How to Make Quality Equine Joint Supplements for a Fraction of the Cost

1/17/2022

by Monique Warren

Can you make your own joint supplement for your beloved equine for less than a dollar a day? The answer is yes!

Equine joint supplements containing therapeutic doses of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid average $3.00 - $4.00 a day. Read on to learn how to blend your own for 56 cents (maintenance dose) or $1.11 (loading dose) per day and where to buy the ingredients (links provided).

Effective equine oral joint supplements should contain a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid - and those that do come at a high cost. However, even at top price points, many don’t provide the therapeutic levels you need. Some even include insignificant amounts of minerals and vitamins that should be provided in the core diet.

Pure, human pharmaceutical grade ingredients with no fillers can cost less if you know where to buy them and you’re willing to blend them yourself. Let’s dive in.

Suggested Therapeutic Doses

According to the Horse Journal Guide to Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals, by Eleanor M. Kellon, DVM, the recommended loading and maintenance doses of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid for a 1,000 to 1,100 pound horse, when fed in combination, are:

Glucosamine: Loading 5-10 grams.
Maintenance 2.5-5 grams.

Chondroitin Sulfate: Loading 2-4 grams.
Maintenance 1-2 grams.

Hyaluronic Acid: Loading 40 - 100 milligrams. Maintenance 20-50 milligrams.

The following formula provides:

Loading - 142 doses
(7 grams glucosamine, 4 grams chondroitin and 100 milligrams hyaluronic acid).
Current cost = $1.11 per day.
Maintenance - 284 doses
(3.5 grams glucosamine, 2 grams chondroitin and 50 milligrams hyaluronic acid = 5.55 grams)
Current cost = 56 cents per day.

Suggested therapeutic doses for equine joint supplements

Where & How Much to Buy of Each Ingredient

Purebulk.com offers pure human grade pharmaceutical ingredients with NO fillers. Buy:

Glucosamine: 1 kilogram. Current cost is $36.50.
Chondroitin Sulfate: 1 kilogram. Current cost is $99.00 (you will only use 600 grams, save the rest for your next batch).
Hyaluronic Acid: 100 grams. Current cost is $45.50 (you will only use 14.2 grams, save the rest for your next batch).

Milligram, Gram and Kilogram Conversions

1,000 milligrams = 1 gram
1,000 grams = 1 kilogram

Items You Will Need

Gram scale, cost is under $20.00
Food storage container to weigh ingredients
Large Ziploc bag OR plastic bag and a twist tie
Spoon
Solid, light proof container to store your joint supplement in

Recipe for Equine Joint Supplement/Ingredient Weights

1 Kilogram Glucosamine
600 grams Chondroitin Sulfate
14.2 grams Hyaluronic Acid

How To Measure & Blend Ingredients

Turn your gram scale on.
Place food storage container on scale and press Tare (the Tare button will reset the displayed weight on the scale back to zero).
Start by adding chondroitin sulfate into the food storage container until you reach 600 grams. Pour into the Ziploc or plastic bag.

Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3 by weighing 14.2 grams of hyaluronic acid. Pour into Ziploc or plastic bag.
It’s not necessary to weigh the glucosamine. Add the entire kilogram into the Ziploc or plastic bag.
Initially, blend with a large spoon, close the bag and repeatedly manipulate it to thoroughly blend. Once blended, transfer into a solid, light proof container to store your joint supplement.
TIP: Continue to blend throughout use (shake and roll the container). Heavier particles will settle to the bottom of the container.

Measurement of Daily Doses

For a 1,000 to 1,100-pound equine, the total dose is:

Loading dose - 11.1 grams (or 2.75 teaspoons)
Maintenance dose - 5.55 grams (or 1.5 teaspoons)

I have measured and provided the equivalent in teaspoons (or you can weigh it yourself). You can adjust the dose according to results or your equine's body weight. Severely compromised individuals may need the loading dose indefinitely.

In Conclusion

As equine guardians, providing an affordable, quality life for our beloved companions can be incredibly challenging. I hope this information lightens your financial load and leads to happier, healthier equine companions.

Helpful Resources

Shop Now

Stay Connected

Want to Hear About $ales, Nutrition Tips & Giveaways?

Be the first to know by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.

About the Author:
Monique Warren invented the Hay Pillow® slow feeder and is the owner of Hay Pillow Inc.
Warren has been an equine guardian for over forty years and slow-feed advocate for over 10 years. She contributes equine nutrition and digestive and hoof health articles to publications such as Equine Wellness, The Journal, The Naturally Healthy Horse, Natural Horse Magazine, Nicker News, Horse Back Magazine, The Horse's Hoof, and Miniature Horse World Magazine. Equine nutrition and horses feet are her passions. She resides in Southern California.

Reference
Kellon, Eleanor. Horse Journal Guide to Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals. Guilford. The Lyons Press. 2008

2 Comments

Patti Woodbury-Kuvik link

1/25/2022 09:36:01 am

Great article.
Two points - I have used Pure Bulk (good source for scales) but prefer My Best Horse https://www.mybesthorse.com/index.html.
Joan has been providing basic supplement ingredients at affordable prices and been a long time supporter of helping IR and PPID horses.
A second thought - some IR horses (and humans) are sernsitive to glucosamine. These horses may do well with just chondroitin or chondroitin and HA, or also consider adding ASU (Avocado Soy Unsaponifiables).

Hay Pillow Inc

1/25/2022 10:09:52 am

Thanks so much for your input. I struggle to stay on topic and avoid going down rabbit holes when writing! So, I stayed true to the recommended range of doses "when fed in combination" published in Dr. Kellon’s book. Of course, the reader may make adjustments as they see fit.

Enhancing Equine Health