Devil’s Claw for Horses: Benefits, Cautions and Competition Rules

Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) is a low-growing plant native to southern Africa, named for the small hooked seed pods it produces. The part used in feed supplements is the secondary root tuber, dried and milled into a coarse powder or supplied as a pellet or liquid.

In equine supplements it is usually associated with older horses, horses in regular or demanding work, and horses whose owners want botanical support for normal comfort and freedom of movement as part of a considered routine. It has a distinctly bitter taste, which is why some horses take a little while to accept it and why it is often blended with more palatable herbs.

The plant contains a group of naturally occurring compounds known as iridoid glycosides, of which harpagoside is the most frequently referenced. Harpagoside is the marker compound quoted on many product labels and, importantly, it is also the compound that competition authorities are interested in.

Devil’s Claw should not be presented as pain relief, an anti-inflammatory treatment, a bute alternative or a substitute for veterinary care. Any supplier describing it that way in the UK is stepping over the line that separates a feed supplement from a veterinary medicine.

A safe and honest way to describe it is as a botanical traditionally used to support mobility and normal comfort as part of a wider management routine. That wording matters for more than legal reasons. It sets a realistic expectation for owners: herbs sit alongside good farriery, appropriate work, sensible turnout, correct weight and a properly balanced diet. They do not replace any of them.

If you read a claim that a herb will fix a diagnosed condition, treat arthritis or remove the need for veterinary treatment, treat that as a warning sign about the seller rather than a reason to buy.

This is the part that matters most if your horse competes or races.

Harpagoside, the marker compound in Devil’s Claw, appears on the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List. Under FEI rules a horse must be free of prohibited substances at the time of competition, and the responsibility sits with the Person Responsible, not the supplement supplier. Feeding a Devil’s Claw product to an FEI-level horse without planning a withdrawal period is a straightforward way to risk a positive sample.

In racing, the British Horseracing Authority applies its own Rules of Racing, and substances affecting the musculoskeletal or nervous systems are prohibited on race day. Devil’s Claw is routinely named in BHA and industry guidance as a herbal product trainers should be cautious with for exactly this reason. Guidance from national bodies such as British Eventing, British Dressage and British Showjumping generally follows the FEI approach for affiliated competition.

Withdrawal considerations: there is no single official withdrawal time for Devil’s Claw, because detection depends on the dose fed, the concentration of the individual product, how long it has been fed and the individual horse. Many yards and advisers work to a conservative buffer of several days to a couple of weeks before competing, and some choose simply not to feed it at all during a competition season. Do not rely on a number you read on a forum. Confirm the current rules with your governing body, ask your vet for advice specific to your horse, and check whether your chosen product carries a BETA NOPS assurance. If you cannot establish a safe withdrawal with confidence, choose a different herb.

Note too that rules and lists are updated. A product that seemed acceptable two seasons ago may not be now, so re-check before each season rather than relying on old notes.

Beyond competition, there are horses for whom Devil’s Claw is not an appropriate choice. Traditional guidance advises avoiding it in pregnant and lactating mares. It is often considered unsuitable for horses with a history of gastric ulceration or digestive sensitivity, as bitter botanicals can be poorly tolerated. Horses already receiving prescribed medication should not be given it without the vet who prescribed that medication being told, as interactions and duplicated effects are a genuine concern.

As with any new supplement, introduce slowly over seven to ten days, feed one new product at a time so you can judge what is doing what, and keep a written note of what you started and when. Always follow the manufacturer’s feeding rate for the specific product in front of you, because concentrations vary widely between a raw milled root and a standardised extract.

If a horse is lame, suddenly stiff, reluctant to move, sore-backed, uneven behind or changing behaviour under saddle, do not reach for a herb. Those are signs that need proper assessment by your vet, and where appropriate your farrier, physiotherapist and saddle fitter. Masking a change in comfort without understanding it risks allowing an underlying problem to worsen unseen.

Mobility herbs are for support within a routine that is already sound. The most useful things you can do for a horse’s long-term comfort are usually unglamorous: correct bodyweight, regular balanced trimming or shoeing, consistent rather than sporadic work, good surfaces, adequate turnout and a diet built on decent forage. Herbs sit on top of that foundation. They cannot replace it.