The Role of Joint Nutraceuticals
Joint supplements can be effective in reducing the pain of arthritis, but a lot depends on exactly what is going on in the joint-what stage the arthritis has reached. Arthritis often begins as inflammation of the synovial lining of the joint and progresses to softening and thinning of the cartilage, which leads to cartilage loss. The bone surrounding the joint also can begin to react to the inflammation. Extra bone begins to be deposited at the edges of the joint. This produces little spurs of bone in the joint and can progress to where bone actually extends across the joint to meet the bone on the other side. That process is called joint fusion and it's the body's way of stopping movement so that the inflamed area doesn't become further irritated.
As a rule, the joint nutraceutical ingredients hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, and glucosamine work best during the early stages of arthritis. Their best-documented effect is actually anti-inflammatory in nature. It's also possible that they may at least slow the loss of cartilage, but their ability to heal areas already damaged is questionable. These ingredients are worth trying at any stage, but are likely to be less effective with advanced arthritis.
A new supplement is avocado-soy unsaponifiables (ASU). These ingredients are fatty acids normally tightly bound to the fiber fractions in soybeans and avocados, and they're not very digestible. When purified, however, they have been found to have joint preserving properties. That is, they can slow the loss of cartilage in arthritic joints. ASU had no effect on lameness in the experimental arthritis model in horses where they were tested, but the ability to protect cartilage is an important effect.
The benefits of other types of fatty acids, such as CMO or Celadrin®, and of products like hydrolyzed collagen, are less well established. Making sure to include generous levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is likely important to horses with arthritis because a deficiency of these essential fats, or an overabundance of the omega-6 fatty acids, can worsen inflammatory reactions.
With very advanced arthritis, the horse will likely need more help than what these nutraceuticals can offer. Nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs may be needed from time to time, but should be limited because of the potential side effects in the intestinal tract and the kidneys. Liniments and wraps for involved lower leg joints can minimize stiffness. Magnetic wraps can help with pain for some horses.
Is Arthritis Inevitable?
So, in any horse who is ridden even half-way hard, is the development of arthritis a given? The answer to this is no. There are active horses who live to a ripe old age and experience no problems with arthritis.
While arthritis sometimes develops as a result of an injury, and aging does make the joints more susceptible, there are also many risk factors within your control. These include not letting your horse get too fat, avoiding hard work at an early age, and making sure your farrier trims or shoes your horse correctly. If you do your best not to unnecessarily put your horse at risk, learn to recognize the early signs of joint inflammation, and treat your horse early on, arthritis need not be a serious issue.
