The Buzz about Summit Joint Performance

There's been a lot of buzz about Summit Joint Performance. 

So let's have a chat about It. I've seen some amazing results from my client's horse. But I'll be honest just like most new things, I've got to sit in the corner and watch for a minute before I make a move. 

Summit Joint Performance is an injectable joint supplement that came on the market in 2018. Summit is chondroitin 4 sulfate (C4S), suspended in sterile water. Chondroitin 4 sulfate is the purest form available. Summit has heparins and other molecules that can be harmful removed from it. 

You can check out their FAQs here. 

C4S is in its most natural form where it stimulates chondrocyte production of collagen, has anti-inflammatory effect at the synovial membrane and joint, and reduces oxidative stress. It works on key components of joint health. As we progress in our knowledge of how everything works, we're learning better ways of addressing ways of joint health. 

While we are still learning how C4S exactly works In the body, we know the more natural a product is the better it is for the body. This can be hard for people like me who study the body. In this day and age, we often feel like to feel comfortable with the thought that we have everything in medicine figured out. Well bubble busting time, we still don't know all there is to know about the body. But what I do feel there is a balance between evidence based research and anecdotal evidence. If something is helpful then sometimes that needs to be good enough. You will hear me say this a lot especially if you've listened to the podcast. There is no placebo effect in horses. This goes for therapy interventions of any kind: supplements, injections, laser, etc. I can't walk up to a horse and say, " Boy, just hang on a minute this is going to make you feel really good." 

So I think there Is a fence line that has to be considered. What does the evidence show? What do my clinical signs show? 

Summit Is still new enough that they are currently lopsided with anecdotal evidence over evidence based research. Does that make It good or bad? Neither. It simply means make the best decision for you and your horse with the best information you have at the time. 

I for one like to try to balance everything out as much as I can, however my ears always perk up to results. I try to listen more than I speak. If I'm hearing and seeing good results then I will start proceeding forward. 

That's what I've done with Summit. I've listened and watched other horses that I did not own. While I'm Invested in them emotionally, it isn't the same as being invested in your own horse. So, I feel like there is a degree of separation there. 

I'm now putting my aged rope horse on It. I'll let you know what the results are. Stay tuned. 

The evidence Is coming. There Is currently a trial going on at a veterinary school. There was a small study performed in 2019 with eight horses. The results from this study concluded no adverse effects and supported promising data of reducing joint inflammation. Large studies take times. That is where we are currently at in the growth of the product. 

Like anything new and noteworthy in the horse industry, Summit has been the buzz lately. So I asked Dorian Farmer and Chamonix Searles to have a conversation with me. It will be released on Wednesday on the Rider's Edge podcast. You can find that here or anywhere you get your podcasts. 

If you have any questions about Summit, I'd be happy to help. My mission here at Rider's Edge is to help both rider and horse reach their goals. I've also become a rep for Summit and you can shop for their products here. 
​