There are many things that go into maintaining soundness, ranging from bone health, to hoof integrity, to reducing inflammation in joints, ligaments, and tendons.

There’s Nothing Bare Bones about Bone Health

Bone remodeling is a process that occurs continuously and is essential to ongoing soundness. It is the process by which damaged or old bone is replaced by new strong bone. Many types of horses benefit from a bone supplement, including broodmares for fetal development, young growing horses, those with limited access to fresh pasture, horses on stall rest or recovering from bone or soft tissue injury, and those in heavy training and competition.y

Vitamin K1 is abundant in forage and leafy greens, but these levels are unstable, have low bioavailability, and are depleted quickly when grass is made into hay. Research shows that inadequate intake of Vitamin K is linked to low bone density and increased risk for fractures, and that horses removed from Vitamin K rich pastures have a reduction in bone density within 7-10 days.

Pro Bono contains a bioavailable source of Vitamin K, which plays a critical role in the function of osteocalcin, known to bind minerals and protein in the bone together. Pro Bono also contains Vitamin D, which facilitates absorption of calcium and the balance of calcium and phosphorus necessary for proper bone mineralization, as well as collagen to support healthy bone and cartilage that is strong and resilient.

According to Dr. Patipa, “Most horses benefit from a bone supplement, especially show horses who endure routine concussive pressures during competition as a result of different and unpredictable footing, which can lead to edema within the bone. Bone supplements also benefit foals and horses as their bones are developing.”

Put Your Best Hoof Forward

There are many reasons why horses struggle with hoof health. The most common hoof issues are hooves that don’t grow, poor quality hoof growth, hooves that are too brittle or too soft, weak walls and those that are prone to quarter cracks, and general hoof sensitivity. Some hoof issues are the result of environmental factors like tropical weather where the ground is too wet, or dry weather where the ground is too hard, while other issues can be genetic or related to diet. 

What your horse needs for quality hoof growth is sulfur, arginine, and methionine, which are naturally occurring in those ingredients that make up Crackdown. It is these sulfur-bearing nutrients that are key to circulation within the vascular network of the hoof, and the development of strong keratinous tissue. Traditional hoof supplements over-focus on biotin, which horses already derive by fermentation of forage in the hindgut, and almost always have enough for daily requirements. 

“Horses on Crackdown grow hoof like I’ve never seen before. I work on difficult cases with metabolic and pre-metabolic horses, and I’m always careful about what I recommend feeding them. What I like most about Crackdown is that it’s a supplement that really works and it’s safe to feed to horses who have to be on a low sugar and starch diet. I like being able to recommend a hoof supplement that I really believe helps horses.” - James Gilchrist, Official Olympic and World Equestrian Games Farrier

Joints, Ligaments, and Tendons

Another key to maintaining soundness requires reducing inflammation throughout the soft tissue. Arthroscope is designed to address the entire joint, including the cartilage, synovial fluid, tendons, and ligaments. Not only does it contain a synergistic blend of the traditional building blocks of joint health (glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid), but it’s loaded with potent anti-inflammatories like boswellia, ASU, and resveratrol, in addition to hydrolyzed collagen. 

Arthroscope supports structural joint and connective tissue integrity and is ideal for horses engaged in heavy workouts, intense training and competition, horses recovering from injury, and even to provide comfort and support for senior horses.

St. Jacques first met “Sully,” one of Auburn University’s horses, when he was 12 years old and she was a standout NCAA rider. After graduating, she integrated Sully into her own program where he would have a forever home. 

“When he was at school he needed maintenance injections every 6 months to stay sound,” says St. Jacques. “He was the kind of horse that always started out stiff and took a while to warm up.” Three years ago, Taylor started Sully on Arthroscope to provide his joints, ligaments, and tendons with extra support and to help reduce inflammation.  

“Sully is now 17, and in the three years he’s been on Arthroscope his flexions have been so good that he has not needed a single injection,” she says, adding that she never thought Sully would be sound without ongoing maintenance. 

“Arthroscope has kept him so comfortable that our vets can’t find anything to improve,” she says. “Every day he comes out to work he moves as comfortably and freely at the start of the ride as he does when we finish.”