9 Types of Horse Supplements

By: Holly CaccamiseUpdated:

9 Types of Horse Supplements
Photo: iStock.com/LightFieldStudios

9 Types of Horse Supplements

As a horse owner, you’re always striving to take the best possible care of your horse. With that comes seemingly endless things to learn and decisions to be made, including what to feed him.

A healthy diet is based on good forage—hay and/or pasture. Beyond that, you can feed him grain or other bagged concentrate to add calories to the diet.

Once you’re happy with your horse’s base diet, you probably will start to think about horse supplements. It seems like every horse in the barn is on a regimen of supplements, so they must be important, right?

Read on to learn about some of the most common types of horse supplements and if some might be right for your horse.

1

Vitamin/Mineral Supplements

If your horse is fed a commercially formulated grain or concentrate (be sure to feed per label instructions), it already should be enriched with vitamins and minerals. If your horse does not eat a commercial concentrate but grazes on fresh grass, he should be getting all the vitamins he needs.

If he only eats hay, however, your horse might benefit from supplemental vitamins, as these are lost during hay curing and storage. Some vitamins and minerals can cause toxicity if overfed, so compare labels on all feed and supplements to ensure you’re not overdoing it with any one ingredient.

DAC Orange Superior Comprehensive Powder Horse Supplement, 5-lb bucket
$43.05
Kentucky Equine Research Micro-Max Micronutrient Hay Flavor Pellets Horse Supplement, 9.9-lb bucket
$76.95
FREE 1-3 day shipping

2

Joint Supplements

Whether you have an older horse who is starting to show the effects of osteoarthritis or a younger, active horse whose joints could use some protection, horse hip and joint supplements may be right for him. There are many formulations to choose from, so you may want to try one for 30 days and watch for noticeable improvements.

Ingredients for joint care in horses can include glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, MSM, ASU, yucca, devil’s claw, vitamin C, ester C, collagen and silica.

Nutramax Cosequin ASU Powder Joint Health Supplement for Horses, 2.86-lb tub
$139.99
FREE 1-3 day shipping
LubriSyn HA Plus MSM Joint Health Liquid Dog, Cat & Horse Supplement, 16-oz bottle
$47.68
Equithrive Original Joint Powder Molasses Flavor Horse Supplement, 2-lb tub
$113.50
FREE 1-3 day shipping

3

Hoof Care Supplements

One of the more popular categories of horse supplements among horse supplies is hoof health. Horses with brittle, shelly feet that tend to chip and lose shoes might benefit from hoof care horse supplements.

These can help make up for dietary deficiencies that lead to poor feet. But you’ll have to use them for about 6-12 months while the hoof grows out before a noticeable improvement can be seen. Ingredients vary, but may include biotin, lysine, methionine, threonine, zinc, copper, cobalt, MSM, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

Tribute Equine Nutrition Tough As Nails Hoof Health Pellets Horse Supplement, 11-lb bag
$39.99
Farnam Horseshoer's Secret Pelleted Hoof Supplement Concentrate, Promotes Healthy Hoof Growth in Horses 3.75-lbs.
$28.99

4

Weight Gain Supplements

If you feed your horse plenty of high-quality forage but he’s still a hard keeper—which means he has difficulty gaining weight—and your vet has given him a clean bill of health, you might want to consider a weight-building supplement. These most often are formulated with high fat content to provide extremely concentrated calories.

Common ingredients include vegetable fats, amino acids, rice bran and flax meal.

DAC Bloom Coat Care & Weight Gain Powder Horse Supplement, 20-lb bag
$99.95
FREE 1-3 day shipping
Manna Pro Equine Fat & Energy Liquid Horse Supplement, 1-gal bottle
$35.88

Temporarily out of stock

5

Skin and Coat Supplements

Because feeding fats also leads to a glossy coat, horse skin and coat supplements often overlap with weight-building supplements—just fed in smaller amounts. Ingredients can include rice bran, flax seed, chia seed, soybean meal, amino acids, zinc, vitamin E, biotin and yeast.

Kentucky Equine Research EO-3 Horse Supplement, 32-oz bottle
$49.99
FREE 1-3 day shipping
Kentucky Equine Research Bio-Bloom PS Coat Conditioner Powder Horse Supplement, 4.4-lb bucket
$90.95
FREE 1-3 day shipping

6

Gastric Support Supplements

When it comes to gastric ulcers in horses, a common health problem plaguing domesticated equines, an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure. In addition to management changes, such as decreasing stress, increasing turnout time and providing forage 24/7, there are many horse supplements designed to protect against gastric ulcers.

Gastric supplements can include antacids, soluble fiber, L-glutamine, collagen, aloe, sea buckthorn and licorice.

Ulcergard Omeprazole Paste Horse Treatment, .22-oz syringe
$41.39
Corta-Flx U-Gard Pellets Horse Supplement, 4-lb bottle
$28.99

7

Digestive Support Supplements

If your horse is prone to colic, which is severe abdominal pain, you might be interested in trying a digestive support supplement. As with ulcers, management changes, such as limiting stress, increasing turnout and forage availability, are the first line of defense.

If you decide to add a digestive supplement, these often include a combination of probiotics (live, beneficial gut bacteria), yeast or oligosaccharides that encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria, and digestive enzymes.

Kentucky Equine Research EquiShure Time-Released Hindgut Buffer Powder Horse Supplement, 2.75-lb bucket
$54.11
FREE 1-3 day shipping
Kentucky Equine Research RiteTrac Digestive Tract Support Powder Horse Supplement, 6.6-lb bucket
$136.75
FREE 1-3 day shipping

8

Calming Supplements

Whether at shows or at home, some horses tend to be easily spooked or high-strung. Assuming your horse is getting enough exercise to work off excess energy, you may want to consider horse calming supplements.

Calming supplements contain ingredients that target the nervous system, such as vitamin B1, magnesium and L-tryptophan. Herbal remedies are commonly included, such as valerian, chamomile and hops.

Vetoquinol Zylkene Equine Behavior Support Apple Flavor Powder Horse Supplement 2000 mg, 20 count
$156.99
FREE 1-3 day shipping
DAC Calm B Paste Calming Horse Supplement, 35-gm syringe
$12.99

9

Supplements for Seniors

As horses continue to lead longer and healthier lives, with productive years stretching into their 20s and even 30s, you might find yourself looking for a supplement formulated specifically for the senior horse. These can provide an all-in-one formula to address joint health, a strong immune system, good weight and digestive support.

Check labels carefully to make sure the ingredients address your particular senior horse’s needs and don’t overlap with other supplements you’re already feeding. Keep in mind that some show associations do blood testing for a list of banned substances, possibly including herbal supplements.

Look for products from reputable manufacturers, such as those that have received the seal of approval from the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC). Supplements with this seal provide assurance that your horse is getting the active ingredients in the amounts listed on the label.

Kentucky Equine Research Total Wellness Complete Performance Formula Hay Flavor Pellets Horse Supplement, 8.8-lb bucket
$159.95
FREE 1-3 day shipping
DAC Total Performance Plus with Joint Support Powder Horse Supplement, 20-lb bucket
$291.72
FREE 1-3 day shipping

Armed with more knowledge about horse supplements and what they do, you will have a much better idea of what to buy. If you remain unsure, talk to your vet about your horse’s particular health concerns and needs.

By: Holly Caccamise
Holly Caccamise has an M.S. in Animal Science with a specialization in equine nutrition. She is the managing editor of Horse Illustrated magazine.

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By: Holly CaccamiseUpdated:

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