One of the challenges associated with senior horses is helping their ageing joints to stay supple and pain-free.

The SPILLERS™ Senior Horse Survey (2024) surveyed over 5,000 horse owners and carers and found that 44% of UK senior horses and ponies showed signs of stiffness or arthritis.

Supplements may be a great way to support joint health if you’re caring for an ageing horse. However, it’s important to remember that there are other factors to consider too. We will talk more about these below.

Weight matters

Keeping your horse or pony’s waistline in check as they age is more important than ever, as carrying excess weight puts extra strain on their joints.

If your senior is a good doer and maintains weight easily (or maybe too easily!) on forage alone, feeding a balancer is a great option because it ensures a balanced diet which includes protein to support muscle and topline.

Some supplements may even contain joint-supporting ingredients too, so do your research.

Management tips

Joint disease doesn’t just affect your horse’s limbs. It could affect any joint, and may affect appetite and overall wellbeing.

Speak to your vet about pain management.

You should also spend time observing your horse’s normal behaviour:

  • Are they resting more than grazing? Have they stopped lying down? Are they more prone to tripping?
  • Consider that arthritis in the neck or forelimbs can make simple tasks like pulling hay from a net or lowering the head to eat, drink or graze from the ground painful. Raised buckets may be a more comfortable option.
  • How are they eating? Arthritis can occur in the jaw making grinding food less comfortable. If your horse is eating more slowly it may not be down to dental issues alone.
  • Reducing their workload and intensity may be essential. Of course, there may be a time when retirement from all ridden work is the kinder choice.
  • Regular turnout helps to keep senior joints moving. Try to avoid uneven ground, deep mud, or steep inclines, as these can increase joint strain.

Selecting supplements

Many horse owners find supplements help to support joint health but beware of bold claims. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Commonly used ingredients include glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and hyaluronic acid, as well as herbs such as boswellia and rosehips.

The science behind supplement ingredients is still limited, so choosing a supplement which combines several ingredients may be more effective.

Top tip!

If your super senior is still competing, make sure the supplement (and feed) you choose is BETA® NOPS approved. This means the company conforms to current best practice to minimise the risk of contamination from NOPS (Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances).

For more information, the SPILLERS nutrition team are on hand to help. Contact them here or check out the ‘Super Seniors’ section on the website.

Main image © Spillers

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