Preventing joint problems in horses: How to keep your horse fit for the long term

Why we find this topic so important: From practical experience, for everyday practice

Katja and Andrés are the people behind nuvallo. With over 20 years of practical experience in equestrian sport, we know that a horse's joy of life depends on healthy joints. The secret to a long riding career lies not in perfect rehabilitation, but in early prevention. Preventing joint problems is not that difficult when you know the right building blocks for everyday stable life.

The 3 pillars of joint prevention

Your horse's joints do heavy work every day. They absorb shocks, carry the rider's weight, and stabilise the entire musculoskeletal system. For this to work smoothly over a long period of time, three crucial factors come into play:

1. Thoughtful training and a long warm-up

Joint fluid (synovia) needs time to become viscous and lubricating. A cold start straight from the stable into a trot is pure poison for the cartilage. At least 15 to 20 minutes of walking on a long rein should be mandatory before you start the actual work. Riding on varying surfaces that are not too deep also trains the ligaments and tendons without overloading the joints.

2. Movement, movement, movement

A horse is naturally designed for movement. If it stands in a stable for 23 hours a day, the joint cartilage is not adequately supplied with blood flow and nutrients (the cartilage acts like a sponge that needs loading and unloading). Plenty of free movement in the paddock or open stable keeps the metabolism in the joint active and is the most natural way to prevent problems.

3. The right nutrient supply from the inside

For the cartilage to remain elastic and the joint fluid to fulfil its buffering function, the body needs specific building blocks. Especially in sport, during growth, or in older horses, standard roughage is often not enough to cover the increased demands of the musculoskeletal system. This is exactly where smart, preventative feeding comes in.

Why we developed nuvallo move for exactly this purpose

We didn't found nuvallo just to bring yet another supplement to the market. We were looking for a genuine alternative for our own horses.

When we looked intensively into nutrient supply for the prevention of joint problems, we kept running into the same issue: the powders on the market were full of cheap fillers, extremely high in sugar, or tasted so bitter that our horses went on strike and refused to touch their feed bowls. Often, ingredients were used that the horse's body cannot even properly absorb.

It was exactly out of this frustration that we developed nuvallo move.

We created nuvallo move specifically to provide horses with the best possible support right from the start, and to prevent joint problems through a targeted nutrient supply. We make no medical promises of a cure, but we rely on what the body genuinely needs to maintain its natural function.

That is why we make no compromises when it comes to ingredients. nuvallo move contains a high-dose combination of MSM, glucosamine HCL, collagen hydrolysate, and hyaluronic acid – and for good reason:

• Collagen hydrolysate (instead of simple collagen): Normal collagen consists of huge molecules that the horse's intestine can barely absorb. It often simply ends up in the manure. Instead, we use high-quality collagen hydrolysate. Here, the protein chains are already broken down (hydrolysed). This means maximum bioavailability – the nutrient can be optimally utilised by the body and arrives exactly where it is needed: in the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage tissue.
• Glucosamine HCL (instead of standard glucosamine): Many manufacturers use the cheaper glucosamine sulphate. We deliberately rely on glucosamine HCL (hydrochloride). Why? Because it is the purest form. Per gram, it delivers significantly more pure, active glucosamine for your horse's joints than the sulphate variant. More active ingredient, less filler.
• Hyaluronic acid & MSM: Hyaluronic acid is the main component of joint fluid and is essential for shock absorption. MSM (organic sulphur) provides the indispensable basic building blocks for all connective tissue.

And instead of mixing these high-dose active ingredients into a dusty powder, we have pressed them into the format that every horse makes a positive psychological association with: a snack straight from your hand.

• No molasses & refined sugar: Many snacks "buy" acceptance with cheap sugar. Instead, we use the natural sweetness of banana and apple. This is gentle on the metabolism.
• Free from wheat and corn: Wheat flour or corn flakes have no place in joint support. Our base consists of valuable linseed cake, rice bran, and linseed, complemented by natural ingredients like banana, apple, and carob powder.
• Full acceptance without stress: No medication trauma, no hiding it in the mash. You simply provide the joint support as a daily snack.

Sources

Byron C.R. et al. — Effects of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate on mediators of osteoarthritis in cultured equine chondrocytes (American Journal of Veterinary Research, Michigan State University, 2003) Link

Marañón G. et al. — The effect of methyl sulphonyl methane supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress in sport horses following jumping exercise (Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 2008) Link

Bergin B.J. et al. — Oral hyaluronan gel reduces post operative tarsocrural effusion in the yearling Thoroughbred (Equine Veterinary Journal, 2006) Link

Dobenecker B. et al. — Specific bioactive collagen peptides (PETAGILE®) as supplement for horses with osteoarthritis: A two-centred study (Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 2018) Link

Murray R.C. et al. — Effect of an Oral Joint Supplement on Orthopaedic Evaluation Scores and Limb Kinematics (Equine Veterinary Journal, 2014, Animal Health Trust crossover study) Link