Heavy horses & weight: Joint strain in heavy breeds
If you own a heavy horse, you know this very special feeling: when the stable floor vibrates slightly as 800 kilos of pure horse power start moving. I love my "little one" (a Rhenish German Draught standing at 1.65 m with a heart of gold) to bits. His calmness, his relaxed nature, and that loyal gaze are priceless. But hand on heart: with this mass comes a great responsibility, especially when it comes to the joints.
When mass meets gravity
The topic of weight is a constant talking point at our yard. Even if my big lad is at his ideal weight, where his ribs aren't visible but can be felt, he is carrying a huge amount of mass around. It is simply physics. With every step, every trot stride, and every jump (yes, we also pop over a small cavaletti occasionally!), enormous forces act on the tendons, ligaments, and joints.
I often worry about how long his legs will happily cope with this strain. Heavy horses naturally tend to bear their aches and pains stoically until they simply cannot go on. My vet gave me some advice early on: "Do not wait until he is lame. Support his musculoskeletal system preventatively." Conditions like arthritis or joint wear and tear are unfortunately not uncommon in these heavy breeds; they are almost inevitable if you are not careful.
The battle with the powder
So I did what we all do: I bought joint powder. Tubs of it. Expensive stuff with good ingredients. But I hadn't factored in my fussy eater. You would think a heavy horse would eat absolutely anything. Far from it!
The drama began during the morning feed. I mixed the powder into his feed – he neatly ate around it. The manger was empty, apart from a small, dusty hill at the bottom: the expensive joint powder. Attempt two: mash. I stirred the powder in. He sniffed once, curled his top lip, and almost knocked the bucket over. Even the old trick of hiding the powder in a hollowed-out apple worked exactly twice. The third time, he chewed the apple and simply spat the powder back out. It was exasperating. What use is the best supplement if it does not end up in the horse?
The discovery: nuvallo move Snacks
In a forum for heavy horse enthusiasts, I then came across nuvallo move Snacks. I was sceptical. Another supplement? But two things made me curious: firstly, they are not powders or pellets, but functional snacks that you can feed by hand. Secondly, they are free from wheat and corn, based on linseed cake and rice bran. Since many heavy breeds also have sensitive metabolisms (like PSSM), I am very careful to avoid wheat, corn, and sugar.
The ingredients read exactly like what I was looking for: glucosamine, collagen, MSM, and hyaluronic acid. All in high doses, but in snack form. I ordered a bag, hoping I wouldn't be left stuck with the stuff this time.
The snack advantage: Finally feeding stress-free
When the bag arrived, I put it to the test. I went to the field, called my big lad, and held out a nuvallo move Snack for him. He sniffed it, took it – and chewed contentedly. No sorting, no dust, no mush in the manger. I could have cried with relief.
Since my horse weighs significantly more than a 500 kg warmblood, I adjusted the dosage. The recommendation is 6 snacks daily for an average horse. Because we are more in the 750-800 kg category, I give him 8 snacks daily. That is the brilliant thing about the shape: I don't have to weigh anything. I simply reach into the bag, count them out, and give them to him after grooming or after work. He thinks he is getting a snack, and I know he is getting his joint nutrients.
Our results after three months
I have been feeding the nuvallo move Snacks consistently for a good 12 weeks now. Of course, I cannot make any healing promises here and claim that all his aches and pains have magically disappeared. But I can tell you what I observe.
My impression is that he "warms up" more quickly in the mornings when he comes out of the stable. Previously, he often seemed a bit stilted and stiff for the first few metres, especially when it was cold and wet. Now, I have the feeling he is more relaxed and supple in his movement right from the start. Even when picking out his hooves – which is real work for both of us with a heavy draught horse leg – he seems more cooperative, as if bending his joints causes him less effort.
He moves with more joy overall. When we canter across the fields, he seems less "heavy-footed" and somehow more elastic. Whether that is down to the collagen or the MSM, I cannot scientifically prove, but my gut feeling tells me the support is working.
By the way: since we like taking part in heavy horse competitions or small shows in the summer, it is important to me that the snacks are ADMR-compliant. So I do not have to worry about doping.
Conclusion
For owners of heavy breeds, weight management and joint protection are the be-all and end-all. If you have a horse that refuses powders and liquids like I do, the nuvallo move Snacks are a real game-changer.
It is so relaxing to know that these important nutrients really end up in the stomach and do not gather dust on the stable floor. My big lad loves them, he digests them brilliantly (no bloating, a shiny coat thanks to the linseed), and he moves happily. As a horse owner, I couldn't ask for more. A clear recommendation for all the "heavy weights" out there!