Winter joint care for senior horses

With the festivities behind us we, and our horses, can get back to the day to day of enjoying our riding, and looking forward to longer days with better weather ahead. However, that is not always easy when we are still very much in the grips of winter. 

Icy, or very wet and boggy, conditions can mean longer time spent stabled for our horses, limiting their natural exercise; while the cold, damp weather seemingly heads straight to their joints at this time of year. This is particularly true for our senior horses, where joint stress is recognized as being prevalent in more than 50% of horses over fifteen years old, rising to around 80-90% in older animals.

‘Inflammaging’ is a term we see discussed in mammals, including ourselves and horses, and describes that wear and tear phenomenon that many of us are all too familiar with. Those early morning stretches which tell us we are not just as young as we used to be! Common in horses, inflammaging is a natural process, and daily joint care is recommended in all teenage horses, and beyond.

However, we are not about to right off our golden oldies– many of whom have so much more to offer. The experience that horse brings can be worth its weight in gold. Whether that is teaching a child to ride, giving confidence to a nervous rider, or the value of true schoolmaster for helping the competitive rider to step up to the next level. Therefore keeping them fit and flexible is of paramount importance.

Feeding a daily joint supplement, designed for the needs of ageing joints, can nourish the joint, so maintaining soundness and allowing them to continue enjoying a full life. NAF Five Star Superflex Senior is a unique formulation providing our highest specification of the key joint support nutrients, working in synergy with naturally sourced Omega 3 fatty, to support the body’s own response to inflammaging.