Whether you’ve been in the horse world for ages or you’re a newbie, I’ve got you covered in this new series of “Sh*t I can’t live without”. I want to share the expertise I’ve gained through many years of trial and error and many, many, MANT dollars spent. I fancy myself a bit of a minimalist when it comes to horses, I like my sh*t to work and work well. So, let’s jump into the first installment of this series: Sh*t I can’t live without – supplements edition!

These are the products that I truly love. Some I’ve used for years, and some are new additions to my daily favorites.

Oh, and this post is 100% not sponsored! These are the products I’ve bought with my own money and absolutely love because they WORK. And, I’ll make you a promise right here, right now. I will never push or promote a product that I don’t believe in and don’t personally love. You can trust that whenever I share a product with you, it’s because I really love it and I think you will too.

Okay, okay let’s get on with it!

My Current Favorite All-Around Supplement For Horses

Let’s talk nutrition and supplements! Since we all know our horses need to be feeling their best to perform their best, supplements often are a key part of a performance horse’s diet. Of course, every horse is different and has different nutritional requirements to look and feel their best. But, these are the products I find work really well for most horses!

MadBarn W-3 Oil

If you follow my Instagram (if you don’t definitely do that, it’s a fun time @bethany.didtrek.eq ) I’ve talked about and recommended this product a number of times.

The W3 oil is an affordable supplement to add to your horse’s diet. Not only will it make your horse’s coat *sparkle* it’s full of good things to support your horse’s overall health.

The main reason I love to add W-3 is it’s an essential fatty acid supplement made with microalgae-synthesized DHA. DHA is most commonly found in fish oil, but horses don’t usually like the taste of it. Since having DHA in your horse’s diet has oodles of benefits (yes, I just used the word “oodles”) having a non-fish-oil option to get DHA into your horse is awesome. Gotta love science!

DHA is amazing and studies have shown it reduces inflammation, improves joint mobility, improves respiratory function and cardiovascular health, not to mention enhances cognitive function. Need I say more?

I don’t have to but I will!

Supplementing with W-3 oil provides your horse with readily available DHA that they can’t get from their plant-based diet. Normally horses have to synthesize DHA from ALA found in plants, which is inefficient and can produce lower amounts of DHA to support their bodies. Supplementing with W-3 oil is a great way to support your horse’s health and overall performance.

So, I’ve talked about the benefits that I love and why I use W-3 oil as a daily supplement. There are LOTS of other benefits that if you’re interested in learning about you can find a full breakdown here! This supplement really is so impressive and has so many great benefits to your four-legged teammate.

Even though W-3 Oil can help your horse’s joint function I’m going to outline my (other) favorite joint supplements! I’ve found all of these through the trial and error of many years and thousands of dollars *sigh*. So, let’s get to it!

Let’s Chat about Joint Supplements!

Buckle up, I’m about to run through my recommendations for joint supplements. You might be thinking “why so many different recommendations?”. Great question. In the past decade, I’ve tried all different kinds of joint supplements and in my experience, all horses are slightly different and respond better or worse to different supplements depending on the active ingredients. So, unfortunately, I can’t give you a blanket “Best Joint Supplement”. But I’ll give you the ones I’ve personally tried and seen results with. Keep in mind you may need to try out more than one to find the best fit for your equine buddy. If you have serious concerns about your horse’s joints please contact your vet, but without further ado, here are my top 3 joint/performance supplements!

Purica Equine Recovery – Extra Strength

This supplement I really noticed a difference in my horse Stella when I started her on it. Stella is my 19-year-old quarterhorse and she’s had a few injuries, she also suffers from arthritis. When I first started her on Purica, I saw a notable difference within a few days. She seemed to walk more comfortably and when I called her in for her food she would trot or canter to me when she would just walk before. Not sure if that’s because she loves the flavor of this supplement so much, or because she feels better when she’s on it. Either way, I see an improvement in her movement when she’s on it.

The thing I really like about this supplement is it seems to do what the name suggests, recover. It’s not just about pain management it actually helps heal the underlying issue. With Stella’s old injuries that tend to bother her, I find Purica’s formula does great things for her!

Let’s chat about ingredients:

Here are some of the ingredients that really stand out to me in this formula:

• First in the line up, plant-derived glucosamine hydrochloride – they add a pretty healthy amount at 10,000 mg /scoop. Typically in a joint supplement, you’ll see either this type of glucosamine or glucosamine sulfate. Though not conclusive, studies have found it’s more about the bio-availability of glucosamine to the body than if it’s from a hydrochloride or sulfate form.
• Next up we’ve got methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) – another healthy dose is in each scoop at 10,000mg. MSM is a well-known ingredient in the horse world. We love it because it’s a proven ingredient to help reduce inflammation in the joints and slow down arthritis development. So, I love that they have it at a high dose in this formula.
• Hyaluronic acid – HA (sodium hyaluronate)- a smaller dose per scoop with 100 mg. Now, I add this to the list with the caveat. The Hyaluronic acid studies I’ve found haven’t given me the confidence that it is definitely effective when taken orally. However, this is simply because there really haven’t been a lot of studies done on the effects when ingested rather than injected. The initial data does suggest that it helps reduce lameness. Hyaluronic acid used as an injection definitely has proven benefits so, in my opinion, having this ingredient in a supplement won’t hurt and there’s a good chance it will help.
• A more novel ingredient, decaffeinated green tea extract. You may be familiar with the many health benefits green tea has for humans, but now studies are showing that green tea extracts have kick-ass health benefits for horses too. The main benefit is it functions as an anti-inflammatory and it’s antioxidant properties. I love that they add a more unconventional ingredient to this formula that’s also scientifically backed to have benefits for your horse!

I love when brands are innovative in their formulas and I definitely think it pays off in this one from Purica!

EquiThrive Original Joint

This one is a little trickier to get your hands on if you’re a Canadian like me but, it’s worth it. About a year and a half ago now I was seriously contemplating putting Stella on Previcox (a medication for pain management in horses). Previcox although fairly easy to give comes with health complications. In a last-ditch effort my vet recommended I try her on this supplement first. And let me tell you, it really works for Stella. I haven’t needed to start her on Previcox yet, EquiThrive seems to be doing wonders for her.

I often have her on some combination of this supplement and the Purica Equine Recovery. Though it’s a pricey combo, it really works! Like, shockingly well.

This supplement is different than the other two on my joint list because it really only has two/three active ingredients. So, let’s discuss, shall we?

One, I already went over in the Purica ingredients, it’s Sodium Hyaluronate at a modest dose of 50 mg. We love a bit of HA but the star of the show in this supplement is Resverasyn / yielding Resveratrol. Don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of these before either but, they’re pretty cool.

Studies have shown that the anti-inflammatory antioxidant Resveratrol is effective in treating joint inflammation and lameness in horses. The cool thing about this supplement in particular is they took it one step further and developed Resverasyn® which is their own purified version of Resveratrol. The Resverasyn®allows for better absorption and is encapsulated to protect the compound from deterioration before reaching the tissues. You can read up on these ingredients here!

If you have a horse that’s actively suffering from joint lameness I suggest you try this supplement. And if you want to take it one step further, you can do what I do with Stella and combine it with the Purica Recovery which seems to be the ultimate joint combo.

Integra’s Tri-Acta H.A

Integra Tri-acta H.A is a unique equine supplement. Their formula has three key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate.

They also use hyaluronic acid in their formula which is a natural substance found in the body that helps to lubricate and cushion joints. It also promotes healthy skin and connective tissue. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are also natural substances that are known for their ability to support joint health and improve mobility.

The combination of these three ingredients in Integra Tri-acta H.A provides a comprehensive approach to supporting joint health in horses. This supplement helps to reduce inflammation and promote healthy joint function. All while also providing nutrients that are essential for maintaining healthy skin, coat, and connective tissue.

Integra Tri-acta H.A is particularly beneficial for horses that are in rigorous activity, like high-performance horses. But, it’s not just for high-performance horses. Tri-Acta H.A. can also be beneficial for horses that are experiencing joint stiffness, lameness, or other joint-related issues.

In addition to its joint-supporting benefits, Tri-acta’s made with ingredients that support digestive health, such as prebiotics and probiotics. These ingredients help to promote a healthy gut microbiome and support optimal nutrient absorption. Which we love.

Overall, Integra Tri-acta H.A is a high-quality equine supplement that provides a comprehensive approach to supporting joint health, as well as digestive health and overall well-being in horses.

I did try Stella on this Supplement didn’t work as well as I’ve found the other two. But, we have Noggin on it and it does wonders for him. Most of the horses that I ride at my coach’s facility are also on Tri-Acta and it helps keep them performing at their best!

Honourable Mentions

1. Salt! Adding salt to your horses diet is never a bad move. Horses need the minerals and it’s super cheap and easy to either add to their grain. You can also opt for a fun little salt lick for them.
2. Mad Barn Performance XL Electrolytes! I’m always adding these to the grain of the horses I’m riding in the summer time. They’re basically Gatorade for horses… but you know, healthier.