Q: Are there any supplements that you can add to your horse’s diet to help combat degenerative suspensory ligament disease (DSLD)?

A: That’s a question I get quite often actually, and that’s a disease that can be really frustrating for owners and veterinarians to manage. When I see these horses, I don’t know that I recommend supplements per se, but I do recommend physical therapy when it comes to DSLD. I recently had a horse that had an upper, or proximal, suspensory injury that also had DSLD. We did a lot of strengthening work on the horse with balance pads. We also did some tail pulls to help strengthen his stifle. These exercises helped the horse get stronger and improved his core and topline strength. He did very well in the long run.

If I have a horse diagnosed with DSLD, I don’t know that I look at supplements more than I look at physical therapy. It’s also important to work with your veterinarian or maybe the rehab specialist to help get the horse stronger. And don’t forget about the feet. Be sure your horse has regular farrier work to keep the hoof angles balanced and give plenty of support underneath the horse as well.

Related Content: Maintaining Senior Horse Joints (Podcast)