Does anyone have any experience with the supplement Flexadin UC ii for horses?
I am looking for a joint supplement for my older jumper with arthritis and thought I’d ask.
My experience and the science to date has been that feed through joint supplements don’t work. Cosequin has been show to be minimally effective, but Adequan has always worked better for me, and that’s what I’d recommend.
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Years ago my vet recommended it for an older horse I had at the time, saying that she felt like it helped. She also mentioned that there was a formulation for people.
I’m not sure it ever made any difference for the horse. I still take it, though, because I believe it has helped my bad hip, which I hurt in a fall from a horse. And when I stop taking the UC ii, the pain gets worse. Real effect? Placebo effect? Who knows? But I have better movement with less pain, so I’ll keep taking it.
If you go to Google Scholar and search “UC II horses” you will find several publications about the effectiveness on horses.
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I tried it on my older horse (2 or 3 jars worth) and didn’t notice any difference. This spring/summer, I tried Cosequin ASU Balance for 3 months and thought it might have helped a bit. For the past few months, I’ve used SmartFlex Senior because I wanted to try something with Devil’s Claw. My horse has shown so much improvement. He seems a lot more comfortable and is more willing to work. He no longer resists extending his hind legs back when I pick his feet. He’s also much less hitchy in his right hind (known stifle issue).
Note: SmartFlex Senior and Devil’s Claw are NOT show legal.
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I used it for my mare. Of all the supplements I tried, that was the only one that I thought made a difference. Within 2 weeks the swelling in her fetlocks came right down. Maybe a coincidence? Nothing else made a difference. I’m using the cat version for one of my kitties.
I use if for my mare. It’s effectiveness is backed by studies and she has had no issues. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20444013/
I used Cosequin ASU for a previous horse, and while it smelled good and she ate it right up, it didn’t help her. She actually got injured earlier this year and has been on stall rest. (I sold her to someone in the barn before she was hurt.)
Actually, I use UC-ii collagen (Instaflex advanced) for myself as well. I started taking it after a knee injury and find it very helpful…no snap crackle and pop.
I have been using a turmeric/curcumin supplement for my older horse and find that it makes a huge difference.
What turmeric supplement do you use?
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