As equestrians welcome the advent of Spring many performance horses are put to work in a robust Spring Training Program after a winter hiatus. Training programs that are designed to prepare for the forthcoming show season or more active pleasure riding season can wreak havoc on the physique and mental wellness of the horse.
Veterinarian flexing horse's leg to determine lameness diagnosis.
Regardless of the age of the horse or its muscular memory due to prior work experience, the back to work routine can bring health challenges that the rider needs to address to move forward productively.
© 2017 by Melinda Nagy
Soft tissue soreness, joint inflammation and overall stress levels need to be carefully managed with gradual increments in workload to protect the equine from injury. Long term negative health consequences of any overly avid training program can likely be avoided with due care and attention from the rider.
The management of soreness or inflammation in the horse is not just a matter of concern for his well-being, it is also a matter of safety for the rider. A sore horse is not just a hazard to himself as his errant behavior due to pain can also cause falls and injury to the rider. Ignoring what a horse is trying to tell us by his behavior is often a road map to disaster.
Minor soreness and inflammatory issues may go unnoticed as lumps, bumps and swellings, showcasing themselves only in a horse behaving badly or a lack of focus or ability at the job on hand. Regardless of the age of the horse or its muscular memory due to prior work experience, the back to work routine can bring health challenges that the rider needs to address to move forward productively.
While it is a good idea to call in a professional to aid in diagnosis and treatment, whether that is an alternative care provider such as a massage therapist, a farrier to correct a hoof imbalance or a licensed veterinary surgeon to address a potential weakness or soreness in the horse, at-home remedial action by the horse owner can often assuage minor problems.
Equestrians generally have a good understanding of their particular horse’s weaknesses. These medical concerns may stem from conformational issues or previous injuries. This important owner/rider knowledge empowers the rider as the information can be utilized to focus on specific areas of the animal, where modern-day topical treatments can help mitigate discomfort it experiences from health flare ups. As a result this proactive stance in administering appropriate treatment can also help diminish the risk of potential injuries for both horse and rider.
Present Day Topical Inflammatory Adjudicators
Most people are familiar with the advent of nano based bio-technology. Topical equine products currently available on the market offer many advantages to administering a topical product as it offers a non-invasive treatment protocol either instead of or in addition to joint injections or feed supplements to reduce joint inflammation.
The simplicity of application is a boon to the horse owner, who can address specific areas of concern on the horse and do so without the expense of calling in a medical professional.
The advent of nanoscience is truly a tiny but powerful miracle in many medical genres for horse, humans, dogs and cats and all pets. And as with many horse products the heavy research and development costs, clinical trials and eventual field marketing of manufactured topically applied joint inflammation treatments started out in the human medical care community.
One such product available to horse owners for use on equines, that also has been reported by horse owners as one that benefits themselves is Nanoflex. This advanced technology driven support is Nanoflex is different from other joint inflammation treatment protocols due to its use of the nano biotechnology factor.
This product is constituted of Ultra Deformable Sequessome Vesicles™ {UDSVs}, a complex engineering of fatty lipids that are able to change their shape to penetrate the skin and synovial membrane of the joint. Millions of UDSVs then go to work to provide a new source of bio-lubrication for the joint. This replenishment then helps the joint to move more freely resulting in improved flexibility and mobility.
Each individual horse will have a different degree of joint damage or pitted cartilage. Application of the topical product does not require rubbing the product into the joint, and utilizing the suggested amount is sufficient to accomplish the desired results i.e., more is not better.
Nanoflex is not a ‘light bulb’ product, meaning it can take anything from 3- or 4-days application to see results or 3 to 4 weeks depending on the amount of therapeutic joint fluid replenishment needed by the patient. The accumulation of the fatty lipids in the joint will take some time to accomplish depending on the severity of the loss of joint capsule fluid.
I thought you might enjoy learning the backstory of how this product came to life and how it works as explained by Nick Hartog, owner of the leading horse feed supplement company Grand Meadows, that produces it for use in horses:
“I was lecturing at Royal College of Agriculture in Cirencester on performance supplements, and Dr. Kate Gandee, Head of Equestrian Dept, told me of recent trial on a topical product that was very successful.
The product, under brand name Flexiseq, had only over been sold for use in humans and the company was curious to see if it would work on animals. Currently Grand Meadows is the only company globally selling the same product for animals under the brand name Nanoflex.
Nanoflex is composed of phospholipids that are engineered using nanotechnology to change their shape and pass through the dermal layer and ultimately into the joint space.
Inside the joint space millions of the slippery Ultra Deformable Sequessome™ Vesicles start to accumulate on the cartilage surface itself to provide a completely new source of lubrication that never existed before. The root cause of most joint problems start with friction in the mechanical action of the joint which creates friction which creates heat and then the release of anti-inflammatories. Nanoflex creates a more friction-free environment.
The human product was the subject of a multi-country published trial into humans with osteoarthritis, which reported a significant effect. In the short time the product has been available for horses and pets in the US there has been a steady stream of positive results.
On the equine side there is the added attraction that the product is FEI/USEF clear and many riders are using the Nanoflex through shows to give extra support. Funnily enough Grand Meadows estimates that half the sales are for riders who are using it on themselves!”
The stellar results of this product are plain to see for those of us that have personally experienced them, both with use on our horses and as a sidebar the benefits we’ve discovered, however inadvertently perhaps, for ourselves.
If you would like to learn more about Nanoflex and the one billion reasons to use it to secure better joint health for your horse check it out here. Its formulation and method of delivery is not one to be missed.
While professional horse trainers and riders embrace its use for their top performance horses there is every reason for the backyard horse owner to explore its benefits too. After all, every horse and pet deserves the opportunity to enjoy improved mobility.
About Grand Meadows: Founded in 1989 by visionary Angela Slater, Grand Meadows is a leading horse health product and equine supplement manufacturer driven by the guiding principle of providing affordable, extremely high-quality science-backed horse products to help ensure horses look and feel their best.
For the past 35 years the company’s mission has been honored and developed further, by President Nick Hartog, who among other accomplishments is one of the founding members and current board member of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC), an organization that has a profound impact on the safety, transparency, and legitimacy of the animal supplement industry.
Grand Meadow products are widely used and trusted across the entire horse community from Olympic medal winning competitors and successful horse racing trainers to backyard horse owners. Their equine supplements are highly regarded for their excellent quality resourced ingredients and completely accurate labelling and effective formulations. Learn more at https://www.grandmeadows.com/
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