Whether your pony or horse is a performance or leisure horse, their joints are subject to general wear and tear. Protecting their joints for longevity will also improve their overall daily health.
The choice of feed products is wide and varied, historically through supplementation of the existing diet; however, if you are searching for an all-in-one solution Blue Chip have formulated complete feed balancers (Joint Care and Senior) containing functional ingredients.
If supplementation is still your preferred choice Blue Chip have both a liquid (Joint RLF) and pelleted (Dynamic) joint supplement to add to your horse’s existing diet, depending on their exacting needs.
What can cause joint pain?
Injury – Damage to soft tissue, bone, cartilage, joint membranes, or joint fluid.
Inflammation – Causing lameness, swelling, pain and reduced mobility, such as Bursitis or Tendonitis, including capped hocks, capped elbows and other conditions.
Disease – Such as Arthritis, caused by wear and tear of the cartilage, most commonly found in the legs.
Functional Blue Chip ingredients used across the range of joint products:
- Nucleotides (Joint Care and Senior): essential building blocks of DNA and RNA and are therefore essential to every cell in the body. Nucleotides help support immunity, stamina, cell replication and repair of cell damage.
- Glucosamine (Joint Care, Senior, Dynamic and Joint RLF): Promotes cartilage metabolism, renewal of connective tissue & assists in the formation of synovial fluid. Can offer pain relief & encourage healing.
- Turmeric, Black Pepper and Oils (Joint Care): The % of Curcumin (the main active ingredient in Turmeric) in our Turmeric is 3%, the very best quality Turmeric. Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, soothes stiffness and pain, maintains good digestion, supports skin health, feeding alongside black pepper and oils to improve absorption.
- Organic MSM (Dynamic and Joint RLF): Aids muscle recovery, promotes circulation, provides building blocks for protein, tendon & ligament repair. Works with glucosamine, for stiffness & discomfort.
- Hyaluronic acid (Joint RLF): Major component of synovial fluid, to maintain viscosity. Should be fed with glucosamine to help absorption.
- Yucca (Dynamic and Joint RLF): To nourish joints SUSTAINABLE. For stiffness & discomfort. Supports inflammatory response.
- Organic Manganese (Joint Care, Senior, Dynamic and Joint RLF): For cartilage formation and to ensure the provision of strong, dense bone.
- Calcium (Joint Care, Senior and Dynamic): A macro-mineral which must be obtained by diet. For strong bones, teeth, muscle contraction, enzyme regulation & blood clotting.
- Phosphorus (Joint Care, Senior and Dynamic): Macro-mineral for strong bones & energy generation.
- Silicon (Dynamic): A vital mineral for the efficient utilisation of calcium. Supports bone building & decreases bone demineralisation.
- Rosehip extract (Joint RLF and Senior): A glycoside that helps maintain joint comfort by limiting the number of white blood cells allowed into the joint. Especially good for those with arthritic changes.
- Vitamin C (Joint Care, Senior, Dynamic and Joint RLF): An antioxidant which neutralises free radicals. For joint health & flexibility. Helps horses fight infection.
- Vitamin E (Joint Care, Senior and Dynamic): An antioxidant which cannot be produced by the horse, must be obtained by diet. For healthy muscle function, supporting the nervous system, reproduction & immunity.
Preventative feeding is highly beneficial for the joints and long-term wellbeing.
Super Concentrated Joint Care Balancer:
- Turmeric
- Black Pepper
- Oils
- Glucosamine
- Nucleotides
A revolutionary formula containing the natural power of turmeric, black pepper and oils, alongside glucosamine, which work together to promote healthy joint function and movement.
Super Concentrated Senior Balancer:
- Glucosamine
- Rosehip Extract
- Chaste Tree Berry
- Nucleotides
An ideal way of ensuring any horse or pony over 14 years old receives the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in their daily diet, along with additional supplements to ease the ageing process. Includes CushinCombo, a combination of chaste tree berry, antioxidants and omega oils, and also a complete joint supplement, containing glucosamine and rosehip extract which is known to support and maintain healthy and supple joints, keeping your horse or pony active in later life.
Joint RLF – Liquid Joint Supplement:
- Glucosamine HCL
- Organic MSM
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Yucca
- Organic Manganese
- Rosehip extract
- Vitamin C
Helps to nourish the joints of all horses. The ingredients in Joint RLF are 100% natural and contain no banned substances.
Dynamic – Pelleted Joint Supplement:
- Glucosamine HCL
- Organic MSM
- Yucca
- Organic Manganese
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Silicon
- Protein
- Oils and fats – Omega 3 and 6
Dynamic contains Glucosamine HCL to promote cartilage metabolism, maintain a healthy joint capsule and the assist in the formation of synovial fluid to lubricate the joint and protect them from daily wear and tear. Organic, bio-available form of MSM, to provide the building blocks for protein and is vital for muscle recovery and tendon and ligament repair. Incorporates a bone supplement into its formulation, which contains organic manganese, calcium and phosphorus to ensure the formation of strong, dense bone as well as silicon, which is a vital factor in the efficient utilisation of calcium. Dynamic has proved to be invaluable for foals, producing sound, healthy individuals, and it is equally popular for those competing at higher levels who want to protect their horses’ joints.
Feeding tips for supporting and improving daily joint health:
- Feed a good quality joint feed balancer/supplement (such as Joint Care, Senior, Dynamic and Joint RLF) to encourage range of movement and therefore the burning of additional calories, especially useful when feeding good doers.
- Correct daily levels of vitamins and minerals support daily health, immunity and the nervous system.
- Blue Chip feed balancers contain good levels of quality digestible protein to support muscle and cell renewal.
- There are a wide range of ingredients to support joint health (such as glucosamine, MSM, hyaluronic acid, and rosehip extract), some of which are more targeted to problems such as arthritis. Our feed advisors are more than happy to discuss your horses’ particular needs.
- Our Super Concentrated range is particularly beneficial for good doers as the whole range is extremely low in starch and sugar, PLUS every Blue Chip feed balancer is molasses FREE!
- Feeding probiotics and nucleotides to support the continued health of the digestive system, allowing your horse to absorb the full nutritional profile and calorie content of their diet which you supply.
- Feed additional safe calories from natural oils, supported by anti-oxidants present in all Blue Chip feed balancers, (also beneficial for the heart and nervous system) to combat the effect of free radicals.
- Feed low starch with no added sugar, PLUS molasses free where possible.
Management tips for supporting and improving daily joint health:
- Keep your horse at a healthy weight to further support joint health.
- Do not allow your horse to gain too much weight during the grazing season.
- Keep a weekly/fortnightly record by using a weigh tape to recognise gaining trends, allowing you to take action to correct the weight gain before it has chance to take hold.
- Horses should not be allowed to carry excess weight as this will aggravate conditions such as arthritis, laminitis and cardiovascular stress.
- If your horse is competing, make sure that the ingredients abide by the rules of your governing federation and are not included on the prohibited substances list.
- ALL Blue Chip products contain NO banned substances and are ALL BETA NOPS* approved.
Ridden tips for supporting and improving daily joint health:
- Horses can benefit hugely from continued, regular exercise where possible.
- For those who may be a little stiff, you may need to spend longer warming up and cooling down.
- Daily movement helps improve blood flow, and encourages good circulation, plus it is good for joint mobility and digestive health too.
- Daily exercise can help ward off unwanted over-strain injuries, usually caused by long periods of no work followed by too much too soon.
- Keep work varied to maintain enthusiasm, short daily exercise (where possible) is preferred over longer sessions only at weekends or less frequently.
- For those who can’t be ridden or are on box rest, daily carrot stretches can be an invaluable way to maintain flexibility.
- Prolonged periods of being stabled should be avoided where possible.
Blue Chip product options:
- Joint Care Feed Balancer (3kg tub or 2 x 3kg refill packs): Formulated with turmeric, black pepper, natural oils and glucosamine for herbal joint support.
- Senior Feed Balancer (3kg tub or 2 x 3kg refill packs): Formulated with both pre and probiotics with glucosamine and rosehip extract to support joint mobility PLUS chaste tree berry for hormonal support.
- Joint RLF Liquid Joint Supplement (1 litre bottle): For daily joint support. Formulated with glucosamine, MSM, hyaluronic acid, yucca and manganese PLUS rosehip extract. Suitable for all horses.
- Dynamic Joint and Bone Supplement (15kg bag): To protect and strengthen bone and joints. Particularly suitable for growing young stock and competition horses.
*BETA NOPS – Reducing the risk of disqualification from naturally occurring prohibited substances (NOPS) in feed. The BETA NOPS Code calls for every one of its members to evaluate the risk of NOPS contamination during each step of the manufacturing process, from field to feed sack. This includes the sourcing, storage, transport and actual processing. Suppliers of raw materials are audited on a regular basis and staff undergo rigorous training.
A chat with our friendly and helpful feed advisors can help make sure we choose the very best option for your horse.