Taking care of your horse’s joints contributes considerably to their overall health and wellbeing. It is inevitable that at some point during your horse’s life they will need the help of some joint supplementation. We usually associate joint pain and arthritis with horses that are in the later years of their life, but the reality is, a horse of any age can suffer from joint problems.
Some owners opt for joint injections that need to be administered by a qualified vet, however other owners choose to use daily joint supplements in their horses feed. Let’s take a closer look at one of the best joint supplements on the market right now from NAF Equine.
Who is NAF Equine?
Naf Equine has been in the horse supplementation business for over thirty years and continues to lead the way in their dedicated field. They are a UK based company who pride themselves on their unique, effective formulations and using only the best quality natural ingredients.
The brand is run by a dedicated team of specialists and veterinary scientists under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Larkins BVSc DSc MRCVS, nutritionists, managed by the widely published Kate Hore RNutr(Animal) and chemists, including specialised formulation chemist Adam Lewandowski. NAF is also the official supplier of supplements and care products to the British Equestrian Teams and competitive riders all over the UK.
What does NAF Super Flex do?
Naf Super Flex is a powdered joint supplement that can be given to your horse directly through their daily feed. Powered by a unique and natural selection of balanced ingredients that provide your horse with the perfect formula.
Naf Super Flex aims to address the excess free radical build up around the joint area and wear and tear around the cartilage that can be caused by excessive force on the joints. In particular, competition horses or those in fast, heavy work can massively benefit from joint supplements of this kind.
Ingredients
Choosing the right combination of ingredients for joint supplements can make all the difference between one that works and one that does not. It is important you really look into the supplement formulas before purchasing so you know exactly what you are giving your horse.
Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a very important ingredient to have in joint supplements and is a fast-acting amino sugar that aims to reduce arthritic pain. It is often used to decrease the frequency of joint injections needed and has lubricating properties that act as a shock absorber. This effectively cushions the joint during exercise.
Chondroitin
Chondroitin Sulfate works very well with Glucosamine and helps to slow the breakdown of cartilage. The pain relief effects are not as apparent as with Glucosamine, but they work together to provide effective pain relief from arthritic type symptoms and joint conditions. Using both ingredients together also delays the cartilage deterioration rate. These two work so well together once combined, which is why it is so important to know about the ingredients in horse supplements so you know what works well.
MSM
MSM, otherwise known as Methyl Sulphonyl Methane works to reduce blood markers for oxidation and inflammation. Equines that suffer from chronic arthritis to manage pain can particularly benefit from this ingredient. It can also be a great solution for aiding your horse to heal from an injury. MSM is highly beneficial for healthy skin, coat, and hooves and is often found in products that promote these types of health benefits.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic Acid is known to help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation of the joints. This is particularly relevant to those competition horses that carry out work that puts a specific strain on the joints. It is very commonly used for horses with lacerations and abrasion as it has great wound healing properties.
Hyaluronic Acid is an ingredient you will see regularly in horse joint supplements as it complements Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate so well. It has great lubricating properties that help to fully hydrate the joint muscles whilst effectively cushioning the joints.
Conclusion
Overall we were very impressed with the ingredients used in this joint supplement. Getting the right combination really helps to judge whether this would work well for your horse. All of the key 4 ingredients used are very popular in this type of supplement and all have a very specific function for joint care.
For such a well-known product and brand we thought this could be on the expensive side but we’re very pleased to see that this product is very well priced. Joint supplements can be on the expensive side, but this seems to cater to most budgets.
We can’t find fault here and think this is a very good buy. Good quality natural ingredients, a great formula that has been proven to work and all at a very nice price. This is a win-win for us!
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