Fortify is one of the craftable items in the game. Users in the Nutritionist stream can produce it using seashell, bone and copper.

Course Article

Supplementing for Musculoskeletal Disease Prevention

Performance horse owners often want to provide their horses with extra support when they are in heavy competition. One of the main ways they can do this is providing their horse with an oral supplement targeted at improving joint health.

Glucosamine is one of the main joint supplements given to horses, which often comes from natural sources. It has been shown to slow cartilage breakdown and potentially may encourage healing after rigorous work. The natural glucosamine source in Oxer to Oxer is seashell, as shellfish cartilage often has a high glucosamine content.

Ground bone can contain chondroitin, which is a major structural component of cartilage. While there has been no direct association of chondroitin supplementation with pain relief, some people report that horses move more fluidly when on this supplement. As a supplement it is believed to prevent cartilage breakdown during exercise. Bone can also contain hyaluronic acid, which is a component of cartilage and joint fluid that can help control pain when supplemented.

Copper is commonly deficient in horse diets, and is an important mineral involved in cross-linking during tendon repair. Providing adequate amounts of copper may help horses recover from strenuous exercise by helping their tendons heal micro-tears induced during competition.

In Oxer to Oxer, these ingredients are combined into the product Fortify, which can help reduce the chance of horses sustaining an injury during competition. It lasts one year from the time of feeding. The product only works for horses who still have soundness remaining, so it will not help horses that should already be retired!

1. Horse Joint Supplements Guide. Equisearch, 2007. https://www.equisearch.com/articles/joint-supplements-horses-18712