People and horses have a long association throughout history. These magnificent animals, blessed with beauty and speed, have always captured our imagination. They pull ours loads, carry us where we want to go, thrill us with dazzling speed on the racetracks of the world, and carry us to fame and glory in competition. We can help them by providing equine bone and joint support nutrition when needed.
Supplements may consist of single nutrients or basic vitamin and mineral formulas created to make up for deficiencies in forage. Horses that once ranged over miles of mixed vegetation are confined to stalls or kept in fields. They are fed hay which is usually a mono-crop of grass like timothy or alfalfa. At most, it will be a mix of just a few grasses.
Pastures are routinely mowed and seeded to look great and be palatable, but pretty paddocks can't provide all the nutrition found in a mix of what we call weeds. Even mowing is a nutritional negative. Seeds contain valuable nutrients like vitamin E which are not found in grass stalks. This is why most feeds designed for horses are grains with added vitamins and minerals.
Horses that are ridden hard, asked for extra exertion (as in racing), or used for competitive sports are under unusual stress. Nutrients that are specifically for bones and joints include MSM, glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid. The first three are natural substances that provide what the animal needs to rebuild and repair its skeletal system, and the last is a component of joint fluid.
There are other nutritional substances that have been proven by research and use to help off-set the unusual amount of stress equine athletes are under. Consider the jumper, for example. It thrusts off to gain height needed to clear an obstacle. The hind legs must pack a lot of power into lifting that massive body from the ground and giving it the momentum to soar over a jump that may be both wide and tall.
Then they land their entire weight on one foot, which must then push that weight off as the rest of the legs and body follow over the jump. The amount of impact, shock, and force involved in this action is almost inconceivable. It's amazing that the legs and hooves of horses can stand this once, let alone over and over.
To help prevent damage and perhaps career-ending lameness, owners and trainers can provide the extra nutrients these athletes need. Specialized formulas are designed to handle daily wear and tear on tissues and keep bones and joints healthy. Some formulas help horses under other stresses, like aging. Arthritis develops in older horses just as it does in humans, but we know now that nutrition can help prevent or delay its development.
Choosing a supplement with ingredients that nourish the bones, tendons, ligaments, and hooves of your horse is one way to keep it comfortable and extend its useful life. Whether you compete or just ride the trails, a happy and pain-free mount is key to enjoyment for you both.
Supplements may consist of single nutrients or basic vitamin and mineral formulas created to make up for deficiencies in forage. Horses that once ranged over miles of mixed vegetation are confined to stalls or kept in fields. They are fed hay which is usually a mono-crop of grass like timothy or alfalfa. At most, it will be a mix of just a few grasses.
Pastures are routinely mowed and seeded to look great and be palatable, but pretty paddocks can't provide all the nutrition found in a mix of what we call weeds. Even mowing is a nutritional negative. Seeds contain valuable nutrients like vitamin E which are not found in grass stalks. This is why most feeds designed for horses are grains with added vitamins and minerals.
Horses that are ridden hard, asked for extra exertion (as in racing), or used for competitive sports are under unusual stress. Nutrients that are specifically for bones and joints include MSM, glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid. The first three are natural substances that provide what the animal needs to rebuild and repair its skeletal system, and the last is a component of joint fluid.
There are other nutritional substances that have been proven by research and use to help off-set the unusual amount of stress equine athletes are under. Consider the jumper, for example. It thrusts off to gain height needed to clear an obstacle. The hind legs must pack a lot of power into lifting that massive body from the ground and giving it the momentum to soar over a jump that may be both wide and tall.
Then they land their entire weight on one foot, which must then push that weight off as the rest of the legs and body follow over the jump. The amount of impact, shock, and force involved in this action is almost inconceivable. It's amazing that the legs and hooves of horses can stand this once, let alone over and over.
To help prevent damage and perhaps career-ending lameness, owners and trainers can provide the extra nutrients these athletes need. Specialized formulas are designed to handle daily wear and tear on tissues and keep bones and joints healthy. Some formulas help horses under other stresses, like aging. Arthritis develops in older horses just as it does in humans, but we know now that nutrition can help prevent or delay its development.
Choosing a supplement with ingredients that nourish the bones, tendons, ligaments, and hooves of your horse is one way to keep it comfortable and extend its useful life. Whether you compete or just ride the trails, a happy and pain-free mount is key to enjoyment for you both.
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