The Science behind the Products
The NAF brand has been built on creating effective and innovative products, with our marketing team often being overheard to say that marketing can only sell the first pot, the second is sold because the product works. That is indeed the secret to NAF’s success.
All our products are created by our in-house team of Veterinary Surgeons, headed up by Veterinary Director, Dr. Andy Richardson BVSc CertAVP(ESM) MRCVS. Working with our Nutrition team headed by Registered Nutritionist Kate Hore RNutr (Animal), R.Anim.Technol (Cert). We are committed to producing well research evidence based products through robust trials to meet the needs of our customers and their horses.
Working with independent laboratories, universities and industry partners, each product is validated for both efficacy and Clean Sport under FEI rules. Our most recent ground breaking research on new and improved Five Star Magic, independently commissioned by NAF at the Royal Agricultural University, working with respected Behavioural Scientist, Dr Andrew Hemmings, stands testament to that.
We believe in the importance of robust trials providing evidence based nutrition but the journey to a successful NAF product does not end there. We work closely with real horses and real people in the development of our products and are proud to say that all our products are trialled on our own horses and, or that of our supported riders’ before they are launched. It can be easy to be baffled by science, graphs and comparison charts, but adding our knowledge and research to the opinions of our supported riders, real everyday riders and horse owners ensures our products take the science and test it in the real world, so moving applied nutrition up to the next level. After all, no one knows their horses better than their owners and riders.
Under EU and UK law, companies are legally prevented from making any medical claims about feed, including supplements. For this reason, the results of NAF’s trials are rarely published, but rest assured that they are going on behind the scenes. An overview of References can be found at the bottom of this page. Whilst this is happening...
The privileged dialogue we have with riders, owners and grooms, whose horses compete at world class level in a huge variety of equestrian disciplines, enables us to develop new products and continually improve existing products to address the increasing demands that are placed on today's competition horse. This in turn benefits all horses and our retailers, who are able to offer products which adhere to the strictest quality control and testing, with the reassurance of rider endorsements and trials at the highest level.
Selected References
Since 1998 the NAF Team have been involved in ongoing post-graduate study, research with published papers in pharmacognosy, nutritional medicine and reactive oxygen species (biology and pathology) in attempting to determine the practical incorporation of nutritional supplements, plant materials and plant extracts into the therapy, care and nutritional management of the mammalian species.
- 2024 : Greenshields. B, Southerton. L & Drabble. P (2024). Oral joint supplementation significantly improves stride length and range of motion in the knee, hock and back in the equid. Proceedings of 11th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, Norway.
- 2024 : Hedges. E, Moore-Colyer M.J.S & Daniels. S (2024). The effect of supplementing sound horses with a herbal complex on stride characteristics. Proceedings of 11th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, Norway.
- 2024 : Hill. T, Moore-Colyer M.J.S & Daniels S (2024) The effect of synbiotics on the horses fecal metabolome and neural biomarkers. Proceedings of 11th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition, Norway.
- 2014: Effect of [Proprietary Blend] Supplementation on the Volatile Faecal Metabolome of Thoroughbred Racehorses. Proudman C,Travers J, Larkins N et al. School of Veterinary Medicine, Guildford, Surrey. UK
- 2009: Field study into the efficacy of a medicinal plant based complex for management of Equine Cushings Syndrome in ageing horses. Jones KA, Larkins NJ. Planta Medica 75 – PD28
- 2006: Efficacy of a plant based formulation in the treatment of recurrent airway obstruction in horses. Larkins NJ, Deaton CM, Jones K Planta Medica 11(72)
- 2004: The Therapeutic Potential of Lactoferrin: American Journal of Veterinary Research. Larkins N
- 2003: Knight, J & Larkins, N.J. (2003) Antioxidant status of horses quantified by ABEL® wide-range assay. British Equine Veterinary Association 42nd Congress: Handbook of presentations & Free Communications, Equine Veterinary Journal Ltd. 193-294.
- 2004: The use of Pholastin-Based Assays to evaluate the anti- and pro-oxidant capacity of extracts of certain functional foods: the effect of these foods on leucocytes in the blood. J Knight, M Ganderton, K Armstrong, N Larkins. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 35, Supplement 1 S39 (92)
- 2003: Antioxidant status of horses quantified by Abel wide-ranging assay Knight J, Larkins N. B E V A Congress, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
- 2003: Phytochemicals: Veterinary Clinics of North America, W B Saunders. Larkins N
- 2000: Immune System Manipulation. BHVA Congress, Leeds. United Kingdom. Larkins N
- 1999: Free Radical Biology and Pathology, Trace Element Combinations: haematological and physiological parameter (case studies 1993-1998), World Equine Veterinary Association Congress, Paris, France.. Larkins N
- 1999. Free Radical Biology and Pathology: Case Studies, Phosphatidyl Choline with Vanadium and Chromium Trace Element Combinations: a discussion on haematological and physiological parameter (case studies 1993-1998). British Equine Veterinary Association Congress, Harrogate, United Kingdom. Larkins N
- 1999: Free Radical Biology and Pathology. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (Vol.19, Number 2). Larkins N
- 1999: Arthritis in Horses: Arthritis and Hip Dysplasia in Dogs, Free Radical Biology and Pathology: Multiple Case Studies in Horses. International Conference of Herbal Medicine, Brisbane, Australia. Larkins N.J.
- 1998: Biology and Physiology of Free Radical Scavengers. Boehringer Ingelheim (Vetmedica), Brussels, Belgium. Larkins N.J.
- 1998: Nutritional Medicine: The Validity of Using Plant Materials and Other Extracts in Animal Nutrition. Nestle Company, Birmingham, UK.1998: BBC television documentary presented by Professor David Bellamy: ‘’Herbal Medicine for Animals’’
- 1996: [Proprietary Blend]: Trace Element Combinations in conjunction with Saccharomyces cerevesae and Phosphatidyl Choline; International Association of Equine Practitioners - Bonn, Germany. Larkins N.J.
- 1996 – 1997: Nutritional Supplements as Therapeutic Tools - An assessment of the health/performance status of two Newmarket racing yards over a 24 month period Larkins N.J.
- 1994. [Proprietary Blend]: Warwickshire Agricultural College: Department of Equine Studies (25 horses randomly chosen and evaluated over a three month period). Larkins N.J.,
- 1995: Chondroprotective Agents in the Equine. University of Murcia, Spain. Larkins N.J.
- 1993: Methonyl sulphonyl methane - a vitamin like substance. Is it an essential nutrient? Nutritional and Therapeutic Modalities Seminar. Zurich, Switzerland. Larkins N.J., Gaugas J.D.
- 1992: Utilization and Uptake of Naturally Bioavailable Vitamins Minerals and Trace Elements - Dubai, United Arab Emirates. International Camel Symposium. Larkins N.J.
- 1991: Methonyl Sulphonyl Sulphane Resolves Poor Hoof Condition in The Majority of Treated Horses. UK. Larkins N.J., Gaugas J.D.,
- 1990: Six month independent comparative study between 'Biotin' and '[Proprietary Blend] on Hoof Wall Growth - Farriery College. UK. Larkins N.J., Gaugas J D.