Question: My 22 year old horse is very stiff jointed. I keep hearing about all these feed supplements that are supposed to help, but is there any research behind any of the products? Does anything actually work? If I don’t need a prescription from my vet, are they even safe? Thanks.

Answer: The nutraceutical industry is BOOMING right now. Not only are horse owners targeted for nutraceutical marketing, but so are humans and pets, especially dogs. There is a distinct lack of conclusive scientific support, but I was able to find a lot of interesting articles surrounding the use of combined glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCL) and chondroitin sulphate (CS). According to a recent double blind study by Forsyth et. al (2006) on the investigation of oral supplementation of oral chondroprotective supplements on stride characteristics of veteran horses, results were seen. By week 8, range of motion in the elbow, stifle, and hind fetlock increased. Stride length also increased. By week 12, swing duration increased. This was a small study of only 6 veteran horses using a particular supplement, but the conclusion of this and other articles I’ve recently read are that oral GHCL and CS may improve welfare of veteran horses by alleviating symptoms of degenerative joint disease. You can take a look at many relating articles and abstracts on PubMed. Do a search for horse and nutraceuticals, or for any supplement you are specifically trying to evaluate. Consider the size of the group used in the study and the results discovered and talk over your findings with your vet before putting your horse on any supplements. The best thing to do is to be well informed before considering placing your horse on anything. Good luck to you and your horse.

Reference:

Forsyth, RK. et al. 2006. Double blind investigation of the effects of oral supplementation of combined glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulphate on stride characteristics of veteran horses. Equine Vet J Suppl. 36:622-5.