As a lifelong barrel racer, Kansas City's Tina Svoboda has traveled all across the Midwest with her Quarter Horse mare, Cee that Booger, whom she fondly calls Bella. With their time on the road, and years owning horses alongside her husband Jim, Tina has witnessed her fair share of joint health problems.

Joint issues can impact all horses, ages and disciplines. And the severity can range from minor to career ending.

"The horses I've known with joint problems have all retired early or were otherwise forced to change careers," Tina said. "To help prevent joint problems, we started Bella as a 4 year old on Adequan Equine. She's 12 now and is the first horse we've had that has never had joint issues."

Adequan Equine is FDA-approved and proven to diminish the destructive processes of degenerative joint disease, while reversing the loss of cartilage components and improving the overall joint health for horses. Heathy cartilage is crucial to the performance of a horse's joints. Using Adequan Equine, new cartilage is quickly produced and any inflammation is decreased.

"When you've had a number of consecutive horses and barrel horses, joint issues are a common occurrence," Tina said. "Bella is the first who hasn't, and I attribute that to introducing her to Adequan Equine early on in her life."

Help horses avoid joint problems by:

• Incorporating a joint health supplement like Cosequin to help maintain joints and cartilage
• Prioritizing hoof care and keeping horses on a regular trim schedule
• Keeping horses at optimum weight and avoiding obesity, which stresses the joints
• Offering quality nutrition for strong bones and healthy cartilage
• Riding on softer footing and limiting work on hard surfaces
• Using Adequan Equine to help prevent and repair joint problems
• Using Equioxx, which is often prescribed by veterinarians for joint pain relief, as well.
• "Adequan Equine has a really good reputation for working on horses, regardless of their discipline," Tina said.

Tina purchased Bella as a green-broke filly, and now riding together for more than eight years, the pair recently switched gears from running the barrel pattern to competing in AQHA ranch riding. "She's one in a million," Tina said, referring to her stunningly versatile grey mare. "Not many horses could have made the transition from a barrel horse to an arena horse so easily. She's willing to try whatever you can do. She's phenomenal."

All photos courtesy of Valley Vet.

This article originally appeared on Valley Vet and is published here with permission.

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Scholarship funds aim to support incoming and current college or vocational students involved in animal agriculture.

To learn more about and apply to the Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship, visit www.purinamills.com/scholarship.

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. [March 18, 2025] – Purina Animal Nutrition, along with the Land O’Lakes Foundation, has reopened its annual scholarship program designed to assist students with experience in livestock production and animal stewardship in pursuing their passions and furthering their education.

Undergraduate students and current high school seniors who have experience raising and caring for small or large livestock, equine and/or poultry are eligible to apply for a $5,000 scholarship. Four students will be awarded based on applications that illustrate the impact animal agriculture has had on their lives along with details on academic achievements, leadership skills, community involvement and a clear vision for their future.

Scholarship applications will be accepted March 18 through April 17, and awardees will be notified in June. Funds will be distributed for the Fall 2025 semester at their current or anticipated educational institution. The scholarship is open to all high school seniors who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic semester/term and undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.

To learn more about and apply to the Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship, visit www.purinamills.com/scholarship.

About Purina Animal Nutrition

Purina Animal Nutrition LLC (a href="https://www.purinamills.com" target="_blank">www.purinamills.com) is a national organization serving animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers, and other retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest potential in every animal, the company is an industry-leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients and specialty technologies for all animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn. and a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

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