Dr. Monty McInturff, DVM
Owner, Tennessee Equine Hospital
"About 10 years ago, I was approached by the owner of Equithrive to try his products. I simply said, 'Look, I don’t really support over the counter oral joint therapy. I’m more into injectable forms. I don’t think there is enough research to show that these oral supplements really work.' I was pushing back pretty hard and the owner is like, 'Well, if I gave you some would you try it?' I said sure, so he gave me some and I threw it in the truck.
I was at a big hunter jumper barn that I do, and they have a large amount of schooling horses where they give lessons to kids. Those horses work hard, probably 5-6 days a week, and jumping probably 3 to 4 of those days. And I know a lot of these horses are on bute and other joint therapies, so I told the trainer, 'If I give you this product would you try it and just let me know what you think?' He says he'd be happy to give it a go. I gave him the small box of Equithrive and told him how to give it based on the label. Then I didn’t think another thing about it.
Then about two months later that trainer came back to me and he said, 'Hey Dr. Monty, I’d love some more of that stuff you put my schooling horses on.' And I’m like, 'Oh? What stuff is that?' And he says, 'That Equithrive stuff, it really works.' I’m like, 'Really? Does that stuff work?' And he said, 'Yeah! It works great.' I asked him what else he was giving with the Equithrive and he said, 'Nothing.' No bute, no injections, nothing. He told me these horses are 19 and 20 years of age and acting like they are 9 or 10. They have more endurance, they’re jumping more, their trot is bigger, they’re just holding up so much better.
Dr. Monty McInturff, DVM
I couldn't believe it, but from that point I started using it on older horses just to see how they would react. I was really, really surprised at how these horses had more endurance, they were more active, they got up and down easier, and I was really impressed by it. From there, I started studying resveratrol and the product and how it works.
So we know that with inflammation, the body is actively making inflammatory enzymes all the time. Bute blocks those from causing pain, and Banamine blocks that cascade. Resveratrol doesn’t have an effect on the circulating inflammatory enzymes. What’s there is there. What it does is it turns the production of these inflammatory enzymes down. It cuts the faucet down, kind of like gene therapy where it affects the production of these inflammatory enzymes. That's how you cut that down and decrease the inflammation, not by blocking it but suppressing it. That’s what resveratrol does, it suppresses the inflammation of your body, and inflammation is what makes us age and hurt. If you can slow that inflammation production down, you feel better and recover faster.
And now, in my 30th year of practice, it is actually the only oral joint supplement that I do recommend. I know there is a lot on the market and if you believe in it, give it a go. But this is what I believe in. It is a great product."
Excerpt from the Stacy Westfall Horse Podcast
Shop the Joint collection
Read more | What is Resverasyn and what can it do for my horse?
Why Resveratrol is Great for Horses