In performance horses, every aspect of care—from nutrition and farriery to conditioning and recovery—works together to influence the animal’s long-term soundness and success. Veterinarians or equine nutritionists might recommend supplements as part of multimodal approach to support horses’ overall wellness or help manage chronic conditions. While they’re not intended to replace foundational veterinary care or good nutrition, supplements can complement a comprehensive management plan when thoughtfully selected and used in conjunction with targeted therapies and training programs.

“Supplements should only be used to augment a preexisting care plan,” says Nimet Browne, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVIM, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, in Lexington, Kentucky. “We need to understand that they are not going to solve all our problems, but they can bring out the best in our athletic partners.”

What Is a Multimodal Approach to Performance Horse Health?

A multimodal management strategy involves using multiple treatments or techniques, each targeting a different aspect of a problem (i.e., pain or inflammation). This could mean pairing a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with physical therapy or combining regenerative therapies with appropriate nutrition and supportive shoeing.

“By combining different modalities and agents, we hope to achieve a greater level of pain relief,” Browne says. “For example, we might use extracorporeal shock wave therapy in addition to NSAIDs to alleviate back pain.”

Because the FDA classifies only products that treat, cure, or prevent disease as drugs—requiring them to pass rigorous approval processes—most owners turn to supplements to complement the diet or fill nutritional gaps. Supplements have comparatively limited regulatory oversight, meaning owners, veterinarians, and nutritionists should thoroughly research a supplement before feeding it to a horse.

Supplements should never replace foundational management, such as proper conditioning and veterinary diagnostics. “If you’re relying on a supplement to resolve (for example) lameness, it’s very important that you first have a diagnosis so that you know what you are dealing with to know if that product might help,” says Emma Adam, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVS, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington. “Supplements can complement a good program, but they are not a substitute for suboptimal training, nutrition, or management practices.”

How to Evaluate a Supplement for Horses

When choosing a supplement for a performance horse, veterinarians and owners should consider its quality, bioavailability, and clinical backing as the top priorities. “Start by consulting your veterinarian,” Browne says. “They can help identify ingredients and dosages that would help the particular problem you are trying to address.”

For example, she adds, “There are many formulations of vitamin E on the market, but many of them have poor absorption. Working with your veterinarian, you can choose the most appropriate formulation.”

Adam agrees and emphasizes the importance of evidence-based decision-making. “We can’t assume all supplements are the same,” Adam says. “I look for peer-reviewed studies or data that support a supplement’s claims. Products backed by research and developed by reputable companies demonstrate that company’s commitment to their product and to their customer.”

Bioavailability—the rate and extent to which the body can absorb and use an ingredient—can be a critical factor in a supplement’s effectiveness, says Adam. High-quality and verified ingredients, correct dosing, and a horse’s individual metabolism all affect outcomes. “If the supplement isn’t being absorbed, it doesn’t matter how promising it sounds,” she says.

Timing Performance Horse Supplement Administration

Timing of administration can influence a supplement’s efficacy. For example, owners should feed most supplements consistently to maintain steady therapeutic levels. Owners might need to give other supplements, such as those used for recovery or acute stress, around competition. “There are ingredients that help maintain athletic ability and support recovery after a tough workout,” Browne says. “These tend to have a short duration of action and therefore need to be administered closer to competition time.”

Common Equine Supplement Mistakes to Avoid

Horse owners often make the mistake of over supplementing—adding multiple products without a clear plan or awareness of potential ingredient overlaps, says Browne. “Although often not dangerous, doubling up on ingredients can lead to increased expenses and complicate feeding routines,” she says. “It can also make horses reluctant to eat or resistant to oral medications.”

However, in some cases, over supplementing might be risky because little research available to demonstrate how multiple supplements fed together can affect horses, says Adam. “Owners want to do the best for their horses and may be tempted to add product after product, but without guidance and data that strategy is inefficient at best and risky at worst.”

Choosing Equine Supplements as a Team Effort

Ultimately, effective supplement use requires collaboration between veterinarians, farriers, trainers, and owners. This includes being aware of the legal and ethical considerations around supplement use, especially in competition settings.

“It is extremely important that both veterinarians and professionals have a solid understanding of the rules and regulations set forth by the governing body of their sport,” Browne says. “These rules are in place to ensure the health and safety of the equine and human athlete.”

Adam encourages open communication between all involved in a horse’s care. “When everyone’s on the same page, the horse benefits,” she says. “Transparency helps prevent negative interactions and ensures the overall plan is coherent.”

Take-Home Message

When addressing a specific problem in a performance horse, supplements can be one part of the solution and work best when integrated into a larger strategy. Veterinarians, owners, farriers, and nutritionists should work together to create a multimodal management plan for performance horses built on transparency and including high-quality nutrition, routine veterinary care, medical management, and complementary therapies.

“Supplements can be one piece of a comprehensive care plan,” says Adam. “It’s about doing what’s right for each horse, backed by science, experience, and teamwork. Where possible use evidence-based practices rather than anecdotal experience. Always tailor choices to the individual horse’s needs and medical history.”