Supporting Joints: continuous supplementation or short course?

When your horse comes out of a heavy competition season or has just been broken in, you may want to provide some extra support for his joints. Even if your horse is a bit older and sometimes stiffer, it can be a good idea. When do you use which supplement and do you continue to give it or opt for a short course? We will explain it to you!

To combat stiffness and joint pain in a horse, there are various supplements available. It depends on the horse and the situation what you can give and how to best use these supplements.

Magnesium: important ingredient

A sport horse needs magnesium. This mineral is essential for the nervous system, bones, and muscles. A horse that performs a lot of work and experiences above-average stress needs extra magnesium. Because Dutch roughage contains relatively little magnesium, it is good for most horses to give a little extra magnesium through their feed as standard. At times when your horse has to work harder, experiences more (competition) stress, or sweats heavily, you can temporarily increase the amount of magnesium a bit. In addition to the mineral magnesium, the mineral silicon is also important for the joints. This is a slow-acting mineral that contributes to the development of the whole skeleton and the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Silicon should be given structurally.

Herbs for joints

In addition to minerals such as magnesium and silicon, there are also supplements with herbs for joints and against muscle pain. Plants such as turmeric, boswellia, horsetail, black currant, and bamboo are healthy for cartilage and support the production of joint fluid. This fluid is the lubricant between the moving parts of the joints. For smooth movement, it is important that your horse produces enough joint fluid. In addition, these herbs support the excretion of uric acid. Uric acid is a waste product that is produced during work or stress. In principle, the body can excrete this acid itself, but if too much is produced at once, such as during a competition or a heavy training session, the uric acid is temporarily stored where it is produced: in the joints. This can cause pain and stiffness. To dissolve the crystals and excrete the uric acid, you can use these herbs.

Course or continuous?

Whether you give an herbal supplement continuously or as a short course depends on your horse. For older horses with some arthritis or difficulty 'warming up', continuously giving an herbal extract may be a good idea. However, for many horses, it is enough to give this supplement as a short course. Once every four to six months is fine, depending on what your horse has done and experienced. Give an herbal course, for example, after breaking in a young horse. Or at the end of the competition season for a sport horse. Or after a heavy training period. Even if your horse is a bit stiffer after a move (stressful), an herbal course can do a lot of good.