Texas A&M Clinical Trial Indicates Equithrive Joint is Effective Therapy for Equine Hock Lameness

Research published in the September 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association provides supporting proof that the oral supplement, Equithrive Joint, is an effective therapy for equine hock lameness.

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The study, “A randomized, controlled trial of the effects of resveratrol administration in performance horses with lameness localized to the distal tarsal joints,” was led by Ashlee E.Watts, DVM, PhD, DACVS. Watts is a board certified large animal surgeon in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University, and Director of the Comparative Orthopedics and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at Texas A&M University.

A Pioneer in Clinical Research of Equine Supplements

“This was a two-year research project and it is very exciting to me because blinded, randomized and controlled clinical trials are not commonly performed in equine veterinary medicine. This type of study is especially rare in the equine supplement industry due to time and cost involved and there are no requirements for understanding the mechanism of action or even for proof of efficacy of supplements marketed in the United States,” said Watts. “This is in contrast to drugs, which are strictly regulated by the FDA, where companies are required to demonstrate safety and efficacy in client-owned horses with naturally occurring disease prior to approval in the United States.”

Dr. Watts will present her research findings in December during the annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) conference.

Setting a Standard for Scientifically Proven Equine Supplements

Dr. Patrick Lawless is the Founder, President and CEO of Biological Prospects LLC, an animal health product developer and manufacturer located in Lexington, Kentucky. Biological Prospects has pioneered the use of the anti-inflammatory antioxidant Resveratrol in the animal health field and developed Equithrive Joint for use in horses. “Equithrive Joint has actually been on the market since 2009. From product launch to the present, our company has remained focused on scientifically validating the effectiveness of the product in supporting equine joint health. The product has now been proven to reduce lameness, inflammation and oxidative stress in performance horses in independent university studies,” said Lawless. “As a company, we think it is important to back up marketing claims with the relevant scientific data rather than simply putting together a formula and marketing it as effective without scientific proof.”

Study Details

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of resveratrol administration in performance horses with lameness localized to the distal tarsal joints.

DESIGN

Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

ANIMALS

45 client-owned horses with lameness localized to the distal tarsal joints.

PROCEDURES

All horses received injections of triamcinolone acetonide in the centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints of both hind limbs. A placebo or a supplement containing resveratrol was fed twice daily by owners for 4 months. Primary outcomes were horse performance as determined by rider opinion (better, worse, or the same) and change in lameness severity from the enrollment examination.

RESULTS

Complete data were obtained for 21 horses that received resveratrol and 20 that received the placebo. Percentage of riders who reported that the horse’s performance was better, compared with worse or the same, was significantly higher for the resveratrol group than for the placebo group after 2 (20/21 [95%] vs 14/20 [70%]) and 4 (18/21 [86%] vs 10/20 [50%]) months. The change in A1:A2 ratio between the enrollment and 4-month recheck examinations was significantly better for horses in the resveratrol versus placebo group. However, subjective lameness scores and degree of asymmetry of pelvis movement did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Results suggested that in performance horses with lameness localized to the distal tarsal joints, injection of triamcinolone in the centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints of both hind limbs followed by oral supplementation with resveratrol for 4 months resulted in reduced lameness, compared with triamcinolone injection and supplementation with a placebo. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2016; 249:650–659)

Equithrive is the pioneer in equine Resveratrol therapy. Resveratrol has become known to the public as the healthy ingredient in red wine. Equithrive has developed a proprietary Resveratrol product (Resverasyn) that has been proven in multiple university studies to reduce lameness, inflammation and oxidative stress in horses. Excessive inflammation plays a major role in arthritis and in Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). The company developed Equithrive Joint to support healthy joint function in horses during aging, training and competition. Metabarol contains a higher dose of Resverasyn and has been demonstrated to reduce insulin levels in EMS horses that are prone to foundering. Veterinarians across the United States now routinely recommend Equithrive Joint and Metabarol to support joint health and metabolic function in equine athletes and in older
horses. Equithrive is the global leader in Resveratrol therapy for horses. For more information about Equithrive, please visit www.equithrive.com or call 866-721-1412.

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