Horse with athritis?

Ok well my 6 almost seven year old appy mare has severe athritis in her ankles. We barrel race, and not just back yard but all over the country (NHSRA been to nationals and such), Anyway she is very good at what she does but sometimes she soms up sore (understandable) so I was wondering if you guys have any natural supplements i could use to just help keep the athritis were it is,





Don't worry she is very well taken care of and not pushed to hard. Always wraped for workouts and after is very spoiled(ie. cold hose, magnet boots , linement. and so much more) And when she is sore she always gets the time she need of. So i dont need advice like that just supplements YOU recomend!


Thanks alot(good luck with all your riding and horses)





heres a pic. haha because i love her!





http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310...

Horse with athritis?
We used to use a Bute (Phenylbutazone) wrap for our horse who had an arthritic knee when he used it too much. He was used for roping and had a lot of pounding on his front legs. We used to wrap his leg with it before (during) and after the show to keep him comfortable.
Reply:If she already has arthritis then you really shoudln't be barrel racing her - it will just damage her joints even more.


A good suppliment is green lipped muscle. This is where they extract glucosamine from. It helps rebuild the cartilage in the joints. It will help the horse but won't repair the damage completly and you really should stop riding the horse in barrel racing or reining of any sort.
Reply:I would recommend that you don't waste your money on glucosamine. Studies and human trials have shown that it doesn't work and won't build new cartilage. I wish it did. I wasted my money for 2 years for my knees and got no improvement. The best things for arthritis are anti-inflammatories and cold. Sorry, I wish there was a cure.
Reply:She is awful young to have arthritis already. I have to say that if my horse was arthritic I wouldn't make her compete anymore. I would get her on a supplement called Powerflex and just use her for trail, if she was comfortable for that. Barrel horses take a real beating on their legs and if you've ever suffered from arthritis (I do) you wouldn't put an animal you "love" through that kind of pain, even though she has the competitive heart to work through it.
Reply:Why does she have arthritis at such a young age? Is it a conformational issue, or has she been ridden into the ground?





I'm more inclined to go for the second option, since she's already in national competition... possibly she was broken in young and worked hard?





There is nothing you can do to stop, or undo, arthritis once it's started. It's progressive, and the wear and tear will continue if you continue to work her. Glucosamine may help her feel a little more comfortable but it's not a miracle cure.
Reply:Make sure she gets glucosamine. It even works on humans with arthritis. I used it for my quarter horse...just followed the directions on the bottle. It really seamed to help him. He didn't get sore as often.
Reply:Arthritis, at six years old?? WHY? What did your vet say about this? You've certainly got my curiosity peaked...





I like glucosamine/chondritin supplements best. You can feed them separately but I think it's probably more economical to find a supplement that gives a healthy dose of each.





I think I know the answer to this question I'm about to ask, but...if she is six and ALREADY has severe arthritis, did you ever consider getting a healthier horse for such an active sport as barrel racing and retiring this one (regardless of how good she is)? How will the poor dear move comfortably when she's 16 if she continues to go on like this? : X



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