FeaturesSupplementing Your Shooting Horse
With literally hundreds of nutritional supplements to choose from, shooting horse owners are wise to do their homework before committing to a program that requires deep pockets.
Mounted shooting horses are high performance equines that require special care, exercise and nutrition. In addition to the high intensity competition that stresses both body and mind, there is training and hauling and more—factors that all play a role in your horse’s health.
Good nutrition is paramount in optimizing athletic performance and maintaining the successful health of your animal. And for athletic mounted shooting horses, energy and joint health may be the most important nutritional considerations.
All horses need adequate water, fiber, minerals and vitamins. And although good forage such as grass hay and alfalfa and a salt or mineral block provide most of what a healthy horse needs, heavy work cannot be fueled by forage alone.
Enter the world of nutritional supplements. Across every discipline of performance horse sports, supplements have become a mainstay in one form or another. Whether designed to promote performance, energy, calmness, joint soundness, hoof health or skin condition, supplements are here to stay and horse owners should do their homework before diving into the next rage product.
First, understand just what they are. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), “nutritional supplements, also referred to as nutraceuticals or dietary supplements, are defined as products taken by mouth that contain one or more dietary ingredients intended to supplement the diet. These dietary ingredients might include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanical products, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, metabolites, extracts, or concentrates. Nutritional supplements are formulated as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, powders, or medicated feeds (e.g., pellets).”
The AAEP continues, “Nutritional supplements are not pharmaceutical drugs, are not manufactured like pharmaceutical drugs, and have not undergone testing to demonstrate either efficacy or safety. As such, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that nutritional supplements are not permitted to claim that they can be used to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure a disease.
The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) maintains a membership of concerned and committed manu-facturers of animal health supplements. They endeavor to improve the quality of these products and work cooperatively with state, federal and international government officials to create a legislative and regulatory environment that provides a framework that is nationally consistent. NASC members must undergo a rigorous independent audit of their facilities to show consumers they are committed to the highest standards of quality themselves.
There are literally hundreds of nutritional supplements for horses ranging from the hoof to the mane and beyond. Products containing ingredients and vitamins familiar to humans and their other four-legged friends can be found in a myriad of products.
And recent advances in nutritional science and manufacturing techniques mean supplements now provide more than internal benefits—they create noticeable differences on the exterior of the horse as well. Visually healthier skin and coat, along with more pliable hooves and sounder joints are among the benefits. Electrolyte formulations enable horses to recover faster from strenuous exercise.
Western Shooting Horse scratched the surface to learn about some of the many products available from the NASC roster of members. We put together the following list of manufacturers that seem most popular and cater more heavily towards the performance horse market.
• Farnam offers a variety of products including Max Flex Joint Formula, Joint Combo Hoof & Coat, as well
• Formula 707 was one of the first vitamin/mineral supplements for horses ever to hit the market. Today, in addition to a full range of such supplements, Formula 707 offers products for Hoof Health, Joint Health, Specialized Health, Pastes, and products for topical application. www.formula707.com
• Grand Meadows develops advanced formulas that complete a full line of products to support the health of joints, hooves, coats, and overall well-being of both horse and rider. Their Grand Complete combines ingredients from their most popular products, Grand Flex, Grand Hoof Pellets, Grand Coat and Grand Vite into a unique formulation targeting all the key areas for overall wellness of your horse. www.grandmeadows.com
• Horse Tech produces a wide variety of supplements for all areas of the horse. Their popular HylaSport combines the most proven joint supplements and comes in a powdered form. www.horsetech.com
• Hyaluronex is a formulation that helps protect and maintain healthy joints and features a proprietary concentrated hyaluronan formulation. The product uses MHB3, a modified hyaluronan biopolymer with superior oral absorption and bioavailability characteristics. www.hyaluronex.com
• Hyalun® is a tasteless liquid solution that you administer to your horse once daily. A delivery of hyaluronic acid is designed to lubricate joints as an integral component of synovial fluid. www.hyalun.com
• LubriSyn delivers an oral form of hyaluronic acid administered daily to maintain consistent levels in the body. Hyaluronic acid (HA) occurs naturally in the joints of all mammals and has been proven to aid in the proper function of a horse’s joint system. www.Lubrisyn.com
• Majesty’s has developed a wafer made of molasses, oat and applesauce as an easy way to deliver their supplement package to your horse. Majesty’s Flex Wafers are recommended for support of bones, joints and cartilage, and Majesty’s Bio+ Wafers provide support of the health of a horse’s hooves and coat. www.majestys.com
• Manna Pro’s new Max-E-Glo® Complete combines the popular Max-E-Glo® stabilized rice bran with the extra benefits of vitamins, minerals, yeast, and flax, giving your horse a high fat, fortified supplement in one convenient package. www.mannapro.com
• Med-Vet Pharmaceuticals produces a complete line of supplements for horses. The company recently introduced its new 4-in-1™ H/A that combines glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and sodium hyaluronate for joints, biotin to support healthy hoof growth, Omega’s 3 & 6 to support healthy hair coat and Probiotics for the digestive system. www.medvetpharm.com
• Peak Performance Nutrients are manufacturers of sugar and filler-free equine vitamins and supplements for all classes of horses. They carry a complete line of equine vitamins and supplements for joints, calming, tying up, performance, pre-race, bleeding, antioxidants, muscles, and energy. www.peakperformancenutrients.com
• Platinum Performance™ Equine is a comprehensive wellness and performance formula designed as a foundation formula for any nutritional campaign. Platinum Performance Equine addresses multiple nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that are common in most modern equine diets. Platinum Performance CJ adds complete joint support to its Equine product. www.platinumperformance.com
• SeaBuck Complete is a seabuckthorn-based all-natural equine health and performance supplement for all classes and breeds of horses. Its effectiveness is derived from its natural content, which includes vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, flavoniods and omega fatty acids—all working synergistically to treat the whole horse. SeaBuck Complete also provides anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant functions addressing the needs of a horse’s delicate yet demanding bio-system. www.seabuck.com
• Silver Lining Herbs #10 Training Mix is a whole horse support combination for the total support of all systems. The #10 Training Mix focuses on supporting each of the organs and individual body parts so that the horse is able to maintain total health. www.silverliningherbs.com
• Vita Flex Animal Health Supplements produces a large variety of supplements for horses. Each product is scientifically formulated and tested to optimize health and performance by their own staff of equine scientists, veterinarians and biochemists.
• SmartPak™ markets leading name brand supplements custom-packed for your horse in a patented unit dose package, the SmartPak™. SmartPaks are individually labeled and sealed packs that contain one day’s dosage of supplements. They also protect supplements from the harmful effects of oxygen and moisture, thereby ensuring maximum potency. SmartPaks are automatically shipped every four weeks and can be sent to your home, office or barn. www.smartpakwestern.com
We suggest you visit the NASC web site (www.nasc.cc) to learn more about nutritional supplements for you horse and see if your current or future supplement provider is a member.
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