The FlexAbility Range - which one should you choose? Connie Dale BSc (Hons) A. Nutr, our Registered Associate Nutritionist, and Anna Jones BSc (Hons) Eq. Science, Customer Service Advisor, discuss the key differences between FlexAbility Plus and FlexAbility Professional, and what makes them so special.
The FlexAbility range of joint supplements are the highest specification joint supplements available in the UK, and the results speak for themselves.
How many joint supplements do you think have published, peer reviewed research papers? Surprisingly, considering the market for them, there’s only one. And we are proud to say it’s ours.
Read on, or watch our video, to find out everything about our FlexAbility range, and why it is worth the hype.
The Products
We have two equine joint supplements: FlexAbility Plus+ and FlexAbility Professional. Plus was the precursor to Professional and the first one that we developed. After the success of Plus, and emerging research supporting the use of additional ingredients, we developed Professional, which is aimed at horses whose work requires them to meet higher demands, or who may need extra joint support.
Both products are not only guaranteed to deliver the highest levels of active ingredients, but we have ensured that all of the ingredients that they do contain are in their optimum forms for increased bioavailability.
The Ingredients
The FlexAbility range contains a unique range of optimum levels of scientifically proven ingredients.
Like most, this includes Glucosamine, MSM and omega 3. But there is something special about some of our ingredients…
We use marine source DHA & EPA; specific types of omega 3 fatty acids which are beneficial to many body systems including joints, blood and lungs. Omega 3 from plant sources, such as linseed, does not result in an increase in these beneficial chemicals in horses and are therefore inferior to marine sources.
FlexAbility Professional contains extra ingredients, such as Boswellia, Green Lipped Mussel, Rosehips, and Collagen Peptides. The Boswellia that we use has a very high Boswellic acid content, which is the active ingredient responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Both of our FlexAbility supplements also contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. But did you know that the type of vitamin C that we get from fruit such as oranges, called ascorbic acid, is very difficult for the horse to absorb? We use vitamin C in the form of ascorbyl monophosphate, which is significantly more bioavailable to horses and results in increased vitamin C plasma concentrations.
The Benefits
We know that wear and tear is part of life, particularly when it comes to the skeletal system. Both athletic horses, and horses at rest, experience this wear and tear and it is therefore important to be aware of techniques to manage the degeneration associated with hard work or ageing. A key factor in maintaining joint health and function is ensuring an adequate supply of the nutritional building blocks needed to support cartilage turnover and joint lubrication.
The FlexAbility range contains several ingredients which will support your horse throughout their life, whether they’re performance horses, leisure horses, or retired. Not only are these products beneficial for horses with joint issues such as arthritis, but also as a preventative measure to lessen the risk of this occurring as they age.
Read on to find out more about the proven benefits of FlexAbility…
The Research
FlexAbility is the only equine joint supplement available to have published, peer reviewed research, which can be found in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. Murray et al. (2017) investigated whether feeding an oral joint supplement (FlexAbility) could improve equine limb motion, orthopaedic, physiotherapy, and handler evaluation scores.
17 horses, a mix of mares and geldings with an average age of eight, were fed either FlexAbility or a placebo supplement for 21 days each. The study was a crossover design, meaning that at different intervals, a horse received the real supplement, and then a cool-off period occurred before feeding the placebo, for example. All people feeding, handling, and evaluating the horses were blinded to the treatment.
The results showed that FlexAbility provides significant benefit in maintaining normal joint function and mobility. Furthermore, FlexAbility was associated with increased range of motion and muscle tone, as well as ease of movement at pasture. A clinical trial conducted at Hartpury College supported these findings, with 6 out of 7 horses having improved joint mobility after being fed FlexAbility.
This study was a research milestone – for years, we have been talking about joint supplements with no scientific evidence to support their use. To this day, FlexAbility remains the only joint supplement available with published research to support it’s use, with significant, positive results.
Which FlexAbility should I use – Plus or Professional?
FlexAbility Professional is for horses requiring the maximum level of support. For example, horses in hard work, competing at the top level of the sport, older horses or horses that are at greater risk and requiring the highest nutritional care. FlexAbility Professional contains higher levels of key nutrients, plus the addition of Boswellic Acid, Green Lipped Mussel, Collagen and Rosehip. FlexAbility Plus+ is suitable for all other horses.
Both of the FlexAbility joint supplements are very high specification products, so no matter which you choose you can rest assured that your horse will be receiving five-star support. They are both produced in our UFAS and BETA NOPS approved production facility, and are therefore FEI legal and suitable for competition horses.
To find out more about the FlexAbility range, click here.
Take Away
The FlexAbility range of high specification joint supplements are full of beneficial ingredients to support your horse’s joint health. Whether they are at rest, in competition, light work or retired, supporting their joints is vital and can help to minimise the risk of problems arising in the future.
Written by Anna Jones BSc (Hons) Equine Science - Customer Service Advisor
References
Gupta AK, D. R. (2014). Effect of oral supplementation of vitamin C and exercise on plasma vitamin C status in Marwari horses. Journal of Veterinary Science & Technology, 05(02). https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7579.1000169
Murray, R. C., Walker, V. A., Tranquille, C. A., Spear, J., & Adams, V. (2017). A Randomized Blinded Crossover Clinical Trial to Determine the Effect of an Oral Joint Supplement on Equine Limb Kinematics, Orthopedic, Physiotherapy, and Handler Evaluation Scores. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 50, 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2016.11.009
Nankervis, K., Elliott, J., Read, J. Clinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of FlexAbility - A Double blind, Placebo Controlled, Crossover Study. Hartpury College.
Ross-Jones, T., Hess, T., Rexford, J., Ahrens, N., Engle, T., & Hansen, D. K. (2014). Effects of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Equine Synovial Fluid Fatty Acid Composition and Prostaglandin E2. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 34(6), 779–783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2014.01.014
Yu, G., Xiang, W., Zhang, T., Zeng, L., Yang, K., & Li, J. (2020). Effectiveness of boswellia and Boswellia extract for osteoarthritis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-020-02985-6