Problems with the joints such as osteoarthritis are common in horses. As a result of age, but also due to intensive stress or training. The joints in the legs are especially vulnerable, bullet and jump injuries are well known problems. Many people feed a glucosamine supplement to make their horse smoother. But research shows that you can give much better the mineral silicon to get your horse going again. What's up with that?
Glucosamine, whether or not in combination with chondroitin, is viewed with caution in human medicine. Indeed, there are no conclusive studies that show an effect of glucosamine supplements in people with osteoarthritis. It probably only has a small anti-inflammatory effect, which you see especially in the beginning. Many doctors think the use of these types of supplements at most as a form of if it doesn't harm then there is no problem. When you put glucosamine through your horse's feed, only a very small amount is absorbed by the intestines. So most of it never reaches the joints, where it should actually do its job.
Body makes glucosamine itself
Glucosamine and chondroitin are among the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). These are molecules that are an important component of collagen-rich tissues. Think of cartilage, connective tissue, bones and the synovial fluid (synovial fluid) that acts as a lubricant of joints. The body of people and horses can easily produce these GAGs themselves. So if you can find a way to stimulate this body's own production, then you are rid of the problem that glucosamine hardly gets to the right places through the food.Silicon stimulates the body's own production of glucosamine
Studies show that silicon stimulates collagen production and bone formation. Silicon plays a connecting role in the production of GAGs such as glucosamine. It is a kind of catalyst for the production process. A catalyst is a substance that influences the speed of a certain chemical reaction without being consumed itself. Silicon in this case stimulates the production of glucosamine by the body itself. As a result, the amount of useful glucosamine for the body is many times greater than when glucosamine is added. Because added glucosamine is not properly absorbed by the horse's body. Silicon deficiency leads to reduced bone density and osteoporosis. That has been shown in humans. For example, women in India are less affected by osteoporosis than in Western Europe. This is because they absorb more silicon through their food. Silicon is also likely to play a role in immune processes and inflammatory responses. If there is too little silicon in the diet, it gives lower immunity and more violent inflammatory reactions. There are also indications that silicon contributes to the absorption of calcium, magnesium and copper, among others.Study in racehorses shows fewer injuries
Studies on the use of silicon dietary supplements in growing chickens show improved bone quality. A study into silicon supplements has also been carried out among racehorses. In it, the researchers saw that adding bio-absorbable silicon improves performance and load capacity and can prevent injuries in horses.Bio-absorbable
Silicon is one of the most abundant minerals in the world. It is an important part of the earth's crust. For example, white sand is packed with silicon. Unfortunately that is not recordable; only specific silicon compounds can be used by the body. You must therefore add silicon to the ration in liquid form to ensure that your horse produces more glucosamine itself. Here you can read more about the difference between solid and liquid silicon. HELTIE horse® Silicon contains such an easily absorbable, liquid form of silicon.Slow effect
When you add silicon to the diet, its action starts in the mucous membranes around the joints and in the synovial fluid. Subsequently, the quality of the cartilage improves, and finally the bone density also increases. So you have to give silicon for a longer time, because the process goes from the outside to the inside of the joints and bones. However, human athletes with acute knee pain, for example, often notice a difference after a few days when they start taking silicon. That is because the mucous membranes and synovial fluid then already get better. But to get stronger bones and prevent injuries, you have to add silicon to the diet for a long time.About HELTIE horse® Silicon
The only ingredient of HELTIE horse® Silicon is the mineral silicon, in a hydrolysed liquid form. In hydrolysis, the small molecular form of silicon remains intact and active. The active, hydrolyzed, liquid silicon in HELTIE horse® Silicon is 100% biologically absorbed by the animal. Our product contains 15% active silicon, so you don't have to give a lot of it. It is guaranteed doping-free and you can therefore continue to ride competitions.Conclusion
When you give glucosamine through your horse's food, only a very small amount is absorbed by the intestines. Most of it never reaches the joints, where it should actually do its job. Studies have shown that the mineral silicon in hydrolysed liquid form stimulates the production of glucosamine by the horse's body itself. In this way it does reach the joints. Silicon works from the outside in. This means that it first has an effect in the mucous membranes and synovial fluid, from there on the cartilage and finally from the cartilage in the bones. That is why it is recommended to add silicon to food for a long time for the desired effect on joints. Sources:Lela Munjas Jurkić,Ivica Cepanec,Sandra Kraljević Pavelić, and Krešimir Pavelić, Biological and therapeutic effects of ortho-silicic acid and some ortho-silicic acid-releasing compounds: New perspectives for therapy
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2013/316783/ Mineral balance in horses fed two supplemental silicon sources, April 2008 J Anim Physiol a Anim Nutr 92(2):173-81 D. Nielsen, G. D. Potter, E. L. Morris et al.. Training distanceto failure in young racing quarter horses fed sodium zeolite A. Journal of Equine Veterinary S cience,vol.13,no.10,pp.562–567,1993. Training distance to failure in young racing quarter horses fed sodium zeolite A G.R. Beck Jr, Shin-Woo Ha, Corinne E, Camalier, M.S., M. Yamaguchi, Y. Li, J. Kee, M. N. Weitzmann. Bioactive silica based nanoparticles stimulate bone forming osteoblasts, supress bone esboring osteoclasts, and enhance bone mineral density in vivo. Nanomedicine, 2012 Silicon and Equine Bone Health Brian D. Nielsen and Kari E. Krick Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5428/e7c207ea4205433baf43294d9ff44b8e9751.pdf Forrest H. Nielsen. Update on the possible nutritional importance of silicon. Journal of Trace elements in Medicine and Biology, 2014 Carlisle EM. Silicon: A possible growth factor in bone calcification. Science, 167, 279-280. Charles T. Price, Kenneth J. Koval, and Joshua R. Langford. 2013. Silicon: A Review of Its Potential Role in the Prevention and Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis. International Journal of Endocrinology, Vol 2013. https://www.scienceopen.com/document_file/35a4be73-4673-4f19-8ebb-3e2723201c0d/PubMedCentral/35a4be73-4673-4f19-8ebb-3e2723201c0d.pdf Mark JS Miller, Komal Mehta,Sameer Kunte, Vidyanand Raut, Jayesh Gala, Ramesh Dhumale, Anil Shukla, Hemant Tupalli, Himanshu Parikh, Paul Bobrowski, and Jayesh Chaudhary. Early relief of osteoarthritis symptoms with a natural mineral supplement and a herbomineral combination: A randomized controlled trial. 2005. Journal of Inflammation V2, 2005. Reffitt DM, Ogston N, Jugdaohsingh R, Cheung HF, Evans BA, Thompson RP, Powell JJ, Hampson GN. Orthosilicic acid stimulates collagen type 1 synthesis and osteoblastic differentiation in human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. Bone. 2003 Feb; 32 (2): 127-35.