How to Make Quality Equine Joint Supplements for a Fraction of the Cost
Can you make your own joint supplement for your beloved equine for less than a dollar a day? The answer is yes!
Equine joint supplements containing therapeutic doses of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid average $3.00 - $4.00 a day. Read on to learn how to blend your own for 56 cents (maintenance dose) or $1.11 (loading dose) per day and where to buy the ingredients (links provided).
Equine joint supplements containing therapeutic doses of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid average $3.00 - $4.00 a day. Read on to learn how to blend your own for 56 cents (maintenance dose) or $1.11 (loading dose) per day and where to buy the ingredients (links provided).
Effective equine oral joint supplements should contain a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid - and those that do come at a high cost. However, even at top price points, many don’t provide the therapeutic levels you need. Some even include insignificant amounts of minerals and vitamins that should be provided in the core diet.
Pure, human pharmaceutical grade ingredients with no fillers can cost less if you know where to buy them and you’re willing to blend them yourself. Let’s dive in.
Pure, human pharmaceutical grade ingredients with no fillers can cost less if you know where to buy them and you’re willing to blend them yourself. Let’s dive in.
Suggested Therapeutic Doses
According to the Horse Journal Guide to Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals, by Eleanor M. Kellon, DVM, the recommended loading and maintenance doses of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid for a 1,000 to 1,100 pound horse, when fed in combination, are:
- Glucosamine: Loading 5-10 grams / Maintenance 2.5-5 grams.
- Chondroitin Sulfate: Loading 2-4 grams / Maintenance 1-2 grams.
- Hyaluronic Acid: Loading 40 - 100 milligrams / Maintenance 20-50 milligrams.
The following formula provides:
- Loading - 142 doses
(7 grams glucosamine, 4 grams chondroitin and 100 milligrams hyaluronic acid).
Current cost = $1.11 per day. - Maintenance - 284 doses
(3.5 grams glucosamine, 2 grams chondroitin and 50 milligrams hyaluronic acid = 5.55 grams)
Current cost = 56 cents per day.
Where & How Much to Buy of Each Ingredient
Purebulk.com offers pure human grade pharmaceutical ingredients with NO fillers. Buy:
- Glucosamine: 1 kilogram. Current cost is $36.50.
- Chondroitin Sulfate: 1 kilogram. Current cost is $99.00 (you will only use 600 grams, save the rest for your next batch).
- Hyaluronic Acid: 100 grams. Current cost is $45.50 (you will only use 14.2 grams, save the rest for your next batch).
Milligram, Gram and Kilogram Conversions
1,000 milligrams = 1 gram
1,000 grams = 1 kilogram
1,000 grams = 1 kilogram
Items You Will Need
- Gram scale, cost is under $20.00
- Food storage container to weigh ingredients
- Large Ziploc bag OR plastic bag and a twist tie
- Spoon
- Solid, light proof container to store your joint supplement in
Recipe for Equine Joint Supplement/Ingredient Weights
- 1 Kilogram Glucosamine
- 600 grams Chondroitin Sulfate
- 14.2 grams Hyaluronic Acid
How To Measure & Blend Ingredients
- Turn your gram scale on.
- Place food storage container on scale and press Tare (the Tare button will reset the displayed weight on the scale back to zero).
- Start by adding chondroitin sulfate into the food storage container until you reach 600 grams. Pour into the Ziploc or plastic bag.
- Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3 by weighing 14.2 grams of hyaluronic acid. Pour into Ziploc or plastic bag.
- It’s not necessary to weigh the glucosamine. Add the entire kilogram into the Ziploc or plastic bag.
- Initially, blend with a large spoon, close the bag and repeatedly manipulate it to thoroughly blend. Once blended, transfer into a solid, light proof container to store your joint supplement.
- TIP: Continue to blend throughout use (shake and roll the container). Heavier particles will settle to the bottom of the container.
Measurement of Daily Doses
For a 1,000 to 1,100-pound equine, the total dose is:
- Loading dose - 11.1 grams (or 2.75 teaspoons)
- Maintenance dose - 5.55 grams (or 1.5 teaspoons)
In Conclusion
As equine guardians, providing an affordable, quality life for our beloved companions can be incredibly challenging. I hope this information lightens your financial load and leads to happier, healthier equine companions.
Helpful Resources
- Can Horses Eat More Hay Without Weight Gain? The Surprising Factors
- Are You a Prisoner of Feeding? Here's How I Broke Free
- How & Where to Test Your Horse's Hay & Interpret Results
- 9 Benefits of Slow Feeding Horses - Get Slow Feed Savvy
- Equine Gastric Acid - 12 Facts You May Not Know
- Equine Gut Health - The Need for Feed
- Why Horses Need Salt & Why Salt Blocks Are Not Enough
- A Safer Always Have Hay Source – Mature Grass Hay
- Sugar Content of Pasture & Hay: Q & A with Katy Watts, Founder of Safergrass.org
Reference
Kellon, Eleanor. Horse Journal Guide to Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals. Guilford. The Lyons Press. 2008
4 Comments -
Hay Pillow Inc • -
Mine are fussy about the powder.Can you you add water or oil to the powder or grain? Dee • -
Hay Pillow Inc. • -
Angel Stubblefield •
Hi Dee,
Feed enough of a base (in your case grain) to dilute the taste of the powder. If they pick through it, add a bit of water.
Hi Angel,
It depends on your results. Noted in the article, “You can adjust the dose according to results or your equine’s body weight. Severely compromised individuals may need the loading dose indefinitely.”
There’s no definitive answer. Best of luck with your beloved equines.
How long do you give the loading dose?