MorganLover said:
My cherokee with her old age of 30 is having more and more trouble with her joints and getting up stuff like that. What does everyone use that isn't horrible expensive. I was using something for her but it just go too expensive. What does everyone suggest?
A lot depends on individual horses. I'd talk to your vet too. Certain supplements are said to be ineffective if taken orally.
Some examples of common joint supplements, many of these are combined:
Glucosamine and Chondroitin - commonly used for people/horses with osteoarthritis pain. Helps repair cartlidge.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) - comes from dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), which is an anti-inflammatory. Also helps get rid of epiphysitis and can slow down the growth of tumors. Used to help relieve pain.
Yucca - also helps with the popping and cracking of joints.
Hyaluronic acid (HA)- Also useful in treating osteoarthritis, but because when injected it is believed to help increase the presence of synovial fluids in the joints. There is a LOT of debate about whether or not oral forms of HA are truly helpful.
There are tons more options out there.
Example many also come in fluid, powder, or pellet form. Many people believe they are effective in that order too, with fluid being the most absorbed and pellets the least. This has to do a lot with the fact that horses are not good digestors and may not absorb, through digestion, the integral amounts of the supplements.
I feed
Equine CortaFlex in the powder form. The bigger containers last for quite a while and cost less by volume. But, no matter which type you choose I'd start with a small container to see if you notice a difference before you shell out tons of money on something you don't think works.