An educational lunch hour - Lessons on equine joint supplements

Today I had a most productive lunch hour, I attended a SmartPak webinar "Understanding Equine Joint Supplements".

Joint issues, especially OA (osteo-arthritis or degenerative joint disease), are very special to me. It was due to advanced OA that I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to have Crissy put down, as we couldn’t manage her pain caused by OA anymore. The vet today described OA as “a by-product of the wear and tear and daily trauma that horses experience during heavy training. It is also part of the aging process”. Or another way to put it “Arthritis is caused by normal forces on abnormal joints or abnormal forces on normal joints”.

So anything I can do to keep Saumur sound and pain free for as long as possible is extremely important. After all, he is a hard-working advanced middle aged guy (luckily without the middle-age pouch most guys spot :-)!). I have had Saumur on a high-quality Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM supplement for years, but always wondered if I should do more.

There are five key points:

1. Halt the cascade of inflammation
2. Stop/limit damage to articular tissue
3. Improve mobility
4. Alleviate discomfort
5. Extend competitive career

This can be achieved by supplementing

- Glucosamine
- Chondroitin Sulfate
- HA
- MSM
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- ASU

I was especially keen on learning more about HA. HA is the primary component of synovial fluid and as such most important to keep joints lubricated. However, I always wondered if oral HA would be as effective as injections. It was answered today as the vet cited research based on racehorses with OCD. The study found that the oral HA greatly reduced the inflammation in the group that received 100 mgr per serving, as opposed to the group not receiving oral HA. So I guess Saumur’s supplements will be augmented with HA!
The other thing I found interesting was the recommendation to start giving Glucosamine and Chondroitin early (young horses in light training), as research proved that this will keep the joints healthier longer. The bad news is: more money for supplements – the good news for Blondie: more food (any morsel counts to him)!