Contents

1. Pain and inflammation - the comfort connection
2. Conventional pain relief – helpful, but not without drawbacks
3. Surgical neurectomy - a risky, last-ditch workaround
4. The risk of pain becoming wired in
   Doing it naturally
5. Supporting mitochondrial function
6. Diet
7. Therapeutic exercises
8. Beyond diet - natural therapies
9. Takeaway

Pain & inflammation – the comfort connection

Pain is probably the most disruptive symptom in life - and it's no different for our horses. Injuries or conditions can linger long after their original cause has passed, sometimes taking on a life of their own and becoming deeply debilitating over time.

That’s why this page exists – to help you see what’s going on beneath the surface, and how you can support your horse, naturally, gently, and effectively.

Pain and inflammation are the single biggest factors that prevent our horses from staying fit, active, and feeling well. And it's not just about our older horses. From active sport horses with intense workloads to golden oldies with past injuries, pain can affect horses at every age and stage.

But pain isn’t one single thing – it shows up in different ways:

• Muscle spasm and tension
• Irritation and inflammation
• Swelling
• Nerve stimulation

We usually hear pain described as either acute (think laminitis flare-up, sudden injury, basically short-term) or chronic (think arthritis, long-term tendon strain), and more based on the duration of the pain, rather than its intensity.

• Acute pain actually has a function - it's the body’s alarm bell, an emergency signal saying "stop, something's wrong," and puts the body in protective mode by triggering an immediate inflammatory response to prevent tissue damage due to a harmful event. Demanding rest and support, acute pain is usually short-term - hours to days, and is typically the type of pain associated with surgery or trauma, i.e. laminitis. See our TriBute.
  
  
• Chronic pain is more complex - it outlives its origincal cause and brings no real benefit, protective or otherwise, lasting weeks to months or even years, and often permanent. As per its name, it's typically the type of pain associated with chronic conditions, i.e. arthritis. Worse, chronic pain can also be biologically destructive to the body - it keeps stress hormones like cortisol elevated, which doesn’t just affect mood – it actively suppresses the immune system and kidney function, increasing oxidative stress throughout the body. See our DuoBute.
  
  

And we know only too well how sensitive our beloved horses can be, needing support to stay comfortable, especially as they get older, but also after injuries or the physical demands of their work. We see it so often in ex-racehorses, many of whom have to be retired as youngsters through devastating tendon and ligament injury, with their joints degenerating long before their time. And while getting older is inevitable, aches and pains aren’t an inevitable part of getting older, whether human or horse.

Conventional pain relief – helpful, but not without drawbacks

There’s no doubt that pharma options like bute can be a lifeline when pain hits hard – when a horse is in acute pain, fast-acting relief can be essential. But long-term use comes at a cost.

Prolonged reliance on NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) is well-documented to impact liver function, irritate the gut lining, and disrupt the microbiome - especially if the injury or illness is such that the horse has to spend months, if not years, on long-term medication. Not ideal when your horse is already under stress. Over time, they may also affect hormone balance, immunity, and even lead to physical dependence or rebound effects when stopped.

So yes, while pharma can be a useful tool, it’s not the whole answer. Especially when we’re thinking about long-term comfort and quality of life. That’s why it’s so important to think longer-term – and to support your horse’s comfort in a way that’s not just effective, but sustainable too.

Surgical neurectomy - a risky, last-ditch workaround

Worryingly, one method still used to manage chronic pain in horses is surgical neurectomy – cutting the sensory nerves to block pain signals. The logic? If the nerve can’t transmit pain, the horse won’t feel it. But here’s the catch – numbness isn’t the same as healing.

We’ve all experienced it - when a foot goes numb, walking becomes impossible - it's stumbling, tripping, and zero proprioception. So how can it ever make sense to do this to a galloping, 500kg prey animal whose every step relies on split-second balance and limb awareness?

Add in the fact that severed nerves don’t always stay quiet - they can regrow abnormally, misfire, or start producing stabbing, shooting, electrical sensations - known as neuropathic pain. This isn’t recovery. It’s a risky, last-ditch workaround. It's a last resort, not a solution.

The risk of pain becoming wired in

Here’s where things get really complicated. When pain becomes chronic, it’s not just the original site that suffers – it can actually rewire the nervous system itself.

Research has shown that prolonged pain can cause affected nerves to start recruiting others, spreading the pain response beyond the original area (University of California, San Francisco). Over time, the spinal cord can become more deeply involved, activating layers of nerve cells in a process known as central sensitisation.

Once this rewiring takes hold, pain can persist long after the original injury has healed. The good news? Appropriate early management can help interrupt this loop before it takes hold – and it’s far easier to prevent these abnormal patterns than to reverse them once they’ve embedded

This is where long-term pharma use becomes a double-edged sword. The benefits for chronic pain are often modest, while the risks grow – from hormonal disruption and lowered immunity to dependency, depression, and cardiovascular strain.

Doing it naturally

Pain is never something we want our horses to just “grin and bear.” In fact, trying to push through discomfort - especially when it’s acute - can backfire, allowing pain to take root and become chronic. That’s why effective, kind support matters right from the start.

Chronic pain, in particular, often needs a broader, more holistic strategy. Alongside any necessary veterinary care, a non-pharma approach can make all the difference - and research increasingly backs this up. From targeted nutrition to lifestyle shifts and hands-on therapies, there’s a growing understanding that natural support can work with the body rather than simply masking symptoms.

One area that’s gaining interest? Mitochondrial health – the energy engines of every cell. We’ll come to that next, but the message is clear: the more we can support the body’s own healing mechanisms, the better chance we give our horses to stay comfortable, mobile, and well.

Supporting mitochondrial function

Here’s where things get really fascinating in the field of pain science. A lot of us know mitochondria as the body’s “energy factories” – but did you know they also play a key role in how pain signals are processed?

This is an exciting, growing area of research, but studies in both humans and animals are showing that when mitochondria aren’t functioning well - especially in nerve cells - it can directly contribute to chronic pain.

Why? Because mitochondria do far more than just fuel the body. They play a critical role in regulating inflammation, nerve sensitivity, and even healing. When their function dips, cells can become more reactive, more inflamed, and slower to repair.

It’s early days in the science, but one thing is becoming clear: supporting mitochondrial health might be one of the most powerful things we can do to help manage long-term pain, naturally. Flatters SJ. The contribution of mitochondria to sensory processing and pain & Sui BD, Xu TQ, Liu JW, et al. Understanding the role of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of chronic pain

Diet - it starts with the gut

You’ve heard me say it before – everything starts with the gut. And when it comes to pain, it really does.

In Functional Medicine, there’s a human stat that always stops me in my tracks: every 10% increase in ultra-processed food is linked to a 14% rise in all-cause mortality. Add in the gut-brain connection, and junk food’s been linked to psychological distress, too.

Now think about our horses - often fed highly processed, refined, bulk filler feeds - and it’s no wonder inflammation crops up. Inflammation and mitochondrial function go hand-in-hand. If the gut is inflamed, the cells can’t do their job properly - and that includes pain regulation. So if we want to support our horse’s comfort from the ground up, it starts in the feed bucket.

That means:

• Choosing clean, forage-based diets
• Supporting the microbiome with gut-balancing herbs
• Avoiding inflammatory triggers like wheat, soy, and heavily processed feed ingredients

In human studies, common dietary pain triggers include dairy proteins, eggs, wheat, and soy – and two of those regularly show up in equine feeds. So, if you’re seeing pain, tension, or mystery discomfort, the first step might be as simple as cleaning up the diet.

Therapeutic exercise - movement really is medicine

When it comes to pain, therapeutic exercise isn’t just about staying supple - it can actually help at the cellular level.

Studies show that movement supports mitochondrial health by increasing the number and efficiency of these little energy factories inside each cell. Better mitochondria mean better energy production, better healing, and better resilience to pain (Memme JM, Erlich AT, Phukan G, Hood DA. Exercise and mitochondrial health).

And then there’s vitamin D – the sunshine nutrient. In human studies, low vitamin D has been linked to chronic musculoskeletal pain, including back pain. Our horses synthesize vitamin D from sunlight too, so whenever possible, rug-free turnout in natural daylight is one of the simplest, most powerful things we can do (Dzik KP, Skrobot W, Kaczor KB, et al)

We’re big believers in:

• Sunshine – for healthy vitamin D levels and pain regulation
• Turnout time – to keep fascia hydrated, lymphatics flowing, and movement easy
• Gentle movement – even in rehab phases, helps prevent stiffness setting in

Whether it’s a retired golden oldie or a rehab case on a slow-and-steady plan, thoughtful movement is a key part of the comfort puzzle.

Beyond diet - natural therapies

When it comes to managing pain naturally, there’s a whole world of supportive therapies beyond diet - and we’ve seen time and again how powerful they can be when used alongside functional nutrition.

Here are just a few of our go-tos – and the ones our clients rave about too:

• Herbal support – nature’s pharmacy is rich in anti-inflammatory, nerve-soothing herbs that work in harmony to ease discomfort without harsh side effects.
•  Massage – helps release tension in fascia and muscles, improves circulation, and stimulates those feel-good endorphins.
•  Hydrotherapy – from cool hosing to warm soaks and contrast sessions, water is a brilliant tool for easing soreness and supporting tissue repair.
•  Laser therapy – we’re big fans. It boosts blood flow, reduces pain, and speeds up healing.
•  Chiropractic & physical therapy – keeps joints mobile, eases stiffness, and helps rebalance the body to prevent knock-on pain.
•  Acupuncture – taps into the body’s own pain-regulating systems to bring calm and comfort from within.

These therapies are gentle, non-invasive, and incredibly effective - especially when they’re part of a holistic plan built around clean nutrition, targeted herbs, and movement support.

The takeaway

Pain is complex - but supporting your horse’s comfort doesn’t have to be.

With the right tools in your corner, you can:

• Ease acute discomfort
•  Manage chronic patterns before they take hold
• Support long-term mobility and comfort, the natural way

That’s exactly what our Comfort range is here to help with, and if you’re not sure where to start, just shout - we’re always happy to help.

Meet Carmen – our own comfort case

Our own mare, Carmen, is technically classed as 2/10 lame. Beautifully bred for racing, she was born with an inward-twisted LF hoof and pastern, so she was written off as a brood mare. We found her in 2014, aged just 7, neglected and isolated, and with brewing joint sepsis that was meant to end her story, but she had other ideas.

Instead, she was the reason we formulated BioCARE (natural antimicrobials) and has since been thriving on a custom combination of our Joints and Comfort range - JSTTonic, JointReflexa, and DuoBute natural pain support for ongoing maintenance. She still flies around the field with the best of them (even if she pays for it later 🙄).

Carmen’s story is why this page exists - she taught us that long-term comfort and mobility is absolutely possible - even when the odds say otherwise.

→ Read Carmen’s full case study here »