Horses are magnificent. They seem to fly over the ground, they can carry heavy burdens, and they can leap over things higher than their head. However, they have relatively delicate legs and feet for their size and power. An equine bone and joint support supplement can mean the difference between pain and lameness and continued health and usefulness.
Supplements may consist of single nutrients or basic vitamin and mineral formulas created to make up for deficiencies in forage. Horses that once ranged over miles of mixed vegetation are confined to stalls or kept in fields. They are fed hay which is usually a mono-crop of grass like timothy or alfalfa. At most, it will be a mix of just a few grasses.
Pastures are routinely mowed and seeded to look great and be palatable, but pretty paddocks can't provide all the nutrition found in a mix of what we call weeds. Even mowing is a nutritional negative. Seeds contain valuable nutrients like vitamin E which are not found in grass stalks. This is why most feeds designed for horses are grains with added vitamins and minerals.
Horses under heavy work are also under added stress. Their legs and feet carry enormous weight, withstand great force, and absorb a lot of shock. This may cause bones and joints to deteriorate. Targeted nutrition can help off-set this unnatural stress. Among the most familiar nutrients are hyaluronic acid (a component of joint fluid), MSM (sulfur, a naturally-occurring mineral essential for health and strong bones), and glucosamine and chondroitin, which are building blocks of cartilage.
There are other nutritional substances that have been proven by research and use to help off-set the unusual amount of stress equine athletes are under. Consider the jumper, for example. It thrusts off to gain height needed to clear an obstacle. The hind legs must pack a lot of power into lifting that massive body from the ground and giving it the momentum to soar over a jump that may be both wide and tall.
Often the entire weight, force, and shock is on one foot. A jumper pushes off with both hind feet, soars over the obstacle, and lands on one foot on the other side. This single foot carries the entire weight of a large animal, as well as the force of coming down from a height, and then must push that weight off as forward motion continues. It's amazing that these animals can do this, and they do it over and over.
This immense stress can, of course, cause pain and lameness. A lame horse cannot compete and may never do so again. Specialized formulas provide nutrients that have been proved to help a horse repair daily damage to soft and hard tissue. These vitamins, minerals, and nutritive substances can hasten recovery time and make bones and joints more resilient. Preventing injury is much easier than trying to fix it after it happens, so better nutrition makes a lot of sense.
Choosing a supplement with ingredients that nourish the bones, tendons, ligaments, and hooves of your horse is one way to keep it comfortable and extend its useful life. Whether you compete or just ride the trails, a happy and pain-free mount is key to enjoyment for you both.
Supplements may consist of single nutrients or basic vitamin and mineral formulas created to make up for deficiencies in forage. Horses that once ranged over miles of mixed vegetation are confined to stalls or kept in fields. They are fed hay which is usually a mono-crop of grass like timothy or alfalfa. At most, it will be a mix of just a few grasses.
Pastures are routinely mowed and seeded to look great and be palatable, but pretty paddocks can't provide all the nutrition found in a mix of what we call weeds. Even mowing is a nutritional negative. Seeds contain valuable nutrients like vitamin E which are not found in grass stalks. This is why most feeds designed for horses are grains with added vitamins and minerals.
Horses under heavy work are also under added stress. Their legs and feet carry enormous weight, withstand great force, and absorb a lot of shock. This may cause bones and joints to deteriorate. Targeted nutrition can help off-set this unnatural stress. Among the most familiar nutrients are hyaluronic acid (a component of joint fluid), MSM (sulfur, a naturally-occurring mineral essential for health and strong bones), and glucosamine and chondroitin, which are building blocks of cartilage.
There are other nutritional substances that have been proven by research and use to help off-set the unusual amount of stress equine athletes are under. Consider the jumper, for example. It thrusts off to gain height needed to clear an obstacle. The hind legs must pack a lot of power into lifting that massive body from the ground and giving it the momentum to soar over a jump that may be both wide and tall.
Often the entire weight, force, and shock is on one foot. A jumper pushes off with both hind feet, soars over the obstacle, and lands on one foot on the other side. This single foot carries the entire weight of a large animal, as well as the force of coming down from a height, and then must push that weight off as forward motion continues. It's amazing that these animals can do this, and they do it over and over.
This immense stress can, of course, cause pain and lameness. A lame horse cannot compete and may never do so again. Specialized formulas provide nutrients that have been proved to help a horse repair daily damage to soft and hard tissue. These vitamins, minerals, and nutritive substances can hasten recovery time and make bones and joints more resilient. Preventing injury is much easier than trying to fix it after it happens, so better nutrition makes a lot of sense.
Choosing a supplement with ingredients that nourish the bones, tendons, ligaments, and hooves of your horse is one way to keep it comfortable and extend its useful life. Whether you compete or just ride the trails, a happy and pain-free mount is key to enjoyment for you both.
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