Sports horse: Targeted protection for joints and tendons against strain

Why we believe this topic is so important: Practical insights for everyday use

Katja and Andrés are the people behind nuvallo. With over 20 years of practical experience in equestrian sports, we know that joint protection is one of the most important tasks for a long and healthy partnership with your horse. With this article, we want to provide clear answers – based on genuine research data and our daily experiences at the feed bowl.

The basics: Why we need to protect a sports horse's joints

A horse is naturally built for movement, designed for steady, slow forward travel over hard steppe terrain. In modern equestrian sports, however, we demand entirely different movement patterns from our horses: tight turns, powerful take-offs before a jump, collected movements in the arena, or hours of riding on soft, deep surfaces. When a horse intensely strains its joints, ligaments, and tendons through this level of training, its body has to work exceptionally hard on a biochemical level.

To cushion these strains, the horse has ingenious built-in shock absorbers: the joint cartilage and the joint fluid (synovia). The cartilage acts as a protective cushion between the bone ends, while the synovia guarantees smooth gliding and supplies the cartilage with nutrients. The problem? Cartilage tissue has no blood supply. It has a so-called bradytrophic (very slow) metabolism and receives its nutrients entirely through diffusion. This means that only through the alternating cycle of loading and unloading during movement is the joint fluid pressed into the cartilage and squeezed out again, much like a sponge.

With increasing age, intensive training phases, or deficits in the basic feed, the natural balance of cartilage building and breakdown can falter. This is exactly where sensible joint prevention in horses comes in. It's not about magically regrowing an already damaged joint – it's about providing the body with the nutrient building blocks it needs in good time, to maintain its natural repair processes and the viscosity of the joint fluid.

What does the science say?

Opinions are often divided when it comes to joint supplements. So let's look at what the research actually reveals – without rose-tinted glasses, but with a clear focus on the facts.

a) What has been proven in studies

In so-called in vitro studies (i.e. laboratory investigations), the situation is surprisingly clear. When researchers at universities supply isolated cartilage cells (chondrocytes) in a petri dish with building blocks such as glucosamine or organic sulphur (MSM), measurable things happen: the cells produce more healthy cartilage matrix and simultaneously release fewer of the enzymes responsible for cartilage breakdown. This undoubtedly proves that these substances have a highly protective and supportive function on a cellular level. The challenge for us horse owners, however, is that a test tube is not a horse's stomach. In the horse, the substance must first pass through the digestive tract, be metabolised, and arrive in the joint capsule via the bloodstream.

b) What has been studied in the living horse

This is where it gets exciting for practical application. Studies on the living horse (in vivo studies) are often harder to conduct in veterinary medicine. Nevertheless, there is excellent research out there, such as a highly regarded crossover study by the renowned Animal Health Trust. In a crossover design, each horse acts as its own control by receiving the real preparation and a placebo in a randomised order.

Researchers examined horses on the treadmill and under the saddle using high-speed cameras for movement analysis (kinematics). The result: When fed a combination supplement (including glucosamine and MSM), the horses showed a significant improvement in hock flexion (tarsal flexion) and were rated significantly better by testers in their overall "ease of movement". In all honesty, we must mention that equine studies often have methodological limits – sample sizes are usually only between 16 and 24 horses. Nevertheless, these results align with large-scale human medical studies involving thousands of people, which demonstrate improved joint function and relief from stiffness thanks to these building blocks.

c) An honest conclusion

The biological foundation for feeding joint building blocks is solid. Supplements are not miracle cures. Anyone who claims that a powder can simply wave away severe wear and tear is making false health promises. However, nutrients like glucosamine, MSM, or hyaluronic acid are a highly sensible, scientifically backed building block in your horse's health management. They provide the "building materials" the body needs for regeneration. This approach becomes particularly valuable when different active ingredients are cleverly combined.

Dosage and practice: What really matters when you want to protect a sports horse's joints

One of the biggest problems in the supplement market is the lack of transparency regarding dosage. In scientific studies on mono-preparations (products containing only a single active ingredient), dosages of around 10,000 mg of glucosamine per day are often used for a large horse. Many pure glucosamine powders on the market, however, do not come anywhere near this amount in their recommended daily dose.

Taking a critical look at the label is almost always worthwhile. EU Regulation 767/2009 on the placing on the market of feed allows manufacturers to list ingredients in descending order without stating the exact amounts in milligrams. Often, the active ingredients are hidden in so-called "premixtures". For you as a consumer, this creates an absolute black box: you don't know whether you're feeding a high-dose active ingredient or 90 percent expensive fillers and sugar.

In feeding practice, we also distinguish between an initial course (often referred to as a "loading dose") and a maintenance dose. During acute challenges or at the start of feeding, it makes sense to provide the body with a higher amount of nutrients to replenish its reserves.

Crucially, you need patience. Because of the slow cartilage metabolism mentioned earlier, you cannot expect overnight miracles. Consistent feeding for at least 8 to 12 weeks is required before structural nutrients accumulate in the joint and the first positive changes become visible.

Why individual active ingredients alone are often not enough: The power of combination

Why don't we simply use extremely high doses of a single active ingredient in practice? The answer lies in the complex anatomy of the joint. Different active ingredients target entirely different areas.

That's why we deliberately chose a synergistic combination for our nuvallo move Snacks. A well-balanced combination product doesn't need isolated extreme dosages, because the ingredients work hand in hand. The aforementioned study by the Animal Health Trust confirmed exactly this synergistic effect: only the combination of various joint building blocks led to measurable improvements in the horses' kinematics.

Let's take a look at the specific active ingredients per daily ration (6 Snacks / approx. 30 g) from our data sheet:

• Glucosamine (1,500 mg): This is the classic building block for cartilage formation. It supports the natural shock-absorbing function by helping the tissue maintain its structural integrity.
• Collagen (2,550 mg): An immensely important structural protein. Collagen essentially forms the elastic framework that keeps connective tissue and cartilage flexible and, at the same time, tear-resistant.
• MSM (2,250 mg): This organic sulphur is a true all-rounder. Sulphur compounds are fundamentally important for the regeneration of tendons and ligaments and support the body during repair processes after heavy strain.
• Hyaluronic acid (150 mg): This is the main component of the joint fluid (synovia). Hyaluronic acid binds an enormous amount of water and ensures that the synovia remains thick (viscous) and that the joint surfaces can glide smoothly against each other.

Through this combination, we reach the cartilage, the joint fluid, and the surrounding tendons simultaneously.

The biggest practical challenge: Feeding

Here we come to the emotional heart of the topic – and probably the point where you'll find yourself nodding along most as you read.

a) The feeding problem

You're at the stable in the evening. The bucket with the carefully prepared mash is ready. You mix in the expensive joint powder, stir exceptionally well, perhaps even hide a small piece of apple in it. Your horse sniffs, starts to eat – and then it happens. With almost surgical precision, it sorts out the ingredients. It happily eats around it, and in the end, you find the fine remnants of powder as a sticky layer at the bottom of the feed bowl.

Anyone who has ever had a fussy horse knows this frustration. Some active ingredients, like organic sulphur (MSM), naturally have a slightly bitter taste. Most horses see right through the trick of hiding the powder in a banana after two days at the latest and suspiciously spit the piece back out. Dampening hard feed is often just a drop in the ocean, too, because the powder unpleasantly alters the consistency of the feed.

The nagging question remains: Even if the horse eats it at first – is it really getting the full, exact dose it needs every single day? Especially for a competition horse, reliable and stress-free joint feeding is crucial, particularly when you're already dealing with unfamiliar stables, travel stress, and excitement at the weekend.

b) Why we have done away with powder

After countless conversations with other horse owners and the frustration with our own horses, it became clear to us: the decisive question isn't "How do we make an even better powder?", but rather "How do we ensure that every horse reliably and happily consumes the full dose?"

The solution to this problem is our nuvallo move Snacks – a functional joint snack that is fed straight from the hand. We have completely done away with the dusty powder concept.

To guarantee outstanding acceptance, our base is free from wheat and corn, making it particularly gentle on the stomach. Our base is made up of linseed cake, rice bran, and linseed, complemented by natural ingredients such as banana, apple, and carob powder. With no artificial flavours and no added sugar.

For your stable routine, this means: You have a precisely defined amount of active ingredients per snack. No more sticky weighing, no annoying dust, and above all: no sorting out. Your horse doesn't experience feeding as a disguised administration of medicine, but as a positive reward from your hand.

The dosage is incredibly simple: for an average large horse (approx. 500 kg), you simply feed 6 Snacks daily. This equates to about 30 grams. For lighter horses, you adjust the amount to 4 to 5 Snacks; for heavier horses, to 7 to 8. If your horse currently needs acute support, we recommend an initial course with double the amount for the first two to three weeks. After that, you return to the normal daily ration.

Particularly in ambitious equestrian sports, it's essential that a joint supplement is competition-safe for the horse. Since we do not use any doping-relevant substances, you can feed the Snacks without hesitation even during the competition season. We have noticed with our own horses that they seem noticeably less stiff in the mornings. Since we've been feeding the Snacks, we feel our gelding moves with significantly more joy and is more supple overall.

Because ultimately, the best supplement isn't the one with the longest ingredient list, the most expensive marketing, or the highest laboratory value. It's the one that actually, reliably gets into the horse.

Sources

Murray, R.C., Walker, V., Frost, R., et al. (2014). "Effect of an Oral Joint Supplement on Orthopaedic Evaluation Scores and Limb Kinematics." Equine Veterinary Journal, Volume 46, Issue S46, p. 44. Conference abstract from the 9th International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology, Chester, UK. Link

What you can rely on

As an ADMR-compliant feed supplement for your horse, the nuvallo move Snacks offer the highest level of safety and quality for your stable routine. We stand for absolute transparency:

• ADMR-compliant with no withdrawal period: 100% competition-safe, perfect for sports horses.
• No added sugar & fillers: Gentle on the stomach thanks to linseed cake, rice bran, and linseed. Free from wheat and corn.
• Made in Europe, highest quality: Strict quality controls for pure active ingredients.
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee: Because we know that true conviction starts at the feed bowl.