Hyaluronic Acid for Healthy Horse Joints

Oral joint supplements often contain ingredients thought to be building blocks for articular tissues and fluids, such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid (HA).

“Providing nutrients used by joint tissues to manufacture healthy cartilage and fluid is thought to benefit the joint environment, promoting pain-free motion,” explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a Kentucky Equine Research nutrition advisor. “This is why oral joint supplementation is so important for performance horses.”

Examples of high-quality nutritional supplements include the proven formulations KER-Flex, which contains both glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate, and Synovate HA, a liquid joint supplement featuring high molecular weight hyaluronic acid derived from microbial fermentation. Glucos-A-Flex, available in Australia, is a research-proven source of glucosamine hydrochloride.

Either in lieu of or in conjunction with oral hyaluronic acid, many owners and trainers elect to have their horse’s joints injected with hyaluronic acid.

“One of the drawbacks associated with any intra-articular injection is the risk of joint flares or joint infections,” Whitehouse noted.

While joint infections are rare considering how often veterinarians perform the procedure, joint flares occur frequently. During a joint flare, inflammation within the joint after medication administration can cause severe lameness, swelling of the joint, and pain on palpation. In fact, some manufacturers of injectable hyaluronic acid include warnings in their product disclosure information regarding post-injection inflammation.

One recent study^* evaluated two injectable hyaluronic acid formulations, and both induced an inflammatory response in healthy equine joints. The researchers of that study concluded that “the adverse effects found in the hyaluronic acid formulations used in this study may outweigh the possible beneficial effects.”

Those researchers also noted that no randomized, controlled clinical trials regarding the efficacy of injectable hyaluronic acid in equine osteoarthritis have been performed. Such studies are most certainly necessary to determine the overall effect of hyaluronic acid, either with or without the co-administration of intra-articular corticosteroids, in healthy and arthritic joints.

To maximize joint health, consider oral joint supplements instead of performing routine joint injections. In addition to KER-Flex and Synovate HA, try EO-3, a source of omega-3 fatty acids.

^*Johnston, G.C.A., K.A. Wood, K.H. Jackson, et al. 2020. Evaluation of the inflammatory response to two intra-articular hyaluronic acid formulations in normal equine joints. Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 43:38-49.