If you are looking for a muscle builder or muscle support for your horse or pony then please DON’T BUY A CREATINE SUPPLEMENT!
Why? Surely everyone knows creatine works brilliantly for human power athletes such as sprinters and rowers or rugby players and even cyclists? That’s true, but creatine comes from meat and whilst HUMANS can ABSORB CREATINE, HORSES are HERBIVORES and perhaps not surprisingly they CAN NOT ABSORB CREATINE!
So why are there creatine supplements for horses on the market?
Two possibilities. Either the companies that sell them don’t have a clue that horses don’t absorb creatine – not very reassuring. It makes you wonder how good their nutritional expertise is. OR they know the science, they know horses don’t absorb it and they are taking the Pi$$. Neither looks good.
What’s even worse is that creatine is not a permitted feed ingredient for horses in the UK as it does not appear on the EU Feed Materials Register, the EU Catalogue of Feed Materials or the EU Register of Feed Additives. (Yes, even after Brexit the UK still uses these 
). It may also be illegal to use it in horse supplements in many other countries.
Bottom line – Don’t waste your money on creatine supplements!
References:
D’Angelis FH, Ferraz GC, Boleli IC, Lacerda-Neto JC and Queiroz-Neto A. Aerobic training, but not creatine supplementation, alters the gluteus medius muscle. J Anim Sci. 2005 Mar;83(3):579-85.
Sewell, D. and Harris, R.C. (1995) Effect of creatine supplementation in the Thoroughbred horse. Equine Vet J Supp. 32, 239-242.
Schuback K, Essén-Gustavsson B and Persson SG. Effect of creatine supplementation on muscle metabolic response to a maximal treadmill exercise test in Standardbred horses. Equine Vet J. 2000 Nov;32(6):533-40.
Teixeira, F.A., Araújo, A.L., Ramalho, L.O., Adamkosky, M.S., Lacerda, T.F. and Coelho, C.S. Oral creatine supplementation on performance of Quarter Horses used in barrel racing, J Anim Phys and Anim Nutr. 2015, 100(3), 513-519.
Read more about Building Muscle for horses here:
- Article – The science behind equine muscle building supplements by Dr David Marlin
- Podcast – Building muscle in horses by Dr Gillian Tabor
- Webinar – The Secrets of Equine Muscle Building by Dr David Marlin
