Selecting the right supplements for your horse can be challenging. With so many products available, understanding what each supplement does, how it can benefit your horse, and when it’s appropriate to use it is essential. This guide will walk you through the key factors to consider when choosing horse supplements to ensure your horse’s health and performance.
Assessing Your Horse’s Nutritional Needs
Before you choose any supplement, it’s essential to understand your horse’s unique dietary needs. The right supplement will depend on factors such as age, workload, health, and the nutritional quality of their base diet. Here are a few considerations:
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Forage Quality: Horses get most of their nutrients from hay and grass. If forage quality is low or lacks specific nutrients, a supplement may be needed to fill in the gaps
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Dietary Balance: Sometimes, your horse may receive too much or too little of a specific nutrient. Before adding a supplement, it’s wise to check the overall balance of their diet, as certain combinations of nutrients can have adverse effects
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Specific Health Goals: Common reasons for supplements include joint support, hoof health, digestion, muscle building, and coat conditioning. Prioritize your horse's needs and choose a supplement that addresses their most pressing requirements
Common Types of Horse Supplements
Supplements can be categorized by their intended benefits. Here’s a breakdown of popular types of horse supplements and their benefits:
Joint Support
Joint health is crucial for horses, whether they are in intense training, competing, or simply aging gracefully. Joint supplements are designed to maintain healthy joints, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility, ensuring your horse stays comfortable and performs at their best.
Key ingredients often found in joint support supplements include glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronic acid, and MSM. These components work together to support cartilage health, combat inflammation, and enhance overall mobility, making them invaluable for horses experiencing joint strain or discomfort.
At Woonona Petfoods, we recommend Rosehip Vital Equine, a premium plant-based supplement designed to support your horse’s joint health and overall wellbeing. Made from 100% natural Rosehip fruit, this powerful supplement offers a host of benefits, including:
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Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Helps reduce joint pain and inflammation for improved mobility
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Cartilage Protection: Supports joint structure, reducing wear and tear
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Osteoarthritis Support: Provides relief for horses with osteoarthritis or low-grade lameness
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Rich in Antioxidants: Boosts your horse’s immune system and protects cells from oxidative stress
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Vitamin C Source: Naturally rich in Vitamin C, which aids overall health and immune function
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Improves General Health and Performance: Enhances your horse’s wellbeing, energy levels, and performance
Rosehip Vital Equine is scientifically proven, 100% natural, and free from any additives, making it a safe and effective choice for horses of all ages and activity levels.
Hoof Health
Healthy hooves are essential for a horse’s performance and comfort. Supplements with biotin, methionine, zinc, and lysine are often used to support hoof growth and strength, especially in horses with brittle or weak hooves.
The Aussie Farrier Hoof Growth Supplement is specially formulated to support strong, healthy hoof and connective tissue development. This pellet supplement combines essential nutrients in a highly palatable lucerne base, making it easy to feed and enjoyable for your horse. With all the key ingredients needed for optimal hoof growth, it’s a reliable choice for maintaining hoof health.
Digestive Health
For horses prone to digestive issues, supplements containing probiotics, prebiotics, or digestive enzymes can be incredibly beneficial. These ingredients work together to maintain a healthy gut, improve nutrient absorption, and reduce the risk of colic, ensuring your horse stays happy and comfortable.
Digestive EQ is Australia’s leading gut health supplement for horses, trusted by vets and beloved by thousands of horse owners. This comprehensive foregut and hindgut product supports not only the digestive system but also the immune system, helping to improve your horse’s overall health. Enhanced with enzymes, amino acids, and antioxidants, Digestive EQ addresses the root causes of common issues like poor hoof or coat condition, erratic behaviour, sour attitudes, and recurring colic. By promoting gut health, it contributes to a stronger, healthier horse from the inside out.
Skin and Coat Health
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, along with essential vitamins like A and E, play a vital role in maintaining a shiny coat and healthy skin. These nutrients help improve skin elasticity, promote hair growth, and reduce inflammation, making them especially beneficial for horses with dull coats, dry skin, or irritation. For horses needing extra coat conditioning or relief from skin issues, targeted supplements can provide the nourishment they need.
CEN Oil for Horses offers a potent Omega-3 boost, delivering 60% Omega-3 content, the highest on the market. This plant-based oil mimics the Omega profile of fresh pasture, making it an excellent option for all horses, from pleasure to performance. By feeding just 10mL per 100kg of bodyweight daily, CEN Oil promotes optimal coat health, skin condition, and overall performance.
Calafea Horse Itch Oil is a 100% natural solution designed to tackle itchiness and skin irritation. It works quickly to relieve discomfort, repair damaged skin, and prevent further issues by repelling midges, mosquitoes, mites, and ticks. Ideal for horses with stressed or dry skin, this pure oil provides natural, effective relief while supporting healthy skin recovery.
Electrolytes
If your horse is sweating heavily during training or hot weather, electrolyte supplements are essential to replenish lost minerals like sodium, potassium, and chloride. These minerals help prevent dehydration, support muscle function, and ensure your horse stays healthy and performs at their best.
Kohnke’s Own Cell-Salts is a premium electrolyte supplement designed to replace the key physiological salts lost through sweat. Many horse owners may not realize that horses require higher levels of salt, even during moderate sweating from daily work. By adding Cell-Salts to your horse’s diet, you can encourage hydration and ensure critical minerals such as sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium are restored.
Performance and Muscle Building
Horses in rigorous training can benefit greatly from amino acid or protein supplements to support muscle recovery, enhance strength, and promote overall performance. These supplements help repair muscle tissue after intense exercise, improve stamina, and ensure your horse is in peak condition for their demanding routines.
Digestive VM is the ultimate supplement for horses, providing a comprehensive blend of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Specially formulated by Equine Nutrition and Gut Health specialists, it addresses nutrient gaps in hay- or pasture-based diets, unfortified grain diets, or under-supplemented commercial feeds. Key ingredients like organic selenium, chromium, and natural vitamin E work together to support optimal health, while glutamine aids digestion and a yeast-derived prebiotic promotes a healthy hindgut microbiome.
Choosing Quality Supplements
Not all supplements are created equal, so it’s crucial to choose products from reputable brands with transparent ingredient lists and quality manufacturing processes. Here’s what to look for:
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Quality Assurance: Opt for brands that adhere to quality control standards, ensuring they meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and undergo third-party testing
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Ingredient Transparency: Look for products that clearly list all ingredients, their sources, and dosages. Avoid supplements with fillers or artificial additives that offer no nutritional benefit
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Bioavailability: The supplement's bioavailability, how well your horse can absorb and use the nutrients, is critical. Some forms of vitamins or minerals are more easily absorbed than others
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Veterinary Approval: Consult your veterinarian before introducing any new supplement, especially if your horse has a pre-existing health condition or is on medication
Supplement Safety and Dosage
Understanding the appropriate dosage is essential for supplement safety. Over-supplementing can lead to toxicity and other health issues, while under-supplementing may yield little to no benefit. Here are some tips for proper supplementation:
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Follow Dosage Instructions: Stick to the recommended dose on the label, and monitor your horse’s response to the supplement
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Introduce Slowly: When starting a new supplement, introduce it gradually to allow your horse’s system to adjust, which also helps you watch for any adverse reactions
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Avoid Redundancy: If you’re feeding multiple supplements, make sure they don’t duplicate nutrients, which could lead to imbalances or overdoses. A balanced diet may eliminate the need for additional supplements
Monitoring the Effects
Once you start your horse on a new supplement, monitor for any positive changes in health or performance. Some effects, like improved coat condition, may be visible in a few weeks, while others, such as joint health improvements, might take a couple of months. Keep track of any noticeable differences and consult your veterinarian if you have questions.
With so many supplements available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. By assessing your horse's diet, considering their specific health goals, and choosing high-quality products, you can provide valuable support for their well-being and performance.
