Natural Supplemnts - Help or Hype?
- 14 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Here at Sound Advice we love natural supplements for your horses’ health, but not all natural products are equal.
Here are 5 symptoms you might be addressing with a natural supplement.
What works? What doesn’t? And how do they compare in price?
1. Calming. Do use magnesium. Don’t use chamomile.
Magnesium is more consistently effective and better studied for calming horses than chamomile. Chamomile may help mildly anxious horses, but magnesium has stronger evidence for reducing excitability, muscle tension, and stress responses.
Horses low in magnesium may show tension, spookiness, or poor focus. Magnesium is required by your horse to support nerve and muscle function. Magnesium regulates neuromuscular transmission and muscle relaxation. It also has a role in metabolic regulation.
Magnesium is ideal for:
Hot, reactive, or anxious horses
Horses prone to tying-up or muscle cramps
Insulin-resistant or laminitic horses (magnesium improves insulin sensitivity)
One of our most frequently asked questions is about the bioavailability of various forms of magnesium for horses. Magnesium oxide is the best option. It's not even close. We cover that in full in this article.
Chamomile contains apigenin, a flavonoid with mild sedative effects.
It's used for mild anxiety, digestive upset, and tension. It may help horses with low-level stress, such as travel or routine changes.
However, the effects are subtle and vary by horse. Chamomile is not competition-safe in some jurisdictions (check FEI/EA rules).
There is limited equine-specific research; most data is extrapolated from human or small animal studies. Even the studies in horses are dubious. This study from 2018 found that chamomile is less effective than lavender. (Click on this one if you want a giggle. I'm not sure how many horse owners are prioritising aromatherapy vaporisers in their stables? How do you use it in the paddock?)
Chamomile will not help your horse in the long-term if your symptoms arise from a magnesium deficiency.
Verdict
Magnesium is your go-to for consistent calming, especially in metabolic or muscular/athletic horses.
Chamomile may help in gentle, short-term scenarios but lacks the punch for high-strung or chronically anxious horses.
On average, a useful daily dose of chamomile for horses (20–30 g) costs around $1.13–$2.50, while Sound Advice Calm Mix (10 g - 30g) costs just $0.13–$0.35 per day - making magnesium far more cost-effective for calming and muscle support.
2. Gastro intestinal health. Do use pre/probiotics. Don’t use apple cider vinegar.
Prebiotics and probiotics have stronger scientific backing for supporting equine digestion than apple cider vinegar (ACV). While ACV may offer minor benefits, it lacks the targeted, microbiome-specific effects of pre/probiotics.
Prebiotics: Feed the Good Bugs
Include mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), and inulin.
Probiotics: Replenish the Gut
Contain live microbes like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Pre and probiotics help restore microbial balance after antibiotics, deworming, or illness. They help stabilise hindgut pH, support fibre fermentation, and boost immunity. They reduce loose or malodorous manure, improve nutrient absorption, and support hindgut health.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Modest Digestive Aid
ACV is rich in acetic acid, trace minerals, and some vitamins.
It may lower gastric pH, potentially aiding digestion and mineral uptake. Anecdotally it is used to repel flies, improve coat condition, and support digestion, but lacks any robust equine-specific research.
Caution: ACV is not recommended for horses with gastric ulcers or sensitive stomachs, as it may exacerbate acidity, whereas pre and probiotics improve outcomes for horses with a history of ulceration.
Verdict
For targeted digestive support, especially during stress, illness, or dietary changes, prebiotics and probiotics are more effective and better studied.
ACV may offer mild benefits, but it’s not a substitute for microbiome-focused support — and it’s not suitable for all horses.
On average a useful daily dose of apple cider vinegar for horses (50–100 mL) costs around $0.30–$0.59, while Sound Advice Bio-Mos or Yea Sacc (10g) costs $0.39 per day, so while prices are comparable, results for prebiotics and probiotics are more reliable.
3. Weight maintenance and condition. Do use flaxseed meal. Don’t use "performance" oils.
Flaxseed meal is superior to performance oils for horses when it comes to omega-3 content, anti-inflammatory support, and metabolic balance. Performance oils generally contain a combination of sunflower, canola and/or rice bran oils, which are all significantly higher in omega-6, which may promote inflammation if not balanced.
Flax:
High in omega-3 fatty acids, especially alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
Provides protein, soluble fibre, and calories.
Supports skin, coat, joint health, and metabolic balance
Helps reduce inflammation and support insulin sensitivity
Sunflower/canola/rice bran:
Oils high in omega-6 or processed with solvents (common in vegetable oils) may stress the liver and impair digestion
These oils may exacerbate joint stiffness, allergies, and metabolic issues, reduce recovery and increase oxidative stress
Verdict
Sunflower, canola, and rice bran oils are inferior to flaxseed oil for horses because they contain far less omega-3 fatty acids and much higher omega-6 levels, which can promote inflammation. Flaxseed offers a superior anti-inflammatory profile, it's better suited to equine physiology and it's less processed.
A useful daily dose of Sound Advice Flaxseed meal (100 g) costs around $1.48, while performance oils (100–250 mL) range from $1.50–$5.76 per day - making flaxseed meal a more cost-effective source of calories and omega-3s.
4. Immune function. Do use zinc supplementation. Don't use echinacea.
Zinc supplementation is more consistently effective and better studied for equine immune support than echinacea. Zinc is an essential trace mineral with clear biological roles, while echinacea is a herbal remedy with mixed and largely anecdotal evidence in horses.
Zinc is a trace mineral involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the horse’s body. Its immune-related roles include:
1. White Blood Cell Function
Zinc is vital for the development and activation of T-cells, macrophages, and neutrophils.
These cells are the front-line defenders against pathogens. Deficiency can impair their ability to recognise and destroy invaders.
2. Antioxidant Protection
Zinc is a cofactor for superoxide dismutase (SOD), a key antioxidant enzyme.This helps neutralise free radicals produced during immune responses, reducing tissue damage.
3. Barrier Integrity
Zinc maintains the integrity of skin and mucous membranes, which act as physical barriers to infection. It also supports gut lining health, crucial for preventing pathogen entry and maintaining immune tolerance.
4. Wound Healing & Inflammation Control
Zinc accelerates tissue repair and modulates inflammatory cytokines, helping horses recover from injury or illness faster.
Echinacea
Equine studies show inconsistent results — some horses respond, others don’t. Even the positive studies show only mild results.
The effects may depend on species used (E. purpurea vs E. angustifolia), dosage, and individual horse. Echinacea is best used short-term, and not as a replacement for proven therapies or trace minerals. It is not recommended for long-term use or horses with autoimmune conditions
Not essential — unlike zinc, echinacea is not required in the diet.
Verdict
Echinacea may mildly stimulate immune function, especially during stress or illness. There is no strong evidence for disease prevention, performance enhancement, or long-term benefits.
A useful daily dose of echinacea for horses (20–40 g) costs around $0.75–$2.60, while Sound Advice Trace Mix containing optimal zinc (30 g) costs about $0.60 per day—making the trace mix more cost-effective and targeted for mineral support, while echinacea is pricier and less precise.
5. Energy/lethargy. Do use salt. Don’t use grain.
Salt deficiency causes lethargy in horses by disrupting hydration, nerve signaling, and muscle function, leading to fatigue, weakness, and reduced performance. Sodium is essential for cellular energy and movement.
Many horses that are more whoa than go are salt deficient. While it’s tempting to introduce grain to add more pep to their step, addressing the salt deficiency can often resolve the problem without a significant change in diet.
Before buying grain, consider increasing salt to see if that is the problem. If your horse has adequate salt, but is still lethargic due to a calorie deficit, consider increasing forage (hay, or access to pasture) rather than calorie-dense options like grains.
Salt is composed of sodium and chloride, two critical electrolytes that regulate:
Nerve impulses: Sodium enables electrical signals that control muscle movement and brain function.
Muscle contraction: Without sodium, muscles—including the heart—can’t contract properly.
Hydration and blood pressure: Sodium helps retain water and maintain blood volume.
Nutrient absorption: Sodium aids in the uptake of amino acids and glucose in the gut.
When sodium levels drop, horses may show:
Lethargy or dullness
Poor appetite
Weakness or reluctance to move
Reduced sweating, leading to overheating
Muscle cramps or trembling
Apathy or “zonked” appearance
Grain
Grain provides a concentrated source of energy for horses through starch, but it must be fed carefully—too much can overwhelm the digestive system and lead to colic, laminitis, or metabolic issues. Forage should always be the foundation of the diet.
Horses evolved as grazing animals, designed to consume small amounts of fibrous forage continuously throughout the day. Their digestive system reflects this. They have a small stomach and a large hindgut (cecum and colon) specialised for fermenting fibre.
Forage (hay, pasture) moves slowly through the gut, promoting steady fermentation, hydration, and nutrient absorption.
Grain, especially in large meals, overwhelms the stomach and can spill undigested starch into the hindgut, disrupting microbial balance.
Verdict
Even mild salt deficiency can affect performance and mood. Severe deficiency may lead to dehydration, colic, or collapse. It is important to determine if your symptom - lethargy - is the result of a salt deficiency or a calorie deficit. If your horse has a calorie deficit, increasing forage is a more natural option than adding grains.
A useful daily dose of grain (1–2 kg) costs around $1.45–$3.76 and provides digestible energy, while Sound Advice Himalayan Salt (30–60 g) costs just $0.15 - $0.30.
Are you getting bang for buck?
These are just 5 examples of natural supplements where one option is significantly more effective and cheaper than another.
Save and get better results!
If there is a natural supplement you're feeding on the regular, get in touch as we may have a superior option at a better price.
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