Horse Joint Supplement: 7 Best Choices (Review Guide)

 

I’ve put together seven fantastic options that meet the criteria needed for a good joint support product.

Joint supplements are one of the most widely used horse health supports that owners around the world use.

I’m confident that one of the options here will suit your horse, especially with the bonus suggestion for horses that need a higher level of support.

Let’s start with a quick look at our top picks, then keep reading for all the glorious details.

Best Joint Supplement for Horses Top Picks at a Glance

If you see the value in these products and choose to purchase via my referral links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

• NUTRAMAX LABORATORIES COSEQUIN ASU PLUS
• Manna Pro Sho-Flex
• Manna Pro Rapid Flex
• Acti Flex Cox Veterinary Lab Joint Compound Quart
• Flex+Max Joint Health Supplement Pellets

Check the table below for a side-by-side comparison of our favorites!

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Top 7 horse joint supplement reviews

#1 Winner Nutramax Laboratories Cosequin ASU Plus

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Cosequin is probably one of the supplements I have here that you will have seen before.

If you want to try this supplement go to the Plus version, which I talk about here as it contains hyaluronic acid.

Physical Attributes

• Powder
• 2.3-pound tub

Ingredients

• Glucosamine 14,4 grams
• Chondroitin 2.4 grams
• MSM 10 grams
• ASU 2.1 grams
• Hyaluronic acid 100mg
• Green tea extract 30mg

Benefits	Drawbacks
Very high levels of essential ingredients	Expensive
Contains ASU

How it Compare to Others and Why

One of the things I like about this joint supplement the most is that it has the highest levels of common ingredients. Very important when choosing a product!

Some joint supplements claim to help your horse, and while they contain the necessary helpful parts, they do not have enough to take a noticeable effect.

With Cosequin Plus, you are getting some of the best levels available on the market and a unique combination of ingredients. 

Expert Tips

When feeding Cosequin Plus, start with a loading dose of 2 scoops daily for up to one month and then reduce to 1 daily scoop for maintenance.

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#2 Manna Pro Sho-Flex

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As far as joint supplements for horses go, this one is a great choice and one I think is definitely worth trying.

The brand, Manna Pro, is an old hat when it comes to animal nutrition.

It contains all the key ingredients that research into the equine joint has found to have some positive benefits.

So let’s take a look at what makes up Manna Pro Sho-Flex Advanced Joint Supplement.

Physical Attributes

• Powder
• Comes in a 40 day supply (depends on amount you feed)

List of Ingredients

• Glucosamine HCl (Shellfish) 10 grams per portion
• Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) 5 grams per portion
• Chondroitin Sulfate (Porcine) 1.2 grams per portion
• Vitamin C 100mg

Benefits	Drawbacks
Good everyday horse joint supplement	Some horses don’t like this powder
Contains good levels of the most important joint building block ingredients	Could use a bit more chondroitin
Can help improve mobility
Good price

How it Compare to Others and Why

This product has an excellent ingredient profile as far as effective amounts of glucosamine. It also has a good amount of MSM.

The chondroitin is at a good level compared to many products but could be a bit higher.

I know joint supplements tend to be expensive, but this product is a good bang for your buck!

It has excellent reviews, so it’s worth a try, and you won’t feel like you’re throwing money away if it’s not a good fit for your horse.

Expert Tips

Feed this product using your horse’s body weight. For a small or pony that weighs less than 800 pounds feed 1 ½ scoop daily.

For 800 to 1,200 pounds feed 2 scoops daily, and for over 1,200 pounds feed 2 ½ scoops a day.

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#3 Manna Pro Rapid Flex

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Pro Rapid Flex is another oral supplement from Manna Pro, they call this the complete joint supplement.

The brand claims it is fast-acting. Looking at the ingredients, I feel this is one of the better joint supplements for horses with arthritis.

It not only contains the usual suspects of necessary ingredients, but it also has additional herbs that are thought to help joints, making it one of the most comprehensive options.

Physical Attributes

• Powder form with a measuring scoop
• 4-pound container
• 30 day supply

Main Ingredients

• Glucosamine 5 grams
• Chondroitin & Hyaluronic acid 1.025 grams
• Yucca Root 500mg
• Devil’s Claw 100mg
• Nettle Leaf 100mg
• Turmeric Root 50mg
• Black Cohosh 25mg
• Cayenne Pepper 5mg
• Ginger Root 25mg
• Celery Seed 25mg

Benefits	Drawbacks
Fast-acting	Slighter lower glucosamine
9 different herbs that support the joints	Has no MSM
Contains anise flavoring, that appeals to most horses	Devil’s Claw is not allowed in competition with some associations, including the FEI
Reasonably priced	Chondroitin level is a bit low

How it Compare to Others and Why

When comparing Pro Rapid Flex to Pro Sho-Flex, you can see that one is potentially better for older horses with more joint stiffness.

Pro Rapid Flex even though it contains less glucosamine than its cousin, does contain several herbs that many feel increase a supplement’s ability to show positive results.

One of the herbs of particular note is Devil’s Claw. Devil’s Claw is known to provide pain relief, which is a good way of reducing the use of medication such as bute.

Expert Tips

If you have an older horse or one with arthritis, I suggest trying this option. The herbal blend contains ingredients that can help this condition and potentially make your horse more comfortable.

This product is feed using a loading dose for three weeks of 2 scoops a day for smaller horses and 3 scoops daily for horses over 1,200 pounds.

Following the loading period, the daily dosage is 1 scoop and 1 ½ scoop respectively.

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#4 Acti Flex Cox Veterinary Lab Joint Compound Quart

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Unlike most joint supplements, this one comes in liquid form. This makes it easier to sneak into the feed of picky eaters, as many horses turn their noses up at powders.

Physical Attributes

• Liquid
• The bottle has a built-in measure for easy handling

Benefits	Drawbacks
Helps increase synovial fluid which provides joint lubrication	The Quart size can last as few as 16-days
Contains the three main ingredients necessary for joints
Positive reviews

Main Ingredients

• Glucosamine 8 grams
• Chondroitin 4 grams
• MSM 3 grams
• Green-lipped mussel 1 gram
• Boswellia 500mg
• Yucca 150mg

Hyaluronic acid 125mg

• Ester-C 1 gram

How it Compare to Others and Why

This is an interesting option for a couple of reasons. I love that it comes in liquid form, as I can feel your pain when dealing with a fussy eater!

If you have ever had a picky horse, you will find this wonderful. A Liquid supplement is much easier to disguise in feed.

Another thing that stands out is the product contains green-lipped mussels, which few other joint supplements have. Green-lipped mussel is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. 

Omega-3 is excellent for the overall health of your horse’s joints and coat.

It’s is also a quality source of chondroitin and contains phosphorylated glycogen, which helps control inflammation.

Expert Tips

The brand claims that horse owners will see improvement within five days. The price is reasonable for the quart size.

If you find that it works for your horse, you can purchase it by gallon, which is better value for money.

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#5 Flex+Max Joint Health Supplement Pellets

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I love this joint supplement not only because it comes in pellet form, but because it contains excellent levels of glucosamine.

If you have a horse that always leaves a powder supplement at the button of its feed bowl, then this is one you should consider.

Not only does it have a high glucosamine level, but the chondroitin is also of higher quality, which means it is easier for the horse’s body to absorb it.

This product is made by Absorbine. Absorbine Flex is a respected equestrian brand, best known for its liniment, another product I love!

Physical Attributes

• Pellets
• Comes in a 5 pound, 30 day supply or 10-pound tub
• High in Omega 3

Ingredients

• Glucosamine hydrochloride 10 grams
• Chondroitin 1.2 grams
• MSM 5 grams
• Boswellia serrata 130mg
• Hyaluronic acid 150mg
• Flaxseed 5.6 grams

Benefits	Drawbacks
Palatable	Not the cheapest
Easy to feed
High bioavailable chondroitin
Quality ingredients
For long term use
Helps with joint stiffness

How it Compare to Others and Why

Flex + Max is one of the best balanced joint supplements. It also joins some of the other products highlighted in our list for having the most glucosamine.

This is one of the most important building blocks in developing a good joint supplement.

It is one of the more expensive options, however, you will often find the products that use effective ingredient levels and are of high quality, will cost more.

Expert Tips

Joint supplements don’t always take immediate effect. It is a good idea to feed your horse a month’s supply before deciding if it is providing any help.

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#6 Equithrive Joint

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Equithrive is one of the most unique products on our best joint supplements for horses list.

Unlike the other, Equithrive contains potent resveratrol. It is one of the few supplements that contain it.

So what is resveratrol? Resveratrol has an effect on gene expressions that relate to inflammatory enzymes.

As you might know, inflammation is an important issue to control when it comes to joint care.

If you have a horse at work that needs some joint support, this is an excellent choice. It comes in two versions, original and complete.

The original only contains resveratrol and hyaluronic acid, while the complete contains all the usual joint supplement ingredients.

We love both products. Which version you choose will depend on how much support your horse needs.

Physical Attributes

• Powder or pellets
• 3.3 or 10-pound tub
• Original is a powder
• Complete is a pellet

Ingredients Original

• Resverasyn®
• Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits	Drawbacks
Unique anti-inflammatory ingredient	Expensive
Hyaluronic acid provides the necessary building blocks that help lessen the breakdown of cartilage
FEI and USEF safe

How it Compare to Others and Why

The inclusion of resveratrol is one of the most appealing features of this product.

An equine study of performance horses with tarsal joint issues was administered a resveratrol supplement for four months.

It found that it has a positive effect on horses that received it.  

Expert Tips

All the horses in the study received joint injections prior to the study.

If you go this route, it is probably best to use the supplement in conjunction with injections to get the most out of it.

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#7 Cavalor Arti Matrix Hip & Joint Support

Cavalor is a horse supplement and feed company that is the brainchild of Peter Bollen, who specialized in equine nutrition.

From his passion, Peter wanted to develop products that used only the highest quality ingredients.

While their products are aimed at performance horses, it is suitable for every type of horse if they have the need for certain feed or supplements.

US showjumping legend, Beezie Madden uses Cavalor products. If you are familiar with Beezie and her husband, John, you will to the dedication and detail they put into their horse care.

Beezie is one of my favorite equestrians not only for her riding skills but for her details to good horse management.

If you’re not familiar with them, go check them out. They bring stable management and horse care to a standard the many can only dream of achieving!

Now that you have an introduction to Cavalor, let’s get to this particular product, the Arti Matrix Hip & Joint Support supplement.

This supplement is concentrated and given for short periods of time, usually four to eight weeks.

It is used in periods when the horse is going through high-intensity work, such as away at competitions or the lead-up to important events.

For the periods between Arti Matrix, the company suggests owners feed Arti Base.

Physical Attributes

• Comes in powder form with a scoop for portions

Main Ingredients

• Type Ii Hydrolysed Collagen
• Msm
• Glucosamine
• Chondroitin Sulphate
• Hyaluronic Acid
• L-Glutamine
• Vitamin C
• Bioflavanoids
• Folic Acid
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Proprietary Herbal Extract Matrix

Benefits	Drawbacks
High-quality ingredients	Expensive
Contains ingredients that other similar products do not
Has sport horses in mind
Helps support lubrication of joint, ligaments, and synovial fluid
FEI safe

How it Compare to Others and Why

Cavolor’s Arti Matrix is one of the most expensive equine joint supplements.

It contains not only the main ingredients you will find in supplements that support equine joints but also their own blend of beneficial herbs. 

This herbal blend contains turmeric, Boswellia, and horsetail amongst others.

Expert Tips

• Cavalor recommends feeding the following amounts daily
• Horses – 30 grams
• Sport Horses – 45 grams
• Ponies – 15 grams

Other Support Supplements

In addition to joint supplements, some horses might need extra support. This will especially apply to owners who are trying to keep a horse with arthritis disease comfortable. 

Giving a horse an anti-inflammatory pain killer, such a bute, long-term is not good for the horse.

Luckily, there are a couple of options you can try that you can use over longer periods of time. I feel it is important to note this as some people don’t know there are alternatives to try.

Bute-less

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Bute-less is a pelleted supplement that’s main ingredient is Devil’s Claw.

Devil’s Claw is a herb that helps with discomfort and pain control. It helps control inflammatory responses and can help improve a horse’s comfort within five days of starting.

So, it can also help with joint pain in adult horses of any age, including the senior horse.

It is easy on the stomach, so it can be used for long periods. It also contains yucca, which helps with inflammation, and vitamin B-12 for added support and energy levels.

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JOINT’S HEALTH RELATED: Can a Horse Eat Pumpkin?

Conclusion

I feel your headache, navigating the myriad is joint care products is a nightmare.

It is an expensive supplement, whose ingredients have shown to be effective. However, not all joint supplements are created equal. 

My goal was to help you cut out products for horses that don’t contain the right ingredient levels, thus saving you money.

I hope, you can now choose a joint supplement for your individual horse with confidence.

Final Recommendation

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References

• Watts, Ashlee E., et al. “A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Resveratrol Administration in Performance Horses with Lameness Localized to the Distal Tarsal Joints.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 249, no. 6, 15 Sept. 2016, pp. 650–659, 10.2460/javma.249.6.650. Accessed 12 Aug. 2019.

What is your favorite best joint supplement for horses? Please share your pick below!