It’s been 7 weeks since Scottie’s last set back which led me to making the decision that he will only ever be up to the occasional hack. Around that time I decided to throw everything and the kitchen sink at the problem, one of these things was a joint supplement from Aviform.
Why a supplement
I’ve never been a big believer or investor in supplements. But after Scottie’s most recent setback the vet’s opinion was that this is as good as he is probably going to get. We have tried all treatments available and they haven’t really helped long term.
There is a chance that with a sachet of bute a day, Scottie would be able to carry on schooling and having a normal ridden life. But all this is doing is masking the problem, potentially making it worse, and Scottie is a young horse to start having bute every day for the rest of his life. While we do now have a bute prescription for when he has sore days, it will only be used to ease any discomfort, not make him sound to ride.
With me not quite being ready to completely retire Scottie, especially when he is sound 90% of the time, I wanted to find something to promote any extra healing of the tendon. Or at the very least, help prevent flare ups or it getting worse. So I started looking at supplements.
Why Aviform
I am a massive skeptic when it comes to supplements. But Aviform came highly recommending from some people who’s opinion I really trust. I wasn’t too sure what sort of supplement I needed. Scottie’s injury isn’t joint related with many joint supplements focusing on arthritis rather than tendon injuries. I had researched some ingredients associated with tendon health and started looking at the supplements on offer at Aviform.
I still wasn’t sure at this point. But I opened their live chat asking for advice and was put in contact with one of their Supplement Advisors. They got back to me really quickly suggesting Suppleaze Progen because it is mostly made up of bioactive collagen peptides, which are really good for tendons. I was sold.
6 Weeks On Aviform Suppleaze Progen
When I was recommended Suppleaze Progen I was advised that it can take up to 6 weeks to see a difference, but many see a difference sooner. Unfortunately I didn’t see the huge improvement in a few weeks I had foolishly been hoping for.
But despite all the factors influencing Scottie over the last 6 weeks, he has improved and is now at a point where I would say he is mostly sound, just taking the occasional bad step. This is better than he was after his most recent setback and before starting the new supplement.
During these 6 weeks, he hasn’t had any bute, whereas he had done after previous set backs. I tried to only look at him once a week to once a fortnight. While it was slow progress, he did look slightly better every time I looked at him. So that is definitely a positive for the supplement having an effect.
However, during this time, he has also been out of work resting that tendon. So it could just be he has improved with rest. I have also been experimenting with some new magnetic bands what Scottie can where 24/7 (review coming soon) which may also be having an effect.
Early Verdict
It’s too soon to really say for sure how big of an effect the supplement is having. But I am happy enough with it to have bought a few more months supply. I think the real test will be when we start hacking in the Spring/Summer and comparing how regularly he is having sore days, if at all.
It is expensive. Working out about £1.50 a day. But I have utilized a 10% welcome discount and their recent multibuy offer. Plus I see it a little bit as it’s no more expensive than feeding a bute a day and this is a better option for Scottie long term if it helps keep him comfortable.
I can’t say I am going to stick with it forever. But I am happy with the results so far and think it is probably one of the best products on the market for him. So I will be using it for the foreseeable and will hopefully continue to see small improvements.
Last Updated on 14/01/2022
