It is inevitable at one point or another your horse will need some extra support from joint supplements. It is irrelevant whether your horse is at the younger stages in life as joint problems can occur at any time in your horse’s life.
We usually associate joint problems and arthritis in older horses, but truth be told, many younger horses suffer too. This is usually a result of the type of work they carry out. Racehorses tend to be quite young when they take part in races and this can result in a massive impact on their joints and muscles. Equine disciplines such as show jumping and cross country can also be a factor.
Providing your horse with supplements can help protect the connective tissue around the joints, reduce inflammation, manage pain, and help to lubricate the joints. Starting younger horses on joints supplements can be highly beneficial for their later years in life and can slow down the process of deterioration on the joints
It can be a mind field deciding what horse joint supplements would work best for your horse. Choosing the right ingredients in joint supplements is a major factor as to how well it will work for your horse. Let’s take a closer look at the Cortaflex® HA Regular Powder to give you a better understanding of how this may help your equine friend.
Who is Cortavet?
Cortavet is a brand of the very popular horse supplement company ‘Equine America’. Equine America UK is a traditional family-run company that was founded in 1997 by Phil and Julie Middleton. The company is now run by their son, Lee.
All their products are manufactured in the UK, in food industry standard factories, and are accredited by BETA NOPS and UFAS for peace of mind that none of their products contain any prohibited substances.
Ingredients in the Cortaflex® HA Regular Powder
The Cortaflex® HA Regular Powder is made up of some well-known, proven ingredients and is suitable for horses in light to medium work as well as older horses with arthritis. It is low in sugar content which makes it particularly helpful for those equines that are having to watch their weight.
MSM
Methyl Sulphonyl Methane, otherwise known as MSM is one of the key ingredients in any great horse joint supplement. Its primary function is to reduce blood markers for oxidation and inflammation. It is particularly helpful for those equines suffering from chronic arthritis to manage pain and can be a good solution for aiding your horse to heal from an injury.
MSM is also highly beneficial for healthy skin, coat, and hooves and is often found in products that promote these types of health benefits.
Collagen
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the body and provides the structural framework for cartilage. This helps to give it strength and elasticity and keeps the joints as supple and flexible as possible.
In human health, Collagen has been researched extensively and the outcomes show it can be much more effective for joint health than glucosamine and chondroitin combined. This is a debatable subject and many will disagree, however, we believe a collaboration of ingredients is usually the best route to take initially.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid is another very popular ingredient used in horse joint supplements and is known to help with reducing pain, heat, and joint swelling in horses. It is commonly used in joint supplements with both Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate but appears not to be coupled together with these ingredients in this particular formula.
Hyaluronic Acid can also be purchased separately as either an oral tablet or in gel form. It is widely used for horses with injuries such as lacerations and abrasions thanks to its great wound healing properties.
Mineral Traces
Key trace ingredients Silicon, Manganese, and Copper can be found in these supplements which play important roles in the production of structural compounds such as chondroitin as well as the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. In particular;
Silicon – Helps with bone and connective tissue repair
Manganese – is an effective nutritional support for cartilage and helps aid repair
Copper – aids the production of important antioxidants as well as antioxidant defence.
Conclusion
Overall we like the make-up of this supplement, but it is one of the first we have come across that does not contain either Glucosamine or Chondroitin Sulfate which makes us question how effective the supplement will be for some. If the research carried out is accurate in stating that Collagen is more effective then it may not be an issue with the absence of these proven ingredients.
MSM is proven to be a fantastic ingredient for joint problems, but as mentioned above, we do not usually see this ingredient without the addition of Glucosamine or Chondroitin Sulfate. This one has left us on the fence a bit.
We do however think this is a good value for money product and a brand that can be trusted based on experience and their loyal customer following.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.