10 Best Supplements for Horses in the UK

As a horse owner, ensuring your horse receives the best nutrition is a top priority. While a well-balanced diet of high-quality forage and feed provides most essential nutrients, supplements can play a key role in addressing specific needs, improving performance, or enhancing overall health.

At South Moor Equine Vets, we stock a bespoke range of high-quality, scientifically formulated supplements for your horse, pony or donkey’s every need. All ingredients are fully traceable and from sustainable sources, so you know exactly what you are adding to your feeds. The majority of our supplements are competition-safe, so your horse can be supported whatever they are doing.

Whilst the 10 Best Supplements for Horses list below is not exhaustive, we wanted to share these products with you because we truly believe they work; the majority of our staff who own horses use at least one of these products!

By: Hannah Dix, Equine Specialist Vet, South Moor Equine

1. Joint Supplements

•Hesteflex or BozMerix

•Why It’s Useful: Our joint supplements contain glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, alongside Boswellia Serrata and Natural Vitamin E. These ingredients are key in supporting the building blocks of the joint to maintain joint health and promote mobility, whilst reducing any ongoing inflammation. BozMerix contains additional Micro-encapsulated Curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) for those horses who need a bit more support.

•Who Needs It?: Performance horses, senior horses, or horses showing early signs of arthritis.

2. Hoof Supplements

•Biotex-80

•Why It’s Useful: We all know the old saying “No hoof, no horse”. Biotex-80 contains Zinc, Calcium and Methionine in a form which is highly easy for horses to digest, meaning you are feeding everything you need for increasing hoof strength, condition and growth. It is 4x more concentrated than other leading hoof supplements, meaning you can feed less, and it contains no sugar, so it is safe for those tricky-to-feed horses and ponies prone to laminitis.

•Who Needs It?: Horses with poor hoof growth, poor hoof quality or those who frequently lose shoes.

3. Gastric Ulcer Support

•Pectigus ADVANCED

•Why It’s Useful: This product not only helps to buffer gastric acid but also uses a specifically formulated blend of Pectin, Lecithin and Fructo-oligosaccharides to improve the health of the gastric mucus membranes and stimulate the growth of good bacteria to support intestinal efficiency. It can be used short-term during periods of increased stress or can be used long-term as management to prevent the recurrence of gastric ulcers.

•Who Needs It?: Suitable for horses suffering from glandular or squamous ulcers or those who have been treated in the past and are known to be susceptible.

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4: Electrolytes

•Duralyte-R

•Why It’s Useful: Horses lose vital salts like sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium through sweat, particularly during exercise or in hot weather. Electrolytes replenish these salts and prevent dehydration. Duralyte-R is also designed to support the musculoskeletal system in horses, reducing inflammation and promoting comfort.

•Who Needs It?: Performance horses, endurance horses, those sweating heavily during exercise or horses in moderate work in hot weather

10 Best Supplements for Horses – 5: Calming Supplements

•Magnequin

•Why It’s Useful: Calming supplements are a slightly controversial topic, with some products seemingly working wonders for one horse whilst doing nothing for another! However, products containing

appropriate levels of Magnesium and L-Tryptophan have been shown to be beneficial in supporting a healthy nervous system and balancing serotonin levels. Please note that stress behaviours can be a response to pain, so if you are concerned about your horse’s behaviour, please contact us for a chat.

•Who Needs It?: Horses that become easily stressed e.g. during travel or at a competition, nervous or highly strung horses.

6:Topline and Muscle Support

•Myocel +VITA or Myocel-BCS

•Why It’s Useful: Multivitamins and protein balancers compensate for any protein deficiencies in roughage as well as promote lean muscle growth and support muscle repair.

•Who Needs It?: Horses and ponies lacking in topline, young horses in pre-training, those who need to rebuild muscle after time off or performance horses in a high level of work.

7. Respiratory Support

•Respa Solution

•Why It’s Useful: Respiratory supplements containing herbs like eucalyptus mine and essential oil support clearing airways, reducing inflammation and improving breathing.

•Who Needs It?: Horses exposed to dusty environments or prone to respiratory conditions like COPD.

8. Skin and Coat Supplements

•Duraglow

•Why It’s Useful: Richin omega-3 fatty acids from Micronised Linseed oil, in combination with over 25 other ingredients, enhances coat shine, promotes skin health, and supports the immune system.

•Who Needs It?: Show horses or horses with dull coats and itchy, flaky skin.

9. Energy Enhancers

•Duratone

•Why It’s Useful: Highly concentrated B vitamins combined with sorbitol increase energy and vitality and promote recovery after intense exercise. Amongst other things, B vitamins help optimise food conversion, maintain appetite, aid the immune system and energy production, support the normal formation of haem and white blood cells and maintain normal nerve tissue,

•Who Needs It?: Performance and competition horses in intense exercise. Due to the enormous range of functions which require B vitamins, this supplement can also be used for horses recovering from immune challenges such as post-viral recovery or post-surgery.

10. Liver Support

•Heptalyte

•Why It’s Useful: Antioxidants, B vitamins and Milk thistle all work to support the function of the liver whilst being highly palatable. This supplement can be used alone as a vitamin support or alongside other medication provided by your vet.

•Who Needs It?: Horses suffering from a liver insult, Rescue or rehabilitation cases, or horses where issues with poor pasture quality have been noted.

How to Choose the Right Supplement for Your Horse.

Choosing the right supplement can be overwhelming, with so many options available. Here are some tips to help:

1. Identify Specific Needs: Does your horse need help with joints, hooves, digestion, or another area? Focus on targeted supplements for the best results.

2. Consult Your Vet: If your horse has a medical condition, consult your vet before introducing a new supplement.

3. Check Ingredients: Look for scientifically-backed ingredients and avoid products with unnecessary fillers. The supplement market is not governed by the same rules as medications, which is why we only recommend supplements whose formulation has been overseen by veterinary professionals.

4. Monitor Results: Introduce one supplement at a time and track changes in your horse’s condition.

South Moor Equine Vets are here to help with supplement choice.

Our veterinary team are all equine specialists; if you’re concerned or unsure, then simply ask. They’ll have seen your circumstances before and will likely have experience of what has worked for others.

We are always delighted to support you in doing the very best you can for your horse.

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