Equine Bone And Joint Support

By Marci Nielsen


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 may offer more of a variety than hay, but they are often seeded and mowed to make them lush and as pretty as a lawn. Mowing keeps the grasses from setting seed. The seeds are where horses get nutrients like Vitamin E, fatty acids, and calcium, things needed for optimum health. For this reason, most feeds formulated for horses contain 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.

Equine athletes are in a class by themselves. Racing horses must train hard and compete harder. Jumpers also need constant training and are asked to perform in ways that require great effort and strength. Their legs and feet must lift their huge bodies over obstacles and withstand severe impact with the ground.

Often the entire weight, force, and shock is on one foot. A jumper pushes off with both hind feet, soars over the obstacle, and lands on one foot on the other side. This single foot carries the entire weight of a large animal, as well as the force of coming down from a height, and then must push that weight off as forward motion continues. It's amazing that these animals can do this, and they do it 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.




About the Author:



Nenhum comentário:

Postar um comentário