The popularity of CBD oil for wellness isn’t due to its effectiveness in humans but also animals. Cats, dogs, and horses can massively benefit from CBD products, especially when managing behavioral problems and chronic pain in humans and animals. While horses are complex pets, they are very intelligent and have a high emotional capacity. Besides that, they are also prone to certain health issues, especially inflammation. That’s why horse owners need to invest in safe and effective wellness products. Using CBD oil for horses can significantly improve their health.
Is CBD Safe for Horses?
Horses have the endocannabinoid system (ECS), just like humans. The ECS is a regulatory system that helps to promote homeostasis, i.e., body balance of different processes. Some of the basic functions of this system include regulating:
- Sleep
- Digestion
- Inflammation
- Immune function
- Memory
- Mood
- Appetite
While there is still no extensive research involving CBD for horses, current reports indicate that this is a well-tolerated cannabis compound that’s non-addictive and non-toxic.
Why is CBD Good for Horses?
CBD is currently the most popular source of alternative medicine for both humans and animals. Horse-owners can use CBD products to manage several health issues, including:
Alleviate Pain
It’s one of the common benefits of CBD. This compound can help deal with aches and pains in horses. Generally, horses have to engage in exercises for their wellness. The use of the horse also matters since others are for competitive sports, transport, or agricultural reasons. Regardless of the use, there are high chances that your horse could potentially end up experiencing pain or discomfort occasionally.
Besides that, horses’ bones, ligaments, and muscles also experience wear and tear with time. This might also contribute to pain. However, CBD has potent therapeutic effects that may help alleviate pain. Besides that, its anti-inflammatory effects may effectively deal with muscular issues that cause pain, including osteoarthritis.
Ease Anxiety
Horses also suffer from anxieties, which might be due to environmental factors such as loud noises or separation anxiety. CBD has potent anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects; hence it’s highly effective in making your horse feel relaxed and calmer.
Generally, CBD might support your horse in the following health areas:
- Mobility
- Immune system
- Skin irritation
- Metabolism and appetite
- Mood and emotion regulation
CBD Oil for Horses: Dosing Guidelines
Animals are more sensitive to cannabidiol, especially horses, and that’s why they need lower doses administered less frequently, unlike the other animals. Well, this sensitivity might be due to the way horses digest food. But so, what’s the best CBD dosage for horses?
CBD Oil Dosage
To determine the potency in mg/ml, divide the amount of CBD by the size of its bottle. This means that if your bottle is 20 ml and contains 2000 mg of CBD, then it’s 2000 mg/ 20 ml, and this will give you 100 mg of CBD in 1 ml, i.e., a full dropper. If you want to give your horse 50 mg of CBD, you have to give it 50 % of the full dropper.
CBD Capsules and Pellets Dosage
There are the easiest to use since they are pre-dosed. You can simply check the product’s potency in each capsule/pellet. You can find CBD pellets with 10 mg, 25 mg, or 50 mg of CBD. So, you simply have to determine how many capsules your horse needs.
CBD Concentrates Dosage
They are normally available in different tube sizes ranging between 400 mg and 1,000 mg per syringe. To calculate the potency, you have to calculate it in mg/ml. However, the potency of CBD concentrates is higher than that of tinctures, so you will need a significantly lower dosage.
Recommended Starting Dosage of CBD Oil for Horses
| Horse Size | CBD Tinctures 1 ml = 33mg/ ml | CBD Pellets/Capsule 1 scoop/capsule= 25 mg of CBD | CBD Paste 100 mg of CBD per 20 cc |
| Minis (400-600lbs.) | 0.5-1 dropper daily | 0.5-1 scoop twice daily or 1 capsule per day | 10 cc daily |
| Full-Sized
(660-1110 lbs.) |
1-2 full droppers twice daily | 1.5-3 scoops twice daily or 3 capsules daily | 15-30 cc daily |
| Large Breeds
(1100-1800 lbs.) |
2-3 full droppers twice daily | 2-4 pellet scopes twice daily or 4 capsules daily | 25-40 cc once daily |
Is CBD Oil Not Effective for My Horse?
If you find that your horse isn’t responding well to CBD oil, you need to take a closer look at the dosing amount and dosage.
Is the Dose Correct?
Horses are very sensitive to cannabidiol; hence you dose this product appropriately; you should be able to notice changes. If you are using an appropriately dosed, high-quality CBD, it should take between 5-15 minutes to see the effects.
Clinical trials indicate that most horses seem to respond well when given 20 mg – 30 mg of CBD for anxiety and other behavioral problems. Besides that, 50 mg- 60 mg of CBD seems ideal for pain issues. While there might be slight variability in dosing response, this would be the appropriate range.
Is The Method of Administration the Best?
In their native form, cannabinoids are oily natives, and these bioactive particles normally pass through the liver for detoxification mechanisms. Most CBD products for horses are normally rubbed on horses’ gums for effectiveness. It shouldn’t be noted that while some companies sell water-soluble or micronized formulations for horses designed for oral dosing, there aren’t enough studies to prove their effectiveness to prove if they can deliver therapeutic effects, but without losing 80% of its content to liver metabolism.
Can I Use CBD in Competition?
No, you can use CBD oil in a competition. According to USEF, cannabinoid has been added to random drug testing programs. This is because it has been established that CBD can be extremely powerful in changing the behavior and pain issues in these animals.
How to Choose a CBD Product for Your Horse?
There are several manufacturers of CBD oil for horses in the industry. However, this industry is widely unregulated, and chances of finding a low-quality product are high. To ensure that you end up with a safe and effective product for your horse, here are the most important factors to consider:
Manufacturing Facility
Choose a product manufactured by a company that uses good manufacturing practices (CGMP). This is important in significantly minimizing the risk of contamination and maintaining the purity of the product.
Organic CBD
Ensure that you go for a CBD product that’s 100% organic and non-GMO. When choosing a product for your horse, consider how safe and “user-friendly” it is. It’s also important to consider its track record in manufacturing high-quality products.
Potency
For your horse, it’s important to look at the product’s potency. It’s recommended that you choose a high potency product, especially that with potencies ranging between 20 mg/ ml and 60 mg/ml. Because of the high CBD oil costs, most products are available in 1 oz bottles of 20 mg/ml.
Analyze the Certificate of Analysis (COA)
It’s important to choose a transparent company that offers COA. This certificate is important in determining:
- The levels of CBD and other cannabinoids in the product
- The presence of residual solvents in the extract
- If an independent 3rd-party tested the product
Note: when choosing a CBD, ensure that you choose a supplement that has been specifically made for horses. This is because most horse manufacturers are likely to choose a make product that is less likely to irritate the horse’s digestive tract.
Tips to Safely Use CBD with Your Horses
Your horse’s safety should come first, which means taking important considerations into mind when administering CBD to your horse. Some of the most important tips to consider include:
Avoid glass droppers
Most CBD companies usually sell tinctures with glass droppers. However, giving your horse CBD with the use of glass tinctures isn’t a safe alternative. This is because the dropper can easily break in the horse’s mouth during administration and result in injuries. For safety, use plastic oral syringes for horses since they are more sturdy and less fragile.
Choose High-Quality CBD Products
You will include CBD in your horse’s wellness regimen; hence it’s important to choose a high-quality product. Choose CBD specifically made for horses as these will help minimize the chances of digestive complications.
Start with a Lower Dose
Like CBD for other pets and humans, it is always advisable to use lower doses of CBD initially. This is normally dependent on the weight of the horse. With time, you can gradually adjust the dose depending on the severity of your horse’s condition.
Talk to Your Vet
If you are not sure how much CBD your horse needs and the best method of administration, then you should first talk to your vet. Consider a professional who knows your animal and has probably treated it a couple of times in the past.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that CBD oil can greatly improve your horse’s wellness. It can treat inflammation, ease pain, improve digestive health, and ease anxiety. However, horses are quite sensitive animals and, more so, sensitive to CBD. This means that you must consider the type of CBD product and the dosage you give your horse. While CBD has a good safety profile, you don’t want your pet to end up with a series of complications. Always start with a lower dose of CBD and then gradually increase the amount until you find the dosage that fits the severity condition of your pet. If possible, consider speaking to your vet first.
