CBD Oil for Horses: Efficiency and Application

CBD (cannabidiol), a cannabis-derived product, is trending today. It’s a powerful remedy that many people use to cope with pain, stress, skin problems, inflammation, sleep disorders, etc. Also, many CBD users incorporate cannabidiol into their pets’ nutrition plan. For instance, there is CBD for dogs and cats. What about other pets, such as horses? Does CBD bring any benefit to equine health? Read further to find this out.

Will My Horse Get High with CBD?

Most of us associate cannabis with recreational marijuana that causes the “high” feeling. However, this effect is produced by another cannabis component, which is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

CBD is entirely different. It’s one of the non-toxic cannabis-derived molecules. So it doesn’t alter your brain function or cause euphoria and associated effects. It’s how CBD works with humans. Is there any difference in cannabidiol effects for animals and horses in particular? In short, there is none.

The matter is that cannabinoids release their properties through interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), present in nearly all animals, including mammals.

CBD works similarly with the ECS of any creature, whether it is a lizard, a bird, or a horse. Therefore, CBD products won’t harm your pet. At the same time, CBD will improve your horse’s well-being significantly. Ready to learn how? Then, check the CBD benefits for horses below:

CBD Benefits for Horses

CBD oil benefits are evident and studied vigorously. Cannabidiol shows multiple health properties in animal models:

1. Reduced Pain

The immense weight of a horse’s body combined with intense training and miles of galloping puts a tremendous strain on its muscles, bones, and tendons.

Besides, an equine back is not meant to carry a person on it. That’s why horses experience injuries, such as tendon sprains, muscle ruptures, and fractures, quite often. Thus, up to 800 horses get injured or die during the horse racing events yearly.

Consequently, they require special treatment and nutrition. As for CBD, it’s a powerful natural painkiller. Numerous animal studies confirm its analgesic properties. For instance, an equine CBD study reported that 27 out of 32 horses experienced chronic pain relief with CBD treatment. As the researchers concluded, CBD was a promising pain treatment for horses.

2. Stress Relief

Herbivores aren’t like your cat or dog. In natural circumstances, a horse is prey. These animals feel scared and anxious in many situations. Your horse will get into frustration while transported to the event. It might be scared of another person or a loud crowd during the horse racing show.

In other words, a daily routine of a horse in captivity might be stressful as hell. How to calm an anxious horse then? CBD can become a preferable solution.

Multiple studies confirm that animals feel less anxious with the CBD treatment. Moreover, researchers revealed that calming CBD properties were similar in intensity to those of diazepam, an efficient anxiolytic. Furthermore, no long-term adverse effects were observed. Thus, CBD is a potent anxiolytic that can soothe your horse’s nerves.

Sure, you should understand your pet’s mind in the first place. It’s crucial to minimize stressful situations. Once you ensure a safe and calm environment for your horse, you will see additional improvements in its behavior with CBD.

3. Decreased Inflammation

Unfortunately, horses are susceptible to stress and develop a systematic inflammation for many reasons. For instance, researchers associate equine metabolic disorders with chronic systemic inflammation. The “leaky gut” syndrome can also lead to chronic inflammation in horses.

How to help your stallion or mare then? Aside from implementing anti-inflammatory diets, you can also use CBD. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidative substance. Studies show that CBD reduces the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thus soothing inflammation-based pain. Furthermore, it helps minimize systemic inflammation. Cannabidiol also protects your horse’s cells from free radicals, promoting its general well-being and better post-training recovery.

Giving CBD to Your Horse

CBD is a beneficial dietary supplement for your horse. But how to give CBD to your pet? Check these tips on implementing CBD into your horse’s diet:

Stick to Sublingual Application

You can give CBD chews to your horse. However, your pet might prefer something else, leaving the snacks untouched. You can use CBD tincture instead, for more convenience. Just get a plastic syringe with CBD and spray the oil under your horse’s tongue. This route of administration ensures high absorption. Also, avoid glass droppers since they can break and injure your pet’s mouth.

Adjust the Dose Gradually

An average 1,500-lb horse needs about 50 mg of CBD per day. A smaller one requires less CBD and vice versa. Therefore, you need to adjust the equine CBD dosage depending on the horse size. Also, you have to consider the symptoms. The worse your horse feels, the more CBD it needs. If you don’t see any improvements, you can increase the dose each week to achieve the desired results.

Don’t Replace Traditional Medication with CBD

CBD is great. Nonetheless, it doesn’t cure ailments entirely. You can use cannabidiol to complement your horse diet, not to replace the traditional medication.

The Bottom Line

CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidative cannabis-derived component with strong pain-relieving effects. Furthermore, it reduces anxiety, helping animals cope with stress. Therefore, you can give CBD to your horse to help it perform better at the shows, recover from injuries, and have a cheerful mood during the day.