| Everything hinges - literally - on the joints. If it's | | | | and soft tissues..." Dr. Mark Olsen |
| not the joints themselves, it's the bands of tissue | | | | For years, many people who ride, own and train |
| or the tendons that provide joint stability and | | | | horses have chosen one of two approaches to |
| mobility. Joint disease often starts with | | | | joint disease and lameness. Either they do nothing, |
| inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the | | | | accepting the belief that horses "wear down" as |
| joint, called the synovial membrane. Without | | | | they age or are worked hard, or they rely on |
| timely intervention, age and work will inevitable | | | | "quickfix" solution such as costly injections or |
| thin and degrade the quality of the synovial fluid. | | | | NSAIDs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs |
| When this happens, the joint loses its ability to | | | | (Bute, Banamine). NSAIDSs actually inhibit cartilage |
| protect itself against friction, concussion, and the | | | | metabolism, can cause gastric upset/ulcers with |
| invasion of destructive inflammatory cells. Joint | | | | long term use and mask the pain without |
| stress and joint disease are prevalent conditions | | | | addressing the underlying problems - allowing the |
| with horses for one simple reason: horses' joints | | | | horse to remain active on an injured limb, leading |
| are complex structures that must handle extreme | | | | to further break down of the cartilage and |
| weight loads on a very small surface area. The | | | | exacerbating arthritis. |
| result is that these joints are very prone to | | | | These reactive approaches are often too little too |
| inflammation, swelling, or the long-term effects of | | | | late. Glucosamine and Hyaluronic Acid are |
| degenerative joint disease - particularly among | | | | nutraceuticals that provide the matrix of all |
| aging horses and those actively involved in | | | | connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, cartilage |
| performance competition. | | | | and synovial fluid. These nutraceuticals are |
| "To keep the joints sound and healthy... Because | | | | responsible for maintaining a healthy viscosity to |
| that makes the difference between a long and | | | | the synovial fluid and membrane inside the joint |
| rewarding career On the one hand, and a short | | | | capsule. The synovial fluid works as a cushion and |
| Painful life history on the other..." Dr. John Peters | | | | circulatory system taking impurities out and |
| These factors lead to erosion of articular cartilage | | | | bringing important joint care nutrients into the |
| and chronic irritation and thickening of the synovial | | | | joint capsule to restore the fragile balance. |
| membrane and joint capsule. Left untreated, the | | | | Glucosamine also works as an anti-inflammatory |
| problem will progress into osteoarthritis or | | | | by neutralizing destructive cells that penetrate into |
| degenerative joint disease, the leading cause of | | | | the joint capsule and attack the articular cartilage |
| lameness and loss of use in horses. | | | | that causes the onset of degenerating arthritis. By |
| "Joints stressed by work or age threatens the | | | | supplying these crucial joint nutrients to your |
| vulnerable complex balance between breakdown | | | | horse you can help inhibit this degenerative |
| and repair - when physically stressed an imbalance | | | | process, without any side effects, and stimulate |
| occurs and the demand. For joint-building nutrients | | | | the cartilage synthesis and build and repair healthy |
| outstrips the natural supply. Leading to | | | | joint structures. |
| progressive deterioration of joint cartilage, bone | | | | |