Question
I am looking for a new joint supplement for my draft-cross gelding Zeke, as the product I use now has been discontinued by the manufacturer. He has allergies to oats, bran, flax, corn, soy, barley, and rice, and he will break out in hives when fed certain things. Do you have a joint supplement that does not contain these ingredients? Zeke is 17 years old and weighs 1,500-1,600 lb (682-727 kg). He holds his weight well and is not a finicky eater. He currently receives alfalfa pellets (a couple of handfuls), three flakes of alfalfa hay, and one flake of local grass hay per day. In the evening, he gets a vitamin/mineral supplement. He is allowed 8-10 hours on grass five days per week and 8-10 hours on drylot the other two days of the week. He is ridden four or five days per week, jumping only twice each week.
Answer
Feed allergies are uncommon in horses. Although you do not mention how your horse’s allergies were determined, the most reliable way of establishing a diagnosis of feed allergy or adverse reaction is by performing an elimination diet, which involves feeding a restrictive diet and then adding one new feed at a time, waiting to see if a reaction occurs. A veterinarian well-versed in implementing elimination diets can help navigate this. Other methods of determining allergies in horses, including skin allergy testing and blood testing, have yielded unreliable results. I have several recommendations for Zeke.
Synovate HA is a liquid supplement with a pleasant persimmon smell and flavor, and contains only liquid sodium hyaluronate with no other ingredients. Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt (more stable) of hyaluronic acid and turns into hyaluronic acid when it is replaced with hydrogen in water. Hyaluronic acid naturally occurs in joints and is the primary agent responsible for the viscosity and lubricating properties of synovial joint fluid. It also contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are useful for high-motion joints.
As horses mature and are subjected to increased athletic demands, changes in natural hyaluronic acid stores lead to inflammation, lower viscoelasticity in joint fluid, and eventually damaged cartilage. Hyaluronic acid is one of the common ingredients in joint injections but is known to have a very short half-life in horses. This rapid clearance suggests that regular daily oral administration would be useful to maintain concentrations of hyaluronic acid in the joints. Specifically, Synovate HA contains high molecular weight hyaluronic acid from microbial fermentation. This form of hyaluronic acid provides the greatest biological response and is most comparable to the native hyaluronic acid produced by the horse’s body.
Although not specifically marketed as a joint supplement, a second option is EO-3, a potent marine-derived source of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are mediators of inflammation, providing health benefits for multiple body systems, including the joints. EO-3 positively affects numerous inflammatory conditions and supports skin and coat health, reproductive health, and exercise recovery. It has a protective effect on joint health by counteracting the damaging effects of exercise-induced inflammation. The long-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA have greater anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties compared to short-chain fatty acids, such as ALA, found in plant-based sources like flax. Supplementation with EPA and DHA has been shown to lead to increased stride length and reduced inflammatory markers in joints of yearlings and older horses. Generally, omega-3 fatty acids also help strengthen the immune system and reduce the severity of allergic reactions.
Particularly, EO-3 may be helpful for inflammatory allergic responses that may still bother Zeke, including hives. This highly palatable minty-apple-flavored oil can easily be absorbed by the alfalfa pellets you’re feeding.
A final option would be pelleted Total Wellness. Total Wellness is considered a complete performance formula in pellet form; however, it does contain flax meal. It is designed to support horses’ overall health by providing antioxidant, joint, and hoof and coat support in one product. Specifically for joint health, Total Wellness includes glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Because it contains flax meal, it would not be my first suggestion for Zeke, but we could try it and see how he does. At the recommended feeding rate, the amount of flax he would be ingesting would be minimal.
We can always try one or another and see how Zeke responds. I’ve provided some additional reading here:
Equine Allergies: Immunotherapy and Omega-3s
From the Research Farm to Your Feed Room: Applying Study Results to Improve EO-3
