When it comes to joint health, horses and humans aren’t all that different. Both species are mammals and larger mammals are prone to joint issues. Just as in humans; age and weight matters compound problems; causing pain, swelling and movement difficulties. Inherited conditions can have enormous negative effects on the horse’s joints.
Horses and humans can both be athletes. For those who follow any sport closely there is always news of joint injury or rehabilitation in their players. These same principles apply to horses and depending on the activity; the animal can have similar issues. For instance, if a horse participates in racing many trainers look for knee and fetlock injuries. If the horse is a show jumper many will end up with soft tissue injuries also known as coffin joints’ injuries. Even those who only participate in pleasure riding need to pay attention to equine joint care.
Horse owners need to be observant when it comes to their horse’s health. If there is swelling or appears to be a hindrance in the animal’s movement, contact your vet. Stay away from the advice of friends or acquaintances who ‘think’ they know what the problem is. Misdiagnosing the injury can be more detrimental to your four legged friend than the injury itself.
Many veterinarians today prefer to treat joint dilemmas with a holistic approach. Since surgery is risky as well as costly; horse joint supplements are usually the first choice. Most of these supplements are over the counter and the belief that one is just as good as another is bogus. There is no all encompassing group of horse joint supplements; just as there are many options for humans in the treatment of joint concerns; the same goes for horses. When considering equine joint supplements the choices are overwhelming.
Your vet will probably guide you to the best line of horse join supplements but, just in case he or she doesn’t here are a few suggestions to keep in mind.
Stay away from anything that is a blend. This can only lead to future problems. Prior to your purchase go online and read user reviews and ingredients of the supplement. Heeding these few propositions may save your horse a lot of pain and you heartache and worry.
As the old saying goes, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’, taking appropriate care of your horse can go a long way in the prevention of joint issues. Just as you need to eat right so does your horse. Don’t overfeed your horse or prevent him from getting enough exercise. Both these situations can cause long term and costly health concerns. Make sure there is plenty of water available; do any of these recommendations sound familiar? In short, proper diet and exercise and frequent visits from the vet/doctor can only be a good thing both horse and rider.