Endurance horses are constantly under strain, and riders are always on the lookout for supplements that will prevent horses from breaking down, or will prolong the competitive life of the horse.

Another danger is that, at each ride, riders are influenced by the opinion of their fellow competitors. Each rider firmly believes that the product he or she is using, is the best there is, and that others are crazy for not -using it. This leads to riders changing supplements or, far worse, adding another supplement to the ones they are using already.

The market for so-called nutraceuticals (products that are added to the feed with the aim of having some medical benefit) is a huge one. This has the potential of developing into a situation where riders are being taken advantage of by unscrupulous vendors.

Each new product promises to be the one you were always waiting for! But is it really?

The nutraceutical industry is largely unregulated, with a lack of quality control. This has led to a number of potential problems.

Manufacturing process
There is a distinct possibility of contamination during the manufacture of these products. This could be with dangerous substances, such as pesticides or prohibited substances such as DMSO.

If other products are manufactured in the same plant, there could be cross-contamination between products if the equipment was not thoroughly cleaned after each session.

Labels
Claims are made on the labels of products that cannot be substantiated with scientific fact. Few of these products were never tested in vivo (in other words, in a live horse) to confirm claims based on laboratory test results.

Often there is incorrect or even misleading information regarding the content of the product on the label. In a study done in the USA, it was found that 39% of the products tested contained glucosamine levels well below the levels claimed on the label, and one did not contain any glucosamine at all!

Products may also contain fillers or other ingredients not listed on the label, and are likely to deliver subtherapeutic dosages of the active ingredient.

Interactions
Some products might interact with others given at the same time, or with medication administered to treat injury or disease. Little to no research is done in this regard.

Dosage
The recommended dosage of the product often contains levels too low to have a beneficial effect. On the other hand, claims of the actual amount of active ingredient per scoop of product often are incorrect, again leading to incorrect dosing.

One of the researchers involved in testing oral joint supplements, Dr Stacey Oke (DVM, MSc) recommends that supplements should be evaluated using the seven-step “ACCLAIM” system. This entails:

A name you recognise. In general, products manufactured by companies that have been in the industry for years, are preferable to those manufactured by newly-formed companies.

Clinical experience. Companies who support clinical research and who have their products tested in clinical trials, the results of which are published in peer-reviewed scientific trials are more likely to sell a quality product. Ask for article references, and check the accuracy thereof.

Contents. All ingredients, including the active ingredients and fillers, should be clearly indicated on the label.

Label claims. If claims on the label sound too good to be true, they probably are. Check whether the claims are based on scientific study results. Once again, ask for article references and check that these actually exist and refer to the product at hand.

Administration recommendations. Instructions should be clear and easy to follow, and it should be easy to calculate the amount of active ingredient to be given per day. Dosages of “x number of scoops” per day are not accurate. Dosage should rather be given as “y gram of powder” or similar.

Identification of lot/batch. Batch numbers or similar tracking systems are suggestive of some form of surveillance system, and therefore quality control.

Manufacturer information. This should be clearly stated on the label, preferably with contact details or website address to which queries can be directed.

The results of clinical trials support the use of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in horses with osteo-arthritis and navicular syndrome. These drugs are also effective post-surgery and post-injury. However, much more work is still to be done to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the many oral supplements. Furthermore, prophylactic use of these drugs in horses has not been sufficiently tested, and no proof of the claimed benefits is available.

If you are going to use joint supplements, make your decision based on the ACCLAIM approach, and then stick to your decision. Do not mix and match, and do not switch from one product to another!