What is Boswellia?

Read about Boswellia: What it is, what it does, and why it’s gold dust for your horse. 

What is Boswellia?

Boswellia is a botanical medicine that has been used for thousands of years. It has, for a long time, been recognised for its fast-acting natural anti-inflammatory properties. Boswellia trees are native to North Africa and India and the particular species Boswellia Serrata only grows in mountainous forests of western and central India.

According to early Ayurvedic texts, Boswellia was used to treat a number of conditions including:  joint pain, respiratory ailments, digestive disorders and inflammation. More recent clinical studies have shown the efficacy of Boswellia for many of these traditional uses, including Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Inflammatory bowel diseases and supporting liver conditions.

The resin that is secreted naturally to protect the Boswellia tree is tapped and purified for use in powder form. It is the gum resin extract of this plant that is considered to have anti-inflammatory properties, is more commonly known as frankincense. In humans, it’s considered good for inflammation caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoporosis and Ankylosing Spondylitis. What’s more in animal studies, these acids have been shown to significantly reduce inflammation in several cases. Boswellia powder acts as a natural anti-inflammatory for horses.

Does Boswellia work for horses?

Boswellia has become one of the go-to ingredients to support joint health and comfort in both performance horses and in older horses and ponies who are getting a little stiff with age-related signs of wear and tear.

What are the benefits of Boswellia for horses?

For horses, Boswellia is primarily used to maintain healthy joints, helping to keep movements smooth and comfortable. It has also been found to aid in digestion and support respiratory health; and Boswellia can also be beneficial for horses with laminitis.

Is it palatable for horses?

Highly palatable, owners will have no trouble adding this fantastic supplement to their horse's feed routine

How much should I give my horse?

The amount you add will vary depending on the size and weight of the horse, but general recommendations are for 2 to 1 gram per 100 kilograms of body weight. But be sure to check the packaging of the product you buy!

Side effects?

Even with long term use it is not thought to have long term implication or side effects. Boswellia is relatively gentle on the gastrointestinal track and in fact is often used to aid digestion and provide colonic support.

Boswellia or Bute?

Some anecdotal evidence from horse owners suggests that the use of Bosewellia instead or in addition to bute has had noticeable results:

“I have an old arthritic ID maxicob. He's on a Boswellia joint supplement which has the same effect as giving him 2 sachets of bute. He is also on 1 sachet of bute a day and is sound. Without the boswellia, the single sachet of bute doesn't touch him - he's almost sound without the bute.”

Boswellia is also used in a lot of Equine Joint Supplements to offer additional support. Take a look at our collection of pure Boswellia Supplement