Taking care of your horse’s joints is an absolute must for any horse owner. Considering a joint care solution early on can be beneficial to your horse having healthy joint function in their later years in life. Many older horses suffer from quite severe arthritis and joint inflammation that could have potentially been avoided if action had been taken earlier.
Horse’s joint, in general, incurs massive amounts of strain and impact from everyday life and those in hard, fast, heavy work can be particularly prone to inflammation and joint degeneration. Competition horses are a very typical example and a joint care plan is a very wise idea.
Today we have taken a look into the Feedmark Flaxamine joint supplements. We found the choice of limited ingredients used to be particularly interesting in this product and having an insight into the formulation of supplements is a very good indication of how well these may work for your horse.
Who is Feedmark?
Feedmark is a very well known, popular brand of horse feeds and supplements that are based in the UK. This trusted equestrian brand was founded in 1979 and aims to lead the way in approving the health and well-being of millions of equines worldwide.
Feedmark is made up of professional equine nutritionists who are constantly looking at new formulas and ways to improve existing products. They pride themselves on providing high-quality products that really do work and seek sustainable solutions to packaging and other source selection where possible.
Ingredients in Feedmark Flexamine
There are two very key ingredients in the Feedmark Flaxamine that work together to create a very effective formula to care for your horse’s joints. Most joint supplements will include these two ingredients along with a combination of others but in much lower doses. This supplement aims to boost the benefits of these ingredients for a super-powerful effect.
Glucosamine HCl
Glucosamine is one of the best-known ingredients used in horse supplements today. You will be very lucky to find a joint care supplement that does not include this and it has been highly praised for its effect on the joints. It is a fast-acting ingredient that aims to maintain joint integrity and has a very calming, soothing effect that is extremely successful in reducing arthritic symptoms and relieving pain.
It is very helpful at acting as a shock absorber and effectively cushioning the joints from the impact of exercise. It also has some amazing lubricating properties which are highly important for proper joint function and can help with achieving a supple and fluid movement.
Much research has taken place on the effectiveness of glucosamine for joint support and researchers at the Texas A&M University concluded that ‘“These results indicate the potential for oral glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl) to mitigate intra-articular inflammation and influence cartilage turnover in a young horse model.”
Although this research was specifically carried out on younger horse’s research has also shown that the effects could be even more positive on older equines who suffer from severe joint pain and arthritis. It is easy to see why this ingredient is a must-have in any joint supplementation.
MSM
MSM is otherwise known as Methylsulfonylmethane and is also a very common ingredient used in supplements to help with horses that suffer from joint problems. MSM works alongside Glucosamine and supplies a source of Sulphur to provide strength to articular cartilage. It also protects cells against oxidative damage with its antioxidant properties.
MSM works to support muscle recovery and the structure of the connective tissue that surrounds your horse’s joints. It can also be a very successful solution for treating chronic arthritis, particularly in older horses. It helps to manage pain and is a viable aid for healing an injury such as wounds and lacerations.
Glucosamine and MSM are very compatible ingredients that work closely together to achieve the maximum effect. The higher levels of both ingredients are a massive plus for this supplement.
Conclusion
Overall we think this is one of the best joint supplements on the market. There are very few ingredients in the formula, but we see this as a major benefit. It is true to say that Glucosamine and MSM are used in the majority of joint supplements available, but usually at a much lower dose than this one provides. Both ingredients are extremely effective in helping horses with arthritis, inflammation, and managing pain. We don’t see the point of adding lots of unnecessary ingredients just for the sake of it.
The palatable powder is easy to mix in with your horse’s feed and can be used as a daily supplementation which can be useful for fussy equine’s who tend to notice when their feed has been doctored.
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.