Should I give my horse joint supplements?

Question

I've noticed recently, that the horse i'm working with seems to always be stiff when i ride, or just when he's walking around. His owner takes him out 2-3 times a year and runs him around for hours at a time, and his owner is definatly not on the light side...I often am stuck caring for sore backs once his owner is done.
But, i was wondering, that my horse has really short strides, and long legs. I'm not sure if he's got arthritis, or just joint problems. But i was wondering if maybe i should put him on joint supplements for a month, see how that goes, and if it helps, should i continue it? I tried stretching him out before and after riding for a while, and it didn't seem to help. Anyone have any suggestions?

Extra details are. The horse is turned out from 8am-4pm. And stalled from teh time in between. Hes only about 9, which is really why i'm concerned about this stiffness with him. I'm starting him on jumping, so i just want the best for him, and want to be able to have him preform to his fullest without having anything holding him back. He's a great horse, with loads of potential.
I've also noticed that when i lead him from the stall to the tackroom his head is a bit down, his strides are short, and he just seems to walk slow and stiff. Even when i don't ride him for a week, he's the same.

Answer 1

You need to have your vet check your horse over before you add any supplements to his feed regimine. Adding something he doesn't need could harm him also.
As far as he goes- he may have arthritis, joint problems, problems with his flexor tendons, soreness of the body, pinched nerves, hoof problems, laminitis, or founder....there are to many issues to list. But you get the point.
You should never add, take away, or switch anything up in your horses diet without consulting your vet first. In some cases of people doing this- it can be deadly.

Answer 2

taller horses usually have shorter strides if they are not using their back correctly, or if their joints pain them (generally a taller horse gets stiffer faster- more pressure on legs and joints). His owner (while I do not agree with him doing it) riding him 2-3 times a year really rough will not do much to the joints long term. If this was weekly or even monthy it could, but probably not in this case.

If your horse is having leg problems- DO NOT JUMP HIM. You are literally just screwing it up more. Jumping is very demanding on legs. Even horses in top condition do not jump more than 2-3 times a week (and 3-4 times flatwork) because of the stress it puts on the joints.

Oral joint supplements take a long time to work, and sometimes the results are not noticable until 2-3 months later. Cosequin is one of the only ones actually proven to have so much of the dose digested. All of the other brands may include 30mg (or whatever) of the supplement (glucosamine/msm/chondritin) but that does not mean the that horse absorbs 30 mg. All of the oral supplements can get very very expensive.

What you can do is get glucosamine injections through your vet. A 100ml bottle of generic (not the legend brand) costs roughly $100 and you give a 5ml shot every 2-4 weeks IM. It is definately the cheapest way to go. I have a 17.2h draft mare I use for dressage- which all adds up to early joint problems. I have been giving the glu injection as a preventative and early treatment. You can really tell the day after the shot with how loose and flexible she is. Caution though, not every horse can have it- most riders at my barn use it, so I have seen different instances. There are a few TBs and arabs that can not have it- they feel so good after the shot that it is impossible to ride them- they will just canter and buck the whole time. There is an older arabian as well that the shots do nothing for, and he is on HA injections, which is another option.
HA injections are giving over a specific period of time (weeks to months) to help out with the joints. I do not know relative cost or effectiveness, except for that they work excellently for the old arthritic arab.

Now for the other part- lengthening strides- lay ground poles out a little bit farther than his normal stride so he has to stretch- do this at a walk and a trot- make sure that his head is down and back is up in a stretching position. You should see his neck muscle bulge out completely to his shoulder- no dents- if he is using his back correctly. A horse that does not use it's back will also have shorter strides.

Answer 3

It wouldn't hurt to try the supplements. If they do work, and help make the horse more comfortable, then definitely stick with it, but if they don't you might want to have a vet look at him. How old is the horse? It's not good for an older horse, or horse of any age for that matter, to be running hard with a very heavy rider on his back. Just think of all the damage to his legs and back it causes. Maybe you should talk to his owner about riding him so hard. It would be in the best interest of the horse. Good luck with this.

Answer 4

There are many things that can cause stiffness and ruling them out can take some time. Small and stiff steps can also indicate hoof problems, like laminitis. You did not indicate how old this horse is, whether he is kept stalled or turned out, what his background has been etc. Older horses absolutely benefit (as do we) with joint supplements. Horses who are stalled excessively can be sore and stiff for quite a long time until they are warmed up properly. And horses who have been used hard (cutting, jumping, barrel racing, etc) can show signs of athritis as they age.

I'd start with a veterinarian exam. Your vet can help you rule out different things and will help you to determine not only the cause of the stiffness but also what you can do to help him ease the pain.

Answer 5

definitely try the supplement, anything with glucosamine is perfect. I manage a eventing barn and any of ours that need maintenance or running at intermediate or higher are on a supplement. We also have had great success injecting joints, but you need to have a good vet diagnose where the problem is and if thats the right path to go down, then is an especially good time to maintain them with glucosamine!!

Answer 6

If ur horse is stiff and sore jumping is the worst thing you can do. Supplements might help, but the bes tthing to do is take it easy on him and make sure he is warmed up and cooled down properly

Answer 7

You should go to this website and click on "ask the expert" This is a link to the Rutgers University extension site, and you can correspond with a specialist in equine exercise physiology and nutrition. Her name is Dr. Carey Williams. I personally work with her and she and her graduate student have been doing many studies on neutraceuticals and horse joint health. Good Luck!

Answer 8

I would try it...and if it works then continue the supplements. They won't hurt the horse either way, so the only thing bad that can happen is the cost of the supplements if they don't help.

Answer 9

Take the horse out more often.

Answer 10

give the horse glucosimine. its not gonna harm him in any way what so ever! just talk to your vet about how much and how often and your horse should be limbering up in no time