1-855-957-8378
🚚 FREE SHIPPING on All U.S. Orders Over $200
Benefab®
Cart 0
  • Home
  • Shop

    Horse Products 17

    People Products 8

    Dog Products 4

    Bundles 4

  • Press
  • Blog
  • Pre-Loved
  • Dealers
  • Wishlist
Australia (AUD $)
Belgium (EUR €)
Canada (CAD $)
Costa Rica (CRC ₡)
Czechia (CZK Kč)
France (EUR €)
Germany (EUR €)
Italy (EUR €)
Japan (JPY ¥)
New Zealand (NZD $)
United Kingdom (GBP £)
United States (USD $)
English
Benefab®
  • Shop

    Horse Products 17

    People Products 8

    Dog Products 4

    Bundles 4

  • Press
  • Blog
  • Pre-Loved
  • Dealers
Wishlist Cart 0

Search our store

Benefab®
Wishlist Cart 0
Home / Blog
Blog

The Key Steps to Equine Performance Recovery

Jul 13, 2018
The Key Steps to Equine Performance Recovery
How Horse Owners Can Support Their Equine Athlete By Arenus Animal Health Performance recovery. You might be familiar with this term if you are an athlete yourself, or if you own an equine athlete. Performance recovery combines nutrition and rest for optimal muscle restoration and peak performance. Poor recovery can cause your horse to flatline in their progress and even develop injuries. Over time, this can affect your horse’s well-being and ability to compete long-term. Strenuous exercise affects many different parts of the body. This includes essential functions such as muscle function, fluid balance and energy storage. Recovery enables the complete replenishment, repair and restoration of all these processes. Luckily, proper recovery can reduce the chances of injury and even improve your results in the competition ring. Below are a few steps to understanding equine performance recovery. With a solid routine in place, you can do your part to help your equine athlete horse perform their best every day.

Step 1 - Nutrition for Muscle Recovery

High intensity exercise causes the breakdown of muscle fibers. It also stimulates the equine body to build muscle mass. To repair muscle fibers and provide the building blocks for new muscle cells, your horse needs a high-quality, daily source of protein that contains all ten essential amino acids:
  1. Arginine
  2. Histidine
  3. Isoleucine
  4. Leucine
  5. Lysine (involved in growth and development)
  6. Methionine (for hoof and hair quality)
  7. Phenylalanine
  8. Threonine (involved in tissue repair)
  9. Tryptophan
  10. Valine

Step 2 - Healthy Gut Function

Healthy digestive function is a key part of recovery and just as important as good nutrition. If your horse is unable to absorb nutrients or has impaired digestion, they will not receive the full benefits of a targeted nutrition plan. Colic and GI dysfunction is common in many horses, including competition horses. According to the AAEP, colic is still the number one cause of death in horses across the United States. For horses with impaired digestion, we recommend our veterinarian-trusted Assure product line. Assure Guard Gold is our most popular and convenient option, and is designed to target colic, ulcers, diarrhea and weight loss. It contains no added sugars, and is formulated into a single, pelleted product for easy feeding. When combined with a quality diet, regular forage and adequate hydration, Assure Guard Gold helps support optimal GI health. Need more information? Talk to our Equine Nutritionist, Brady Karren, to get your digestive health questions answered and learn more about the Assure products. Sign-up here for a free, 30-minute consult. For more information about preventing colic, check out our Seven Tips to Prevent Colic blog here.

Step 3 – Key Micronutrients for Optimal Support

Did you know B vitamins are essential for energy production and nervous system health? Look for a supplement that contains B-complex to help support your equine athlete's energy storage and production. Many performance horses need added bone remodeling support from essential minerals. Eq-Well, our new vitamin-mineral balancer, is an ideal source of essential minerals and nutrients for performance recovery, as well as soft tissue and bone support. Eq-Well contains double chelated copper, manganese, and zinc from TelaFIRM-S. Chelation helps protect important trace minerals from breakdown in the stomach and ensures your horse receives the maximum benefit these minerals can offer. Double chelation takes this one step further and offers another level of protection to make even more minerals bio-available for absorption in the hindgut. Eq-Well also contains sodium zeolite A and HMTBa for additional bone support and muscle recovery. We love Eq-Well because of the high-quality, versatile formula. Whether your horse is an equine athlete or a companion horse, Eq-Well is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of every horse in your barn.

Step 4 – Topical Support to the Rescue

Topical support can be very helpful as a part of a recovery routine. There are many products on the market designed to relieve muscle inflammation and pain but paying attention to the ingredients is key. Sore No-More Performance Ultra products are formulated to provide maximum relief but still remain safe for sensitive horses and those who compete under FEI regulations . Many upper-level riders depend on the poultice after every ride to prevent stocking up and use the liniment as a bath brace to offer full-body relief. The gelotion is a trusted, on-the-go option and is a favorite for ringside use. Clinically proven to relieve swelling and pain, Sore No-More Performance Ultra is a favorite of many equestrians and top competitors. We recommend pairing it with its partner product, BeneFab by Sore No-More, for best results. Sore No-More Sports Salve is another popular topical for equine athletes. Many equestrians use Sports Salve for injury prevention against scrapes, leg grease for cross country or rugged trail rides and more. Do you use Sports Salve? Have any suggestions for performance recovery? Tell us your favorite tips by tagging @ArenusHealth and #SoreNoMore on Facebook or Instagram!
Previous
Keeping Your Troughs Clean in the Heat of Summer
Next
Breed Spotlight: Thoroughbreds

Related Articles

What You Should Know About Hock Injections
July 04, 2025

What You Should Know About Hock Injections

If your horse feels off, like dragging behind or having rough transitions, it could be...
Read more
Essential Oils for Dogs
June 27, 2025

Essential Oils for Dogs

It’s no secret that essential oils have become a household favorite for everything from stress...
Read more
Clipping Cattle for Show: A Complete Guide
June 20, 2025

Clipping Cattle for Show: A Complete Guide

Whether you're preparing for a local fair or a major livestock competition, grooming your animal...
Read more
Chia Seeds for Horses
May 22, 2025

Chia Seeds for Horses

Chia seeds are a great supplement to any diet. They are small seeds harvested from...
Read more

Recent Posts

What You Should Know About Hock Injections
What You Should Know About Hock Injections
Essential Oils for Dogs
Essential Oils for Dogs
Clipping Cattle for Show: A Complete Guide
Clipping Cattle for Show: A Complete Guide
Chia Seeds for Horses
Chia Seeds for Horses
Common Diseases of Cattle
Common Diseases of Cattle
White Line Disease in Horses
White Line Disease in Horses
What Causes Diabetes in Dogs?
What Causes Diabetes in Dogs?
Can Horses Have Allergies?
Can Horses Have Allergies?
What You Need to Know About White Muscle Disease in Cattle
What You Need to Know About White Muscle Disease in Cattle
Dog Hip Dysplasia Home Treatment
Dog Hip Dysplasia Home Treatment

Focused &
Durable Designs

Products made specifically for you and your pets.

Free U.S. Shippingon All Orders over $200

We have you covered.

We Back Our
Products 100%

It's our customer promise.

BRAND PARTNERS

  • Become a Dealer
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Become a Registered Nonprofit
  • Logins for Dealer
  • Logins for Affiliate
  • Affiliate Resources
  • Meet our Ambassadors

CUSTOMER SERVICE

  • Contact
  • Shipping
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Money Back Guarantee
  • Warranty & Return Policy
  • Medical / Brand Disclaimer
  • FAQs

ABOUT BENEFAB

  • Why Choose Benefab?
  • The Benefab Story
  • Parables Podcast
  • Our Sister Brands
  • Media Inquiries
  • Blog
© 2013 -2025 Benefab®. Property of the Naar Boven Corporation. All rights reserved. Powered by TCW Digital
Payment options:
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Visa

Confirm your age

Are you 18 years old or older?

Come back when you're older

Sorry, the content of this store can't be seen by a younger audience. Come back when you're older.