68 EQUUS 498 autumn 2019
glucosamine “at a very young age.”
Though such supplements can be
expensive, Goodnight says she’s found
that you get what you pay for: “I only
feed my horses supplements that have
pure ingredients and a high level of
quality control.”
In addition, Goodnight says, “If I
have a young and/or green horse that
might spook at times or may not beJoint injuries
are more likely
to occur in a
tired horse or
one that is in
poor shape.sure-footed yet, protective boots could
help prevent injury.” But, she adds
that boots can pose certain challenges
on the trail, if they become loose, get
wet, heat up a leg or even come off
while riding in company. “For
recreational trail riding on an
experienced, sure-footed horse, I
would not use protective boots---
the wear and tear on their joints is
happening on the inside,” she says.W
hen all is said and done,
the methods might vary
according to the types of exertion
involved, the preferences of trainers
and the needs of individual horses,
but certain commonalities can be
found among the joint-protection
strategies implemented in most
equine sports. These include the
early use of joint support measures;
tailoring a horse’s workload to
his age and conditioning level;
and feeding, shoeing and resting
him properly throughout his
competitive career.
Finally, of course, it’s always wise
to consult a veterinarian early
and often during the development of
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