Occasionally I am contacted by  equine product companies about product reviews.  I am pretty picky about these reviews and only agree to them after I have reviewed the company, their products and have TESTED them myself on my or my client’s horses.

One company I am happy to offer some insight for is HylEquine. They provide all-natural supplements for horses in all stages of life. They have committed their three main product lines to the health and well-being of the animals which is why each of these products are chemical, hormone and synthetic free. Right up my alley.

I agreed to review their joint supplement if they would send a one month supply so I could try it on an aging Oldenburg gelding my client had. So they did.

I received the supplement promptly. It is a 200 mg/ounce Hyaluronic Acid product in an oral, liquid form. It is tasteless and odorless and should be fed daily over morning or evening feed. I like that at 200 mg/ounce it offers one of the strongest concentrations of HA available on the market today. I was really curious to see if it would help Frolic.

HylEquine Joint Solution is for joints, and according to the HylEquine products website ” HA is to joints what the oil was to the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.”  HA reduces friction between cartilage caps and provides the gliding motion much like the oil did to help the Tin Man’s movements.

Just like people, as horses age the synovial fluid in the body begins to degrade. In order to prevent inflammation, soreness and arthritis it is crucial that we replenish the body’s natural lubricant.  Frolic is 18 and has a “hitch in his giddy up” mostly behind, mostly in his hocks. He did the “AA” circuit for years then carted a bunch of students around after that.  He now has a terrific home, is lightly used 3-4 times a week, but his owner agreed, he sometimes seems stiff and resistant.

We started him on the joint supplement on the first of September and dosed him according to product directions; one ounce daily over regular feed. Daily maintenance is important as any form of hyaluronan introduced to the body only lasts in the system for 24 for 48 hours.

Results didn’t happen over night but by the end of week two the length of time it took for Frolic to warm up out of his stiffness was definitely shorter.

He was also nicer to tack up as he could get cranky when you picked out his hind feet. Looks like we had a winner!

One of the biggest pluses for me is the liquid form. The majority of the oral Hyaluronic Acid products on the market today are in powder or pellet form and many horses can easily sift them out at feeding.  Another plus is it only has one active ingredient, hyaluronic acid, and as I said before, that is provided at one of the highest concentrations of any equine joint supplement on the market today.

I have always been a firm believer in the benefits of HA supplementation.  In my experience, HA excels as a preventative measure against the negative symptoms of age and exercise. We are hopeful that, with continued use of HylEquine’s Joint Solution, my client can reduce the need for costly injections, have more control over the quality and quantity of HA she is administering, and increase joint comfort for Frolic’s well-being.

Here is the link to their website for more info http://hylequine.com/shop.html