Different Types of Horse Supplements

When you own a horse, you want to make sure that your horse gets the best possible care. This includes a lot of tasks, from grooming your horse to deciding what to feed them. When it comes to diet, a healthy one is based on good forage-hay or pasture. You can also feed the horse grain and other horse feed concentrates to add calories to the diet. 

Once you’re satisfied with your horse’s base diet, the next thing you probably want to figure out is what horse supplements you should give. Every horse in the barn has a specific regimen of supplements since their needs vary. But with all the horse supplements available in the market, you might be wondering what is best for your horse. 

This guide will help you understand the different horse supplements and which one is perfect for your horse’s needs. 
 

Vitamins and Minerals Supplements

If you feed your horse with commercially formulated horse feeds, it should already be enriched with vitamins and minerals for horses. For horses that don’t eat commercially formulated horse feeds but grazes on fresh grass, they should be getting all the vitamins they need. But if your horse only eats hay, your horse will benefit from supplemental vitamins and minerals as these are lost during hay curing and storage. Be sure to compare the labels of your feeds and supplements before feeding it to your horse. Some vitamins and minerals can cause toxicity if overfed, so make sure that you are not overdoing it with one ingredient. 
 

Hoof Care Supplements

When talking about horse supplements, one of the most popular is hoof care supplements. This type of supplement is perfect for horses who have brittle, shelly feet that usually chip and lose shoes. Hoof care supplements can help make up for the dietary deficiencies that can lead to poor feet health. If you’re going to use hoof care supplements for your horses, you’ll need to use it for about 6-12 months. It will take quite some time to see a noticeable improvement. The ingredients of these supplements vary but may include lysine, methionine, zinc, cobalt, copper, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. 
 

Joint Supplements

Joint supplements for horses is one of the essential supplements for horses. This supplement is for older horses who are starting to show signs of osteoarthritis or younger, active ones whose joints can use some protection. There are different formulations available in the market so if you are unsure of what is right for your horse, you may try one for 30 days and check for any noticeable improvements. Ingredients of joint supplements for horses include glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamin C, and silica.

 
Skin and Coat Supplements

If you want your horse to achieve a shinier coat, you can start to feed them some skin and coat supplements. Just be mindful because weight-building supplements can also lead to glossy coats because of the fat ingredient, so if you feed them with skin and coat supplements, only use small amounts. The ingredients of this supplement include flaxseed, chia seed, zinc, vitamin E, biotin, and amino acids. 
 

Weight Gain Supplements

If you feed your horse plenty of high-quality forage but still has difficulty gaining weight, you should consider giving them weight gain supplements for horses. As mentioned, weight gain supplements and skin and coat ones almost have the same ingredients, so be mindful if you’re feeding both of these supplements to your horse. 
 

Gastric Support Supplements

One of the most common health problems plaguing domesticated equines is gastric ulcers. Prevention is better than cure; that’s why it’ll be ideal if you give your horse some gastric support supplements. Apart from the supplements, you can also prevent ulcers by decreasing stress, increasing turnout time, and providing forage 24/7. Gastric supplements can include soluble fibre, collagen, and antacids. 
 

Digestive Support Supplements

Some horses are prone to colic, which is severe abdominal pain. If your horse is one of them, then you might consider giving them a digestive support supplement. Like ulcer, limiting stress and increasing turnout and forage availability can help prevent colic. If you want to add digestive supplements to your horse’s diet, these often include a combination of yeast, probiotics, or oligosaccharides that can encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria and digestive enzymes. 
 

Calming Supplements for Horses

Whether at home or shows, some horses are high-strung or can be easily spooked. Calming supplements for horses can help soothe edginess and nervousness out of your dog’s system. Apart from the supplements, make sure that your horse is getting enough exercise to work off its excess energy. This supplement contains ingredients that can target the nervous system, including magnesium and vitamin B1.  
 

Supplements for Senior Horses

If you’re able to take care of your horse properly and stretch its life to 20s and 30s, you might consider getting supplements specifically formulated for your senior horse. These supplements can provide an all-in-one formula to address joint health, digestive support, good weight and immune system. Always check the labels carefully to make sure that the ingredients can address your senior horse’s needs and won’t overlap with the supplements you’re currently feeding. Also, check if your horse is experiencing anaemia and might need some anaemic horse supplements. 

Here at Pet Station, we understand that you always want what is best for your animals. If you are looking for the best vitamin and mineral supplement for horses in Australia, we got you covered. Feel free to browse all our horse supplements and if you have any questions about our range of horse products, get in touch with our friendly and experienced team members who are happy to go above and beyond for you and your furry friends.