STEP TWO: GET AN INGREDIENT EDUCATION
Once you’ve identified the type of supplement your horse needs, you’ll find no shortage of options. In any category, however, most products will have some common ingredients. The next step in your supplement search is to learn more about these ingredients and how each product is formulated to help your horse.
Joint support: Many joint supplements feature glucosamine, a building block of cartilage production and repair. You’ll also find chondroitin sulfate, a protein molecule that is a constituent of connective tissues and cartilage, in many y joint products products. Hyaluronan Hyaluronan, also called hyaluronic acid, is another ingredient commonly used to support joint health because it’s a key structure in synovial fluid, connective tissue and cartilage. The fibrous protein keratin may also be included.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organic compound necessary for the production of collagen that may also have anti-inflammatory properties. Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) are increasingly popular in joint supplements because they are thought to prevent destruction of existing cartilage while stimulating tissue repair. Rounding out the ingredients most often found in joint supplements are herbal products with anti-inflammatory and joint-supporting action such as devil’s claw, yucca and grape seed extract.
Calming: Supplements intended to soothe fractious horses contain nutrients such as magnesium, which plays a role in normal muscle and nerve function, thiamine (B1), which helps convert carbohydrates to fat and supports the nervous system, and chromium, a mineral that helps regulate blood sugar. You may also find products that contain L-tryptophan, the amino acid that is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, and melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate circadian rhythms. Calming supplements may also contain herbal ingredients such as valerian, which has been used since the days of the ancient Greeks to treat restlessness and insomnia; chamomile chamomile, a tr traditional remedy for anxiety; and raspberry leaf, thought to regulate hormone fluctuations.
Digestive support: Supplements designed to optimize a horse’s gut function often contain probiotics, combinations of specific bacteria and yeasts that support beneficial intestinal flora. Prebiotics, sugars and nutrients that feed these bacteria, are also common ingredients. In addition, yeast cultures are often included in digestive supplements to assist in the activity of bacteria in the hindgut.
You may also notice alfalfa meal listed on the label, a source of highly digestible fiber; lecithin, a lipid thought to protect the lining of the stomach; and the amino acids
glutamine, threonine and L-carnitine.
Hoof health: If your goal is to improve your horse’s hooves, the products at the top of your list will contain biotin, a B vitamin that has been shown in multiple studies to improve the quality of hoof horn by supporting the production of keratin. Also found in hoof supplements are the amino acids methionine, which has a similar keratin-supporting action, and lysine, which plays a role in the formation of collagen. The minerals zinc, copper and manganese are critical to the formation of hoof horn, and hoof and bone-building calcium is often supplied via calcium carbonate derived from eggshells and calcium pantothenate, a B vitamin.
Coat quality: Supplements formulated to improve the coat will often contain biotin along with pyridoxine, a B vitamin needed for the production of amino acids critical to hair growth. Other B vitamins are also sometimes added, including riboflavin and folic acid to improve hair production, along with flaxseed and fish oils, sources of
omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, coat supplements may contain the amino acid lysine, which contributes to the formation of collagen and tissue growth and repair, as well as the amino acid methionine.