The ShowjumpingShire's first guest post! Have a read of this article written by Claire from Animalife, leading manufacturers of equine supplements.
Why Use
Equine Supplements?
For many of
us, taking vitamins or other dietary supplements are a normal part of our
day-to-day lives. Vitamin C tablets, cod liver oil capsule and iron supplements
can all help us feel that we are helping to keep our bodies balanced – which is
especially good to know on those days where we might not be eating the best
food, or taking care of our bodies as well as we should!
Just as we
benefit from this extra bit of help, so too do our horses. Most horse owners
and trainers these days recognise the benefits of adding supplements to horses’
normal feed to balance their overall diet and help with specific problem areas.
Equine supplements are specially manufactured for the animals’ needs; human
supplements are not appropriate because the size of horses means they need much
higher doses than a person would.
Owning a
horse is expensive and so some people may question whether they really need
these specially-designed supplements; however, the old saying ‘prevention is
better than cure’ is something which is definitely worth bearing in mind.
Horses are naturally athletic, but the type of work they do – particularly if
they are used in competition – makes them prone to certain injuries and
conditions. If these develop into something serious, then not only can your
horse be left in a lot of pain, but treatment can be costly. It is therefore
better for both you and your horse in the long term to incorporate supplements
into their everyday feeding routine. There are many types of supplements on the
market, and vary depending on form – i.e. whether they come as a liquid, as
powder or as pellets – and purpose.
One example
of supplements which you may find useful are those which help to support healthy
joints. Joint conditions such as arthritis are common in older horses, though
they can occur in horses of any age. Conditions such as these can cause your
horse serious discomfort and pain, and in extreme cases can result in lameness.
In competing
horses, the risk of developing joint issues is even higher as they are exercising
much more regularly and with higher intensity. Event horses are at high risk of
injuries to the stifle, dressage horses are more prone to fetlock injuries, and
horses used in racing are likely to experience damage to the knee joints. While
supplements won’t mean that your horse never injures their joints during these
activities, they can help to protect the joints by maintaining healthy
cartilage, making the joints as strong as possible.
As stated,
there are a wide variety of supplement products available on the market.
Discuss with your vet or an equestrian nutritionist which products will be most
appropriate for your horse.
"About Animalife®
Animalife is committed to the development of advanced technologies to assist the health, wellbeing and performance of your horse, utilising 100% natural ingredients with SOBF® (Specially Optimised Bioavailable Formula) technologies. We have built trust in our products through robust science, efficacy and outstanding quality, providing specific proprietary formulations that support the body’s natural processes. Animalife products work with the body to help maintain health, vitality and are proven by clinical research. Animalife products are used professionally and are proudly recommended by leading Vets and International GB team riders."
<a href=”http://www.animalife.co.uk”>equine supplements</a>
