Remodeling and reconstruction – how to support the horse's body through feeding

Has your horse had an injury, a period of overload - or is it just not quite as it usually is?
It could be stiffness, a lump, an area that feels different – ​​even if it is no longer tender.

This is completely normal. The body often continues to work for a long time, even after the initial healing has occurred.
This process is called remodeling – and here you as the owner can make a big difference by supporting with the right feeding.

📌 Are you a veterinarian or professional?
Scroll down to 📌 Professional section from here for a more technical review with references and elaboration on the role of nutrients in the healing process.

What is remodeling?

Once the body has formed new tissue after a strain, it begins to adjust and improve it.
This is especially true in tendons, joints, bones and connective tissue , where the tissue needs to be made more flexible, strong and functional.

Remodeling takes time – and it works best when the body gets the nutrients it needs.

🧱 What does the body need in this phase?

When the body needs to maintain or improve tissue, it needs a number of building blocks:

• Protein – building material for cells, tendons and muscles
• Vitamins and minerals – small but important helpers in tissue function and structure
• Substances such as collagen and hyaluronic acid – found naturally in the body and are central to connective tissue
• Fiber and energy – so that digestion and absorption function stably
• Good blood circulation and warmth – so that nutrients reach the tissue 
  
  

✅ Feeding plan for reconstruction – per 100 kg horse

Here you will find a guide to a nutritional plan that supports the body's natural function in the period after injury or overload.

Multiply the amounts by 4 for a 400 kg horse.
Suitable for horses from approximately 2–15 years of age. See separate recommendation for senior horses further down.

🟩 Phase 1 – the first 4-6 weeks

Product	Quantity per 100 kg
Happy every day	85g
+Fiber Mash	90g
RC O3 Algae Oil	10 ml
Soybean meal	75g
Salt	10g
RC Movement	5g

Example for a 400 kg horse:

• Every Day Happy: 340 g
• +Fiber Mash: 360 g
• RC O3 Algae Oil: 40 ml
• Soybean meal: 300 g
• Salt: 40g
• RC Movement: 20 g

🟨 Phase 2 – after 4-6 weeks

Product	Quantity per 100 kg
Happy every day	65g
+Fiber Mash	90g
RC O3 Algae Oil	5ml
Soybean meal	75g
Salt	10g
RC Movement	2–4g

Example for a 400 kg horse:

• Every Day Happy: 260 g
• +Fiber Mash: 360 g
• RC O3 Algae Oil: 20 ml
• Soybean meal: 300 g
• Salt: 40g
• RC Movement: 8–16 g

Do you have a senior horse? (approx. 16 years+)

Older horses often have more difficulty utilizing nutrients optimally – especially vitamins and minerals.

👉 Therefore, a slightly higher amount of Every Day Happy is recommended for seniors:

Per 100 kg horse	First 4 weeks	After 4 weeks
Senior horse (18+)	100g	80g

🧾 Example for 400 kg senior horse:

• First 4 weeks: Every Day Happy 400 g
• After 4 weeks: Every Day Happy 320 g

Other amounts in the feeding plan are maintained as for adult horses.

🥚 RC Movement – ​​support for connective tissue

RC Movement contains natural components from eggshell membrane (OvoMet®), which the body uses in the construction and maintenance of connective tissue and joints:

🔹 Collagen
🔹 Glucosamine
🔹 Hyaluronic acid
🔹 Elastin and amino acids
🔹 Over 400 naturally occurring bioactive substances

📚 Research has shown:

• Increased collagen activity in connective tissue
• Increased mobility
• Less stiffness

👉 Recommended for the first 4-6 weeks – especially if you need extra support for joints and tendons. You can then taper off.

💡 Tip: You can mix RC Movement and RC O3 algae oil and give it directly, with a syringe, into the mouth if the horse is picky.

RC O3 Algae Oil – support for the work of cells in the body

RC O3 Algae Oil is a pure and stable source of omega-3 fatty acids , which are found naturally in the body's cell membranes.

When the body is forming new tissue, the cells must be able to cooperate and adapt.
Omega-3 plays an important role here – it supports the flexibility and permeability of cell membranes, so they can better absorb nutrients and excrete waste products.

🔹 Made from microalgae
🔹 Naturally rich in DHA and EPA
🔹 Free from heavy metals and fish oil taste

💡 In the first weeks of reconstruction, the need is extra high.

🔁 After 4–6 weeks: Make it simple with Peak Performance

Once the healing process is well underway, you can choose an easier solution:

👉 Switch to Peak Performance - a complete solution where you get the vitamin and mineral content from Every Day Happy, combined with the ingredients from RC Movement and RC O3 Algae Oil in maintenance dosage.
This makes feeding easier – and at the same time provides targeted support for the body's tissues, function and recovery.

✅ Feeding plan with Peak Performance – per 100 kg horse (2-15 years

Product	Quantity
Peak Performance	65 g (senior horse 80 g)
+Fiber Mash	90g
Soybean meal	75g
Salt	10g

Example for a 400 kg horse:

• Peak Performance: 260 g (Senior 320 g)
• +Fiber Mash: 360 g
• Soybean meal: 300 g
• Salt: 40g

In short

When the body works to improve itself, it's not enough to wait – it needs to have the right building blocks.

Support with:

• Good quality protein
• Vitamins and minerals in appropriate amounts
• Natural fabrics/building blocks from RC Movement
• Good source of fiber and electrolytes
• Omega-3 from RC O3 Algae Oil – to support the work of cells
• Healthy, adapted movement
• Warmth, patience and calm

👉 Then you give the horse the best conditions to progress well - regardless of whether it is about old injuries, weaknesses in tissue or just an area that needs a little extra attention.

📩 Do you have any questions?
We are happy to help you find the solution that suits your horse.
👉 book a feeding consultation right here

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📌 Academic section from here
Are you a veterinarian or other professional?
So read on from here – where we delve into the remodeling process, the biology of healing and how you can support tissue building with documented nutrients through feeding and nutrition.

 

Remodeling in horses – nutritional support for remodeling tissues

In practice, we often see it: an injury has healed – at least clinically. But something is still “off”. A residual stiffness. A bulge. A tissue structure that doesn’t quite settle down.
This is where the remodeling takes over.

Remodeling is the often overlooked final phase of healing – where the body attempts to optimize the tissue that was rapidly established during the repair phase. This is where a professionally focused nutritional strategy can make a difference.

 

Biological remodeling: function rather than just closure

In the acute phase, new tissue is formed – often quickly, coarsely and functionally enough to close the defect. But it is in the remodeling phase that the tissue is shaped and adapted. The goal is to re-establish strength, elasticity and structure – as close to the original tissue as possible.

Examples:

• Collagen in tendons is reorganized and cross-linked
• The bone primarily converts callus into structurally stronger tissue
• Scar tissue in the skin and fascia flattens and smoothes

The challenge is that this phase is slow and vulnerable – and requires ongoing support in the form of energy, building materials and micronutrients [1,2]

Tissue-specific healing dynamics

Tissue type	Inflammation	Proliferation	Remodeling	Functional healing
Bone	1–7 days	2–6 weeks	3–12 months	2–6 months typically
Late	1–10 days	1–6 weeks	6–12 months	6–12+ months
Cartilage	1–14 days	(low ability)	year/none	often incomplete

Inflammation – necessary but potentially disruptive

Persistent or dysregulated inflammation is particularly seen in horses with:

• Genetic predisposition (e.g. low antioxidant status, insulin dysregulation)
• Previous overload or tissue damage
• Inappropriate feeding or micronutrient deficiencies

Inadequate resolution may prolong or overreact the inflammatory process, increasing the risk of fibrotic scar tissue, sequestration, or neoplasms without functional value [1,3].

 

Protein – and specifically: biologically available and targeted

Tissue cannot be built without amino acids. The availability of essential and functional amino acids is crucial, especially when it comes to the formation of new tendon tissue, muscles and cartilage [4,5].

For horses undergoing tissue reconstruction, the following is recommended as a minimum:

• 1.5 g crude protein/kg body weight/day
• 1 g digestible crude protein/kg/day (with adjustment for feed conversion)
•  

Amount of wrap (7.5% RP, 70% dry matter)

Quantity	Crude protein	Deficit compared to 600 g requirement	Supplementary proposal
8 kg	420g	180g	400 g soy meal (45%)
7 kg	368g	232g	500 g soy flour
6 kg	315g	285g	Combination of soy and alfalfa

Nutrients with documented function in tissue remodeling

• Bones: Calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin K, zinc, iron, magnesium [10,11]
• Tendons: Vitamin C, copper, manganese, iron, silicon
• Muscles: Selenium, vitamin E, B vitamins, iron
• Cartilage/joints: Glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3, copper, manganese, zinc

RC Movement (OvoMet®) – functional support for connective tissue

RC Movement contains natural components from eggshell membrane:

• Collagen types I and V
• Hyaluronic acid
• Glucosamine
• Elastin and bioactive peptides

Documented effect on:

• Collagen activity in ligament-like tissues
• Increased flexibility and mobility
• Reduced stiffness (in humans and in pilot studies with horses) [6,7]

RC O3 Algae Oil – omega-3 as cell functional support

Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are embedded in cell membranes and affect:

• Membrane permeability and flexibility
• Inflammatory response and eicosanoid synthesis
• Mitochondrial function and redox balance [8,9]

Algae-based DHA/EPA has high stability, is free of heavy metals and suitable for long-term use.
Particularly relevant in phases with high tissue turnover and the need for anti-inflammatory balance.

Mineral balance – without over- or underdosing
• If the roughage has a low content of macrominerals, it may help to offer the horse a manger with free access to Regulator Completes Supreme Minerals and monitor consumption.
Weigh yourself and adjust continuously so that your body gets exactly what it needs.

It must be pointed out that proper tissue healing is about ALL nutrients that are part of the biological processes being present in meaningful amounts .

Below are some tables summarizing the biological nutrient requirements of different tissues in different phases of healing and remodeling.

It can be seen that you cannot skip where the fence is lowest and use products that lack, for example, micro- and macronutrients, have unbalanced ratios between them, or claim "full coverage", because you certainly cannot always trust that the roughage covers well enough - especially if the amount is cut down for various reasons.

One of the biggest misconceptions in modern horse feeding is that roughage fully covers iron and manganese , as well as macrominerals. It does not:

• Firstly, the levels in Denmark are not as high as in some other countries
• Secondly, only 10–15% of iron and 40–45% of manganese are absorbed from grass and roughage.

Our suggestion is that many horses suffer from tissue deficits that compromise their healing ability.

Cross-cutting functions of iron in healing and tissue remodeling

• Cofactor for several collagen-related enzymes (prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase)
• Oxygen transport and cellular respiration via hemoglobin and cytochromes
• Supports fibroblast activity → important for wound healing
• Antioxidant balancing (via iron-containing enzymes such as catalase and peroxidase)
• Modulation of growth factors in regenerative tissue

Cross-cutting functions of manganese in healing and tissue remodeling

• Necessary for matrix formation (collagen and proteoglycans)
• Antioxidant protection in mitochondria → prevents cell damage
• Essential for the biomechanical properties of cartilage
• Supports both early inflammation control and late remodeling

Overview of nutrients in biological remodeling in horses

Bones: Matrix construction and mineralization

Nutrient	Function	Deficiency signs in horses
Calcium	Mineralization, bone strength	Crooked legs, growth disorders
Phosphorus	Together with calcium in hydroxyapatite	Weak bones, reduced growth
Magnesium	Cofactor for vitamin D, enzyme function	Muscle spasms, nervousness
Vitamin D	Increases absorption of Ca and P	Poor mineralization
Vitamin K	Activates osteocalcin for Ca binding	Increased fracture risk
Zinc	Cofactor for bone enzymes (alkaline phosphatase)	Poor hoof growth, deformities
Iron	Necessary for osteoblast and fibroblast function, oxygen transport	Fatigue, decreased growth, affected matrix formation

Tendons and ligaments: Collagen, elasticity, cross-linking

Nutrient	Function	Deficiency signs in horses
Vitamin C	Collagen synthesis (proline/lysine hydroxylation)	Poor wound healing, weak tendons
Copper	Lysyl oxidase → cross-linking in collagen/elastin	Growth disorders, weak connective tissue
Manganese	Proteoglycan synthesis	Joint instability, lameness
Silicon	Possible role in connective tissue and tendon formation	Used in dietary supplements
Iron	Cofactor for prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase in collagen maturation	Weakened collagen structure, decreased elasticity

Muscles: Growth, repair, oxidative balance

Nutrient	Function	Deficiency signs in horses
Protein/amino acids	Building blocks for tissue and enzyme formation	Muscle loss, fatigue
Vitamin E	Antioxidant → protects cell membranes	Muscle stiffness, tying-up
Selenium	Antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase)	Myopathy, weakness
B vitamins	Cofactors in energy and amino acid metabolism	Reduced recovery, growth problems
Iron	Myoglobin and cytochrome function → oxygen supply	Fatigue, low stamina, muscle weakness

Joints and cartilage: Matrix building, anti-inflammation, flexibility

Nutrient	Function	Deficiency signs in horses
Glucosamine & Chondroitin	Builds up GAGs and proteoglycans	Osteoarthritis, poor shock absorption
Manganese	GAG synthesis	Lameness, joint problems
Copper	Collagen cross-linking, antioxidant	Weak links, poor repair
Zinc	Cofactor for matrix enzymes (MMPs)	Cartilage degeneration, poor healing
Omega-3 fatty acids	Anti-inflammatory, inhibits degradation	Soreness, inflammation
Iron	Required for matrix enzymes and synovial fluid	Poor recovery, stiffness

The road is not straight – but the body can do more than many people think

It takes time, patience and nourishment.
Proper healing and remodeling is possible – even when it feels like the options are exhausted.
Support the horse with warmth, circulation, protein and targeted supplements such as Regulator Completes Every Day Happy, RC Movement, RC O3 algae oil or Peak Performance – and let the body do what it does best: heal and adapt.

Nutrients work together like many small gears in a biological sequence – and if just one link is missing, the processes do not work well enough.
That's why it's important to feed with a complete supplement that can be adapted to all types of feeding. Because it makes a difference.

References

[1] Perry SM et al. (2009). J Orthop Res 27(12):1775–1782
[2] Marsolais D et al. (2001). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 280(6):R1628–R1635
[3] Carnevale M et al. (2020). Int J Mol Sci 21(15):5569
[4] Lawrence LM, Jackson SG (2007). Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 23(3):535–560
[5] Rutigliano HM, Lawrence LM (2010). J Equine Vet Sci 30(9):518–526
[6] Ruff KJ et al. (2009). Clin Interv Aging 4:235–240
[7] Stable M et al. (2020). Animals 10(7):1123
[8] Calder PC (2017). Biochem Soc Trans 45(5):1105–1115
[9] Bailey SR et al. (2007). Equine Vet J 39(1):43–48
[10] Geor RJ, Harris PA (2013). Equine Applied and Clinical Nutrition, Ch. 8
[11] Smith SH et al. (2004). J Nutr Biochem 15(6):319–327