Foundation Daily Detox and Nutrack, Animal Element joint supplements like Cissus and Finish 1st Advanced Joint Formula make a difference that horses can feel and owners can see!

Animal Element takes the health and safety of your horses VERY seriously. Which is why we use only the highest quality, all-natural ingredients in our supplements with no fillers or harmful chemicals. We are so sure of them, in fact, that we have all our ingredients listed right on our website! Each product also has a clearly marked ingredient list on its packaging, and on the shop page. If you think your horse, performance or not, could benefit being on an horse joint supplement, consult with your veterinarian first. After making a plan of action with your vet, contact us at 877-338-6977 or reach out to your nearest AE dealer to discuss what options would be best for your horse! We may be a small company, but we have clean all-natural ingredients, and effective products that we stand behind 100%. 

Content is meant for informational purposes only. Proudly written for Animal Element by the team at FaithHanan.com

Resources:

  1. Cavinder, Clay A. and Hannah Valigura. “Equine Joint Supplementation: Does it Really Work?” Mississippi State University Extension. http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/equine-joint-supplementation-does-it-really-work#:~:text=The%20main%20idea%20behind%20the,related%20changes%20to%20the%20joint.
  2. Young, Amy. “Supplementing for Joint Health: What the Science Says.” Horse Report, August, 9, 2021. https://cehhorsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/supplementing-joint-health-what-science-says

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