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Up to 60% of cases of lameness in horses are believed to be related to osteoarthritis.
As with many medical conditions, prevention is the best cure, so providing extra support in the form of good quality specialist equine joint supplements is something horse owners may want to consider.
Osteoarthritis can be caused by abnormal forces on normal cartilage - the substance which acts as a shock absorber at the joint between two or more bones - or by every day movements on cartilage that has already been damaged, or a combination of the two. It can cause stiffness, pain and inflammation.
It can also develop in healthy joints without any apparent cause or after an injury.
Equine joint supplements can be used on young horses as a preventative measure to protect joints, or as treatment after injury or the diagnosis of osteoarthritis. In older horses, equine joint supplements help deal with years of wear and tear on joints.
Oral equine joint supplements are the most popular kind of nutritional support for horses and many contain glucosamine for horses, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid and Methyl sulfonyl methane (otherwise known as msm for horses).
Pegasus Health FlexiMover is a horse supplement which contains two high-quality joint supplements: pure glucosamine for horses and Boswellia Serrata which are highly effective when taken together.
Horses have more than 200 bones and three types of joints:
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The synovial joint is the most common joint in a horse and is so called because it contains synovial fluid to keep the joint moving freely, comfortably and smoothly. It is the type of joint that does the most work and is found in knees, elbows, fetlocks, hocks and stifle joints. |
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The fibrous joint does not move and an example of this would be the connection between bones in the skull. |
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The cartilaginous joint allows a limited amount of movement and occurs, for instance, between individual vertebrae in the spine. Bones are held together in this joint by fibrocartilaginous discs and ligaments. |
Glucosamine hydrochloride (HCI) is an amino sugar which is found naturally in joint cartilage. Supplementing with glucosamine for horses can help prevent and treat arthritis.
Lack of antioxidants is cited as a reason why fluid that keeps cartilage well-lubricated can thin out and become less effective - so some equine joint supplements also contain antioxidants.
MSM for horses is rich in the antioxidant mineral sulphur, which is essential for healthy connective tissues. Also useful as horse supplements are blue-green algae, noni juice, super oxide dismutase, vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and omega-3 fatty acids.
Pegasus Health can bring you a wide range of safe, top-quality and natural equine joint supplements and treatments to improve equine joint health and prevent degeneration of joints.
We supply our own-brand horse supplements, all carefully manufactured from pure ingredients to high quality standards at competitive prices.
If your horse is diagnosed with osteoarthritis or damaged joints, you may need to support him with anti-inflammatory equine joint supplements like Pegasus Health Boswellia Serrata or Pegasus Health FlexiMover.
We also now bring you a wide choice of equine joint supplements and horse supplements from top manufacturers known and respected throughout the equestrian world.
Equine America is the exclusive manufacturer of Cortaflex® - a renowned and proven treatment for osteoarthritis. Alongside Cortaflex®, many owners and trainers also administer Equine America Buteless® High Strength Solution – which also reduces pain and inflammation and can be used safely without fear of side effects. Together they make a powerful support for older horses or those recovering from injury.
NAF (Natural Animal Feeds) bring you NAF Five Star Superflex Liquid - a scientifically-balanced ratio of glucosamine and chondroitin, msm for horses and a powerful antioxidant formula, exclusively designed by NAF to tackle the build-up of toxins around joints.
Yucca and Devil's Claw Root, are also anti-inflammatory herbs for horses which can help as a dietary supplement to boost equine joint health. |
