The Ultimate Guide for CBD & Horses

Why Are People Using CBD With Horses?

Horse-owners use CBD to support the horse’s well-being. CBD’s anti-inflammatory and anxiolytic effects may help horses manage symptoms of common ailments, including:

• Pain
• Inflammation
• Anxiety
• Chronic stress
• Soreness and stiffness

That said, CBD is not used to “cure” common conditions in horses, but to improve the animal’s quality of life. CBD in horses is also used to aid natural metabolic processes and speed recovery after a big day of exercise.

CBD may support horses in the following areas of health:

• Metabolism and appetite
• Emotional state and mood
• Immune system
• Mobility
• Digestion and bowel health
• Irritated skin

Some companies are making specific CBD pet oils for arthritis or other chronic health conditions. These products are formulated with a variety of other ingredients to help with a specific symptom or condition. You can find CBD pet oils for cancer, epilepsy, anxiety, and more.

Most of these formulas are marketed for dogs because there are a lot more dog-owners than horse-owners — but these oils are perfectly safe for both animals. Just be aware that the dose for a horse is going to be a lot higher than a dose for a dog.

Is CBD Safe For Horses?

Horses, like humans, have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) — which functions as a regulatory system in the body to maintain homeostasis (balance) of many different areas.

Some basic functions of the ECS include regulating digestion, sleep, appetite, inflammation, mood, immune function, temperature, memory, and more.

Although there are no horse-specific studies involving CBD — most of the research performed on both humans and animals shows that CBD is both non-toxic and non-addictive [1].

In fact, even when administered in higher doses, CBD is well-tolerated by both humans and animals.

Some common side-effects of CBD in animals include diarrhea, drowsiness, and dry mouth — all of which are mild in nature, and tend to only result from using very high doses.

CBD May Help Your Horse When Nothing Else is Working

Many times, both hemp CBD and marijuana are used as a last resort for horses with painful chronic conditions.

One example of marijuana use in horses is Tori, a 16-year-old Paso Fino with equine melanoma. When Tori’s owner got the news of the horse’s probable euthanasia, she decided to turn to cannabis as the last option.

So, over the course of a few years, Tori’s owner used cannabis oil (a mix of 6% THC and 11.7% CBD) to keep her alive. Luckily, cannabis had a great long-term effect on Tori.

Now, we wouldn’t recommend you to give your horse marijuana without consulting a vet, but the message from Tori’s story is that if used responsibly, cannabis won’t hurt your horse.

In fact, one veterinarian is making a case for the responsible use of THC in animals by comparing it to common pain medications. The logic behind that is that if you give your animal the minimum lethal dose of THC (3000 mg/kg for dogs), the animal will experience the same intoxication as if it accidentally ate an entire bottle of pain meds.

Now, back to hemp CBD.

Another horse owner decided to give hemp CBD pellets to his horse post-colic surgery. When the owner noticed that one scoop of CBD pellets twice a day didn’t show any results, he increased the dosage to two scoops twice a day and noticed a “huge difference.”

“His lingering edema almost completely went away within a few weeks, and he’s been moving so much more forward and pain-free. People are amazed at how quickly he’s bouncing back in under saddle work now. “

Furthermore, one case report found that 250 mg of pure crystalline cannabidiol administered by mouth twice daily helped a 4-year-old Quarter Horse with a 5-week history of “marked sensitivity to touch” — when traditional meds showed no improvement in clinical signs. When the animal started taking CBD, the clinical signs resolved after two just days [2].

Dosing Guidelines: How Much CBD Should I Give My Horse?

Now, the most important part, “How much CBD should I give my horse?”

Animals are more sensitive to CBD — horses in particular. Horses require lower and less frequent doses of CBD than other animals, according to Dr. Luedke, a veterinarian and leading expert on CBD for horses.

Dr. Leudke stated that horses need longer dosing intervals than other species and seem to be more sensitive on the “per kilogram” dosing model.

For example, if a CBD dose of 1-2 milligrams per kilogram works well for dogs, horses need a lower dose — ranging from 0.25-1 milligrams per kilogram.

Horses’ sensitivity to CBD may or may not be attributed to the way they digest food. As hindgut (large intestine) fermenters, horses get the majority of their energy through fermentation, not digestion like other animals do.

Simple things such as “feeding too much grain, improper ratios of forage and grain, or moldy forage or grain” can wreak havoc on the equine digestive system — according to Kentucky Equine Research. This sensitivity may make horses more susceptible to CBD.

So, when you start giving your horse CBD, make sure you start low and increase the dose gradually. Starting with low CBD doses allows you to track your horse’s progress and adjust the dose when you start to see benefits.

Many people will start with the baseline dose of 40 mg and increase until they reach the desired results. According to Dr. Juliet M. Getty, the best dosage for horses are as follows:

• Minis (400-660 lbs) — 25 to 50 mg
• Full-sized (660-1110 lbs) — 75 to 170 mg
• Large breeds (1100-1800) — 120 to 200 mg

1. Calculating CBD Oil Dosage For Horses

If you’re using CBD oils, first look at the size of the bottle and the amount of CBD inside. Then, you divide the amount of CBD by the size of the bottle. This will give you the potency of the oil in milligrams of CBD per milliliter of oil (mg/mL).

So, if your bottle is 30 mL and contains 3000 mg of CBD, you get 100 mg of CBD in 1 mL (a full dropper) — 3000mg/30mL = 100 mg/mL.

Once you know the potency, you can use simple math to find the right dose. If you have an oil with 100 mg/mL CBD, and you want a dose of 40 mg — all you have to do is give 0.4 mL (40% full dropper).

Our product reviews include the potency of each oil in case you’re not math-savvy.

2. Calculating Horse Doses For Capsules & Pellets

For other products such as pellets or CBD capsules — you can check the exact mg contained in each capsule or pellet.

For example, CBD pellets may advertise 25 mg, 50 mg, or 75 mg of CBD per capsule, or per scoop of pellets.

You can then simply calculate how many capsules or scoops you need to give the horse to reach the intended dose.

3. Calculating Horse Doses For CBD Concentrates

CBD pastes and concentrates come in different tube sizes, from 400 mg to 1000 mg per syringe.

Just like tinctures, each product has its own potency measured in mg per mL. The only difference is that with concentrates, this potency is much higher. Therefore, you will need much less volume to get the desired dose.

Always follow the directions on the bottle when using a CBD concentrate, and make sure to speak with a vet before using these highly potent products with your horse.

How Do I Give My Horse CBD?

There are several different CBD products for horses available on the market, including:

• CBD paste
• CBD oils
• CBD sprays
• Topical CBD balms & salves

One of the most favorable administration methods for horses is sublingual. Sublingual administration has a quick effect and is generally considered safer for your horse’s sensitive gut.

Usually, CBD pet oils and pastes are administered sublingually (under your horse’s tongue). These two types of products hold well in the animal’s mouth and provide better absorption. When absorbed through the mucosa in the oral cavity, CBD directly reaches the bloodstream faster and more efficiently.

With the right dosage of CBD via sublingual administration, you may notice an improvement in your horse’s symptoms within about half an hour.

CBD powders and pellets are usually mixed with feed and administered orally. The success of oral consumption of CBD depends on the dosage and whether or not the horse took the remedy on an empty stomach.

When administered through the mouth, CBD gets broken down by the horse’s digestive system. That’s why it takes longer to work and reaches the bloodstream and may not offer as potent an effect.

Tips on Using CBD Safely With Your Horses

Let’s cover a few of the most important considerations you should keep in mind when administering CBD to your horse.

1. Avoid Glass Droppers

Most companies produce CBD tinctures with a glass dropper. It goes without saying, but giving your horse a CBD tincture with a glass dropper isn’t safe. The dropper can easily break in the animal’s mouth and cause an injury.

Instead, use a plastic oral syringe for horses, which is one of the most common ways of administering other types of medications that your horse is used to.

2. Avoid Low-Quality CBD Products

When you include CBD in your horse’s diet regimen, carefully select the products before you use them. You’re choosing CBD to support your horse’s well-being, so you should look at all the ingredients on the bottle. Some of the low-quality horse CBD products on the market are chock-full of unnecessary, potentially harmful chemical additives.

Here are some tips to help you choose a safe CBD product for your horse:

A) Choose CBD supplements specifically designed for horses

CBD horse manufacturers are more likely to pay attention to the things that may irritate the horse’s digestive system compared to general pet CBD manufacturers.

B) Check the label for CBD content per dose and other ingredients

A rule of thumb is to get pure CBD products, no artificial flavors, or colors. Many things may trigger your horse’s sensitive gut so you shouldn’t take any risks.

C) Choose a product made from organically-grown hemp

Look for hemp grown in clean soil that’s non-GMO and pesticide-free.

D) Request a Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

Check the quality of the product by looking at the following:

1. Are the levels of CBD and other cannabinoids the same as advertised?
2. Does it contain residual solvents from the extraction method? — the product has to be alcohol-free and made using the CO2 extraction method.
3. Did an independent, third-party lab test the product? If the company tests in-house, that’s a major red flag.

E) Choose a transparent manufacturer

Good manufacturers will be willing to provide all of the info regarding the safety of its products.