The stress-free Alpurial Gelenkfit alternative: joint support in a snack format

Many of us know the feeling: we want to do something good for our horse so that they move smoothly and happily, both in everyday life and as they get older. We often turn to established products like Alpurial Gelenkfit. But what use is the best formulation if it ends up left untouched in the trough, or if you never quite know how much of the active ingredients your horse is actually taking in? If you are looking for an Alpurial Gelenkfit alternative that can be integrated more reliably into your daily stable routine, you are in the right place. We are taking an honest look at both products, and you can decide for yourself.

What is Alpurial Gelenkfit?

Alpurial Gelenkfit is a liquid complementary feed for horses, available in a 1-litre bottle (RRP €59.90). The recommended dose is 30 ml daily for a large horse. According to the manufacturer, it combines glucosamine hydrochloride, MSM, chondroitin sulphate and hyaluronic acid, supplemented with turmeric, frankincense extract and manganese. It is advertised as ADMR and suitable for competition use, aimed at sports horses as well as older horses.

This is fundamentally a sensible selection of active ingredients, and for horse owners who are deliberately looking for a liquid product with herbal additions like turmeric and frankincense, Gelenkfit can be a suitable choice. However, one point is worth looking at closely before buying: it is not clearly evident from the declaration exactly how much of the four active joint ingredients is actually included.

No quantities are given for chondroitin and hyaluronic acid. So, you only find out that these two substances are included, but not at what dose. Glucosamine and MSM are mentioned with percentage values, but even from these, the daily amount of active ingredients cannot be reliably calculated: According to the analysis, the product consists of around 80% moisture, meaning that these percentages cannot be easily translated into "this many milligrams per 30 ml" for you as a consumer. The bottom line is: for none of the four building blocks can you calculate exactly what your horse is getting per daily ration. This is permissible under the EU Feed Regulation, but it is not very transparent. (We explain in detail why the exact milligram quantity is so crucial for these active ingredients in Joint feed for horses: does it really work?)

From practical experience: why many horses shy away from liquid supplements

In over 20 years at the stable and in conversations with countless horse owners, we see the same pattern again and again: liquid complementary feeds in particular cause frustration at the feed trough. There are solid reasons for this.

Horses have a keen sense of smell and taste. Unlike a snack, a liquid supplement cannot simply be "chewed away"; instead, it soaks through the entire bucket feed and noticeably changes its smell and taste. Many horses that previously ate well suddenly eye the trough sceptically or will not touch it at all. We have experienced it with our own horses and hear it constantly from others: "It went well for the first few days, then he left the whole bucket untouched."

Added to this is the problem of the exact quantity. Measuring out a viscous solution is a sticky business, and whatever is left on the neck of the bottle or at the bottom of the trough is missing from the daily ration. Even if your horse generally plays along, the uncertainty remains as to whether the full amount of active ingredients has really been taken in.

Whether you are looking for an Alpurial Sehnenstark alternative or simply want to move away from liquid forms of administration: the most important realisation from practical experience remains that even the best nutrients can only provide support if they actually end up fully in the horse.

Why we founded nuvallo

This is exactly the problem we, Katja and Andrés, faced with our own horses. We wanted to support their joints without having to scrape the remains of expensive supplements out of the trough every day, or guessing how much of the active ingredients had actually been taken in. This is how the idea for a functional joint snack was born – one that is fed directly from the hand like a reward, and reliably gets the nutrients into the horse.

Science meets maximum acceptance

The shape might look like a snack, but with the nuvallo move Snacks, functionality takes centre stage. A normal daily ration (6 snacks for a horse weighing approx. 500 kg) provides building blocks that are transparently stated in milligrams:

• 1,500 mg glucosamine: a central building block for cartilage formation, which can support natural shock absorption.
• 2,550 mg collagen: a structural protein that contributes to the elasticity and stability of connective tissue and cartilage.
• 2,250 mg MSM: organic sulphur, valuable for the regeneration of tendons and ligaments.
• 150 mg hyaluronic acid: the main component of joint fluid (synovia) for smooth movements.

The crucial difference lies in the traceability: for each of these four ingredients, the exact milligram amount per daily ration is fixed. You don't have to estimate or assume anything.

These nutrients are embedded in a stomach-friendly base free from wheat and maize, consisting of linseed cake, rice bran and linseed, supplemented with natural ingredients such as banana, apple and carob powder. Because the snack is eaten whole from the hand and chewed thoroughly, your horse takes in the complete daily dose. Nothing is left behind in the trough, and nothing can be sorted out.

The direct comparison

If you are looking around for an alternative, taking an honest look at the verifiable facts helps:

(Information on Alpurial according to the published manufacturer's declaration, at the time of research. Glucosamine and MSM are only given as percentages, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid without quantities, so the actual amount of active ingredients per daily ration cannot be clearly calculated.)

The practical difference in everyday stable life: with a liquid product, you measure out the dose and hope that your horse completely empties the trough. With the snack, you reach into your jacket pocket, feed directly from your hand, and have the certainty that the entire ration has been consumed. In case of acute challenges, you can feed double the amount for the first 2 to 3 weeks and then return to the normal daily ration.

Ultimately, the best joint feed isn't the one with the nicest formulation on paper, but the one that actually ends up in the horse in its full dose, and where you know exactly what's inside.