[RC] [RC] joint supplements -- which is best value? - Deanna GermanMy experience with joint supplements: I started my mare on joint supplements as soon as she was under saddle. I used an Equine America product that I swear is called Flex Free (but I could be wrong) that I purchased from Big D's for about 4 years because it seemed to be the cheapest per milligram. I admit to not doing a loading dose and I admit to not using it during my mare's down time. I definitely noticed a difference when she was on it vs not. Late this summer, I lucked into a marked down bucket of MaxFlex, used that for a month and noticed a much larger difference than with the Flex Free. It's Glucosamine without Chondroitin and a big dose (7500mg). This time, I did the loading dose and used it correctly. It also contains yucca, and for that reason I didn't stick with it. With my new SmartPak, I told them to put Equinyl C in it because that seems to be the best value per milligram of what they offer that doesn't have additional additives other than G & C. SmartPak accidentally put Equinyl CM (has MSM in it) in my first batch. It is working well, a continuation of the MaxFlex. But these are products with different quantities of ingredients and different ingredients, so it's not an apples to apples comparison. Still, I won't go back to the Equine America product. I've asked SmartPak to put Equinyl C (no MSM) in her batch and will be starting that one within a week. So is it the MSM, the yucca, the high quantity of glucosamine in the MaxFlex, a higher quality product or that I'm using it correctly? Hard to say. Equinyl is a good price and if it continues to work well, I'll use it. If the product with MSM or yucca works better, then I will be looking at a decision to put her on one of them during the off-season and the G/C product during the riding season. Long story short, I can definitely give a thumbs up to MaxFlex that it works and is a good value. But it contains yucca. :-( Hopefully the Equinyl works as well. Deanna -------------------------------- Has anyone really studied the 800 million <BG> joint supplements available to know which are the most value-for-money of the stuff most likely to actually help? I would like to start my new horse on a joint supplement (presumably glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) as a preventive measure, but the choices are overwhelming! I know there's an expert in just about everything on this forum, and I bet someone somewhere has done their own study and made a little chart and everything -- care to share? :)) -- Glenda R. Snodgrass AERC #M18819 SE Region =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|