I was wondering what you guys think about joint supplementation, does it really help? I’ve heard both sides but never really any evidence to back them up. Would it be beneficial to give to a horse who doesn’t have any preexisting issues as a preventive measure? And if so, what do you guys find to be most effective? I’m sure there’s been many posts on this particular topic, but I wasn’t able to find a thread. Ty! 
As far as I know, Cosequin is one of (if not the only) feed-through joint supplements with research to support it’s efficacy. Injectables like Adequan or Pentosan, etc. are probably a more effective way of protecting joints and a better use of funds.
That said, I’ve used Actiflex and Flex Max for years and I think they’ve helped my senior gelding at least somewhat. Whether or not that’s placebo effect is up for debate. If your horse has no known issues with the joints, a basic supplement like MSM would probably suffice.
Just my 2 cents!
Agreed with Amy3996. Cosequin has research to support the efficacy, and I think Corti-flex followed.
I still wrap my scientific head around MSM. What’s the mechanism???
Horses are the ultimate placebo, they’ll tell you.
Feed-through is a waste of your money. Use an injectable such as Adequan.
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I have noted positive changes while using Cosequin ASU, and Corta Flx (with 100 mg HA I think?) on 2 different horses. I have used Actiflex but I can’t say for sure I noticed significant changes. Most of mine are on MSM just because.
I held off on any joint supplements but MSM (because it’s super cheap) for years. Adequan did borderline nothing. Wasn’t interested in trying Legend due to even higher cost and more frequent injections needed.
Actual joint injections (IRAP in my case) were the number one thing that helped my gelding with mild/moderate ringbone. But, he’s also now recovering from a soft tissue injury, so I bought a tub of Equithrive original joint to try after seeing rave reviews.
It does actually seem to help. :lol: It’s not cheap, but not super spendy either, so I’m a bit torn between being happy to have found something that makes him more comfortable, and grumpy about now feeling like I’m on the hook for yet another horse expense. But my soon to be 22 year old is coming out of his stall in cold, damp weather walking freely after a little bit of warmup and moving forward nicely, so the results don’t lie.
Edited to add–I’m not convinced that supplements do a ton to prevent issues. The best way to prevent joint issues is to make sure your shoeing and hoof care are on point, address movement/body imbalances as they come up, and don’t pound on the horse. I think most horses in heavier work will need some joint support as they age to stay happy in work (don’t we all?), but in my opinion, most cases of ringbone or other degenerative joint issues in non-geriatric horses stem from poor management or overuse. (Note though that I won’t discount genetic propensity or poor conformation.)
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I’m currently using EquiThrive for my gelding who has severe hock arthritis and I’ve noticed a difference. It has reservatrol in it which is the new thing for hock care.
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I’ve had my gelding on Adequan once a year. I added the Majesty’s Flex Wafers and haven’t done Adequan at all coming up on a year now (and by now he’d be letting me know it was time). Chewy had the Cosequin ASU on a great sale, so I bought that and switched him to it two weeks ago. He did well on the wafers, but he is doing amazing on the ASU. Last week in lessons we worked on lead changes - those are where he’ll tell me if there is pain - and he was super soft and willing and changed beautifully. I may have to stock up if/when it goes on sale again.
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Last fall I started my 25 y.o. gelding on HylaSport CTS from HorseTech. He has been on their biotin and natural vitamin E for many years. The CTS has additional ingredients to support soft tissues that Cosequin CSU doesn’t have. The joint supplement has helped with a lump on his left knee that is outside the joint capsule. It is calcifying but hasn’t had much effect on his movement. The farrier put him into Avanti shoes last spring to help ease the breakover and he is on Previcox. That combination is working nicely.
Our vet of 20 years retired from regular practice in 2018 (after 50 years) but still does chiropractic so I have him out regularly. He said Cosequin CSU is a favorite but I use HorseTech. I sent a detailed email to Rod, the owner, and he recommended the CTS formulation. He sent a generous sample (with the cookies!) to try before I ordered. Rod is known for his expertise and availability to consult. His company has outstanding customer service.
The other thing that changed is me and my tack. The good thing was that I dumped about 45 pounds, the result of a med washout, so to speak. His back has dropped as he aged but I didn’t realize how much and the effect it had on him. (I ignored some hints from the BO of 20 years.) We had Susan Harris for a clinic at our barn and she started off by adding a rear riser pad. She then started me working on smaller adjustments to my seat and balance, and getting off his back for the walk-trot transition. We put it all together in a private lesson. We are tooling around like we did 15 years ago, practicing for our Century Ride next year. What fun!
When I asked my vet about joint supplements some 17 years ago he told me to pick one and double dose for two weeks. If I didn’t see a change then I should try a different one.
I did a lot of research, read every label on every supplement in my local tack shops, and picked one. The recommendation at the time was 10,000mg of glucosamine paired with 10,000mg of MSM. While I looked for a glucosamine I started the horse on 10,000mg of MSM… and my farrier noticed before I added glucosamine.
At one point I grabbed a different brand of glucosamine because I wasn’t sure he was getting anything out of it and he got stiff, then went back to being okay when I got the first glucosamine again.
After a year or so the manufacturer of the glucosamine changed something more than just the label. The analysis was identical, but it looked and smelled different… and my horse started having trouble with his hock again. I tried the easy stuff like time off to see if it was just a strain (no) before changing his supplement.
By this point he was not visibly lame, but riding him it felt like he had a flat tire. That hind leg hit the ground with no spring. I found a new supplement and after three doses that hind leg felt like the other, until I picked up the contact and asked him to bring his bum underneath and carry himself. At which point the flat tire reappeared. I didn’t believe it, but he just got better and better and I couldn’t find the flat tire after ten days.
The horse I have now I started giving him glucosamine when he was 16 (he’d been on. MSM since he was 3) as an experiment. I hadn’t felt he was stiff, but he was getting older so… Two weeks later I was wondering why he was ready to trot in half his usual time (5-6min vs 10-12min). “Ready to trot” being a feeling of looseness and responsiveness. It took a day or two for me to remember the newly added glucosamine.
The point in all this is that horses are individuals and respond to joint supplements differently. What works for mine may not for yours.
But the measurable results I have gotten refute the blanket statement that all feed through joint supplements are a waste of money. Though I am entirely certain that some are completely useless.
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People often dismiss oral supplements, but I have recently had two experiences lately that make me think I am going to start my horses on them.
First incidence - I have an 11 1/2 year old Labrador. She was started on Cosaquin very young (as I do all of my big dogs). She was switched to Dasuquin (comparable to Cosaquin ASU) several years ago. I ran out of Dasuquin recently and just gave her Cosaquin while I was waiting to get out to get more Dasuquin. Within less than a week she started having significant trouble with stairs. I put her back on Dasuquin and she went back to her baseline quickly.n
My husband has bad knees (lousy conformation - bow legged). He had been taking Cosamin for several years but his knees recently worsened. He changed to Cosamin ASU and his knees improved.
Neither of these are horses, of course, and it’s a study of two, I realize, but it does make me think that my older gelding may benefit from Cosaquin ASU.
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Adequan and Cosequin have real science behind them; I don’t know of any other offering that does. I’ve used both; both worked although not always as well with every horse. No surprise, there, but an observation.
Spend your money on what has proven to work.
G.
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I have been using that also and am pretty sure it is helping.
It seems that Cosequin or Adequan are the ones that would be most likely to work. Could the adequan be used as a preventive measure? I’ve actually never used it, how often is a single dose of the adequan injected?
What about Acme I-joint? We had pretty good results with that. I believe Acme is an US brand, isn’t It?
I have an 8 year old Pit/Lab mix with a previously shattered femur repair and serious hip issues on Dasquin as well. When I first put him on it I saw an immediate improvement in his mobility. He is now on prescription arthritis meds because his hips have degenerated due to the previous injury but the vet did say that was the best supplement I could have started him on. Obviously not a horse but I did hours of research on Dasiquin and it is backed by science as well as vet recommended.
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I had a mare that was on Adequan for several years. She had bad knees (ultimately ended up with one that completely fused), but she adapted, and moved fairly well. As I recall, she got a loading dose (cannot recall exact details), then a monthly shot. I now have a 29+ y.o. gelding, and a 17 y.o. TB mare, both of whom have mild to moderate arthritis and both are on Cosequin with MSM. Both are doing well. Although I tried other brands (including Corta-Flex), I have found Cosequin gets the best results as a feed through.
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I’ve had success with oral hyaluronic acid. Worked so well for the horse that I started taking it myself. A couple of times I’ve decided to stop taking it and it wasn’t long before I was back on it because I could not walk without pain.
My horse had water on his knee, put him on an oral joint supplement, Triacta HA, his water on his knee disappeared, after a few years I decided to try Pentosan IM, water came back right away. Went back on the Triacta HA and the water on the knee went away again. Don’t say oral supplements do nothing, I have walking proof it helped my guy.
Adequan is an IM injection in a series …1 vial(5mls) every 4 days for 28 days …usually twice/year … can be more frequent if heavy workload/performance demands
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