What Can Therapeutic Nutrition Do for Your Horse’s Joints?

Joint conditions are all too often a reality in the equine world. Whether it be a top-level competitor, a treasured senior horse or a broodmare carrying precious cargo, joint and soft tissue injuries are amongst the worst fears of any horse owner. From a torn suspensory to arthritis and in between, these conditions and injuries can influence performance, impact comfort and shorten the careers of otherwise healthy horses.

Veterinarians dedicate thousands of hours each year to the challenge of returning their patients to soundness and peak performance when plagued with a lameness. More and more, many practitioners are turning to the horse’s own body to aid in the healing process, believing that with the right tools a horse can contribute to its own recovery. One such tool in a veterinarian’s arsenal of modalities is the constantly evolving science of therapeutic nutrition, a field where Platinum Performance® has lead in ground-breaking research since the mid-1990s. With key nutrients, veterinarians are giving their patients the tools necessary for the body to maintain healthy bones and joints. Even more, when an injury does occur, therapeutic nutrients can support the healing process.

Why One Bucket Can Mean Greater Results

Through over two decades of research in the field of equine therapeutic nutrition, Platinum has learned a lot. For instance, we know the quality of ingredients does, in fact, directly impact results. This sentiment has steered the company’s philosophy that sourcing the best will result in the best for the horses we serve. It goes further than choosing the best suppliers, which Platinum does through an extensive screening and independent quality-testing process. The importance of selecting the correct form of an ingredient can determine whether a formula will go to work for a horse or make little impact at all.

Furthermore, we’ve seen through research that more isn’t always better. Take Platinum Performance® CJ for instance. The potent joint ingredients that come together in this formula are added in precise amounts designed to garner a synergistic effect. In other words, while the levels of some key ingredients may appear lower when compared to stand-alone products, these ingredients are working together with their counterparts for a better result. “Platinum has taken a lot of the guess work out of adding this and that. It’s been much easier and seamless for our clients,” says Dr. Leslie Schur of Desert Pines Equine Medical & Surgical Center in Las Vegas. She’s referring to Platinum’s goal of simplifying supplementation. Formulas are developed to target total body health with one bucket. In that bucket is thousands of hours of research, some of the finest ingredients available on earth and one of the most forward-thinking formulations to further equine nutrition in decades.

“I really believe in this product,” says Charlie Lopresti, trainer of famous racehorse and Horse of the Year, Wise Dan. "Since I’ve used Platinum CJ, all my horses look better. It’s the best supplement I’ve ever found. It’s just so much easier to use one supplement. You top dress it on the feed and mix it up. I’ve never seen a horse that won’t eat it, and I’ve never seen a horse leave Platinum in the bottom of the feed tub."

The one bucket approach isn’t just for simplicity, there’s sound science behind the fact that ingredients working harmoniously together have a greater effect than those on their own. Plainly said, a formula is only as good as the sum of its parts. It’s for these reasons that Platinum Performance® CJ is not only trusted but widely recommended by equine veterinarians. “My practice is mostly performance horses with a focus on lameness,” says Dr. Bill Rhoads of Premier Veterinary Services in Texas. “I’m a big user of the Platinum Performance® CJ product. When somebody asks me what I would recommend for a joint supplement or general supplement, Platinum Performance® CJ is my go-to regardless. I have a lot of faith that it helps support the whole horse along with joint, muscle and connective tissues.”

Dollars and Sense

Ask a veterinarian, and they’ll tell you the best and most cost-effective way to treat illness or injury in your horse is to do everything you can to prevent it from happening in the first place. By investing in a formula that provides important building blocks for healthier joints and soft tissues, you’re able to support a healthy and thriving horse.

More than just prevention is the cold hard math. Providing a comprehensive joint formula can be significantly less expensive than a regimen that includes several different one-ingredient formulas that may or may not be effective alone or together. A therapeutic nutritional formula can also work in tandem with other commonly-used pharmaceutical joint therapies to help extend the life of such treatments.