CBD Oil for horses
23 September 2022How similar are horses and us humans? Obviously, we don’t look even remotely the same at first glance, but still, the differences between our species are not a big as they seem. For one thing, horses display many of the same ailments and symptoms that we do, including stress, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, gastrointestinal issues, and sleeping problems. An just like us, horses have an endocannabinoid system to regulate their internal balance. This means they can also benefit from cannabinoids such as CBD. This explains why people increasingly turn to CBD Oil to help their horses overcome stress, injuries, pain, and more besides.
Does CBD Oil work for horses?
In spite of a horse’s impressive build and natural grace, they are actually very sensitive creatures. Still, we tend to put them in situations fraught with potential anxiety and stress triggers as well as potential injury hazards.
Just imagine a ride on a busy street, competition (dressage or jumping), standing in cramped stables, or travelling in horse trailers if you need examples. These unnatural circumstances can be hazardous for horses, but fortunately, CBD Oil offers natural relief for many of the problems these conditions may cause.
Like all mammals, horses have their own endocannabinoid system (ECS). The endocannabinoid system helps us regulate our physiological balance (homeostasis) by means of compounds called cannabinoids. The ECS can use either cannabinoids produced by the body itself, or highly similar cannabinoids found in hemp plants. One of these cannabinoids is CBD, or cannabidiol.
Studies on animal and human subjects have demonstrated that CBD has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties. This explains why CBD Oil can help horses deal with problems such as anxiety, stress, aching joints, stomach and bowel issues, infections, and injuries.
CBD Oil for aching joints
Horses are noble creatures, as they say. Watching a horse gallop gracefully across a field makes it easy to agree. Sadly, however, these elegant motions can be disrupted by aching joints. Horses are susceptible to inflammatory disease like arthritis, which can cripple a horse if left unchecked. Joints can swell up, causing pain and rigidity that prevent the animal from moving freely.
Rodent studies conducted in 2000 demonstrate that CBD Oil can be useful against painful joints. It slowed down progression of pathology, and results indicated that the subjects were protected against severe harm. The researchers concluded that CBD not only has anti-inflammatory properties, but cn also help suppress excessive immune responses.
A major benefit of CBD is its lack of negative side-effects. CBD Oil is suited for oral use in case of joint pain, but topical application is also an option: our CBD Salve and CBD Cream are specifically designed to use exactly where they are most needed.
CBD Oil for equine stress and anxiety
Anyone familiar with horses knows how sensitive they are. Moreover, horses are prey animals, inclined to bolt at the first sign of trouble. That makes horses vulnerable to anxiety, stress, and even depression. Horses that have to spend much time inside a stable can display signs of stress, but so can competitive race horses. Symptoms include ‘weaving’ back and forth, restlessness, a nervous disposition, and other stressed-out behaviours.
CBD supplements can help both humans and animals calm down and relax. CBD Oil can have positive effects on overall mood and reduce feelings of stress or anxiety, helping horses feel at ease even when pressure mounts. This can be a very useful way to keep race horses in a state of calm to improve their competitive potential, which can even help riders be more relaxed and focussed as they feel their horse calm down.
Digestive problems
Digestive problems are another common issue for horses. They are easily affected by colic, and ulcers are another often-seen condition. Studies point out that even foals are vulnerable to high gastric acid levels immediately upon birth. Horses in competitive training are especially at risk of developing ulcers, especially in the run-up to racing events. If your horse is already suffering from colic, the chances of developing ulcers increase even further.
CBD Oil could bring relief for horses with gastrointestinal conditions, however. The cells in a horse’s body feature CB1 and CB2 receptors that are part of the endocannabinoid system mentioned above. CB1 receptors in particular influence digestion, and when interacting with CBD, these receptors can prevent contraction of muscles lining the digestive tract.
At present, we are still awaiting clinical evidence for CBD Oil as a potential treatment for ulcers in horses, but CB1 receptors appear to play a part in development of ulcers, too. Activation of these receptors can reduce production of gastric acid, which theoretically reduces risks of developing ulcers.
Injuries and infections
Like any other mammal, horses can get injured; especially when training for competitive events. In addition, they are susceptible to an unpleasant equine condition known as mud fever or pastern dermatitis. This is the common term used for a group of inflammatory irritable skin conditions that affect the lower legs of the horse. Mud fever can cause swelling of leg tissues and is often marked by scabs and lesions in the pastern cavities.
CBD Oil can help horses with mud fever symptoms. Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential relieve the impact of painful swellings while promoting rapid recovery from inflammation.
Is CBD Oil safe for horses?
If you are interested in using CBD Oil for your own horse, then you will appreciate that multiple studies have demonstrated that CBD is safe to use for both humans and animals such as horses. These findings apply across a wide range of dosages, with surprisingly few and generally mild side-effects.
The World Health Organization WHO has officially labelled CBD safe for human consumption even on extended use. Even if we are not the same as the horses we hold dear, we still share large parts of our biology, which explains why we both stand to benefit from the natural potential of CBD Oil.
How much CBD do horses need?
For maximum effectiveness, it is important to establish the optimal CBD Oil dosage for horses. Perhaps you assume that large animals such as horses require high doses of CBD Oil, but it is not quite that simple.
When using medication or supplements, increasing dosages is not guarantee for better results. When it comes to size differences in the animal kingdom, it is helpful to know that larger species tend to have slower metabolism than smaller ones. Horses have a far lower metabolic rate than cats, for instance. Whereas passive cats have average heart rates of around 150 to 200 beats per minute, our human pulse clocks in at around 70 bpm, while a resting horse’s heart beats only 30 to 35 times per minute on average.
The relatively slow pace of equine metabolism makes horses highly efficient when it comes to energy use. In addition, their low metabolic rate considerably reduces the amount of any medication or supplements horses need compared to cats, humans, or other smaller animals.
Advisory dosage
Practical examples include advisory dosages for dogs, which in case of anxiety would amount to .1mg per kilo of body weight. It turns out that a 25mg dose works fine for horses, translating into just .05mg per kilo of body weight.
Regardless of size, weight, or even species, however, it is always important to carefully determine optimal individual dosage. After all, no two individuals are the same, and this is just as true for horses as it is for people. Moreover, the natural sensitivity of horses makes it especially important to establish the optimum individual dosage of CBD Oil.
More is not necessarily better. Start out with low dosages and wait to see if your horse improves. If necessary, you can gradually increase the dose until you reach the intended effect.
The best way to give CBD Oil to horses
CBD Oil is readily absorbed into the bloodstream if used sublingually, i.e., under the tongue. The mucous membranes of the mouth allow horses to use CBD immediately, although admittedly, it can be difficult to administer CBD Oil in this fashion.
If placing drops under the tongue of your horse proves tricky, you can also add CBD Oil to your preferred horse feed brand. This makes for slower absorption, but the active compounds will still enter the bloodstream after passing the stomach.
Another option is topical use by applying CBD Oil directly onto the skin of your horse. This is especially useful for skin problems such as mud fever and eczema, although it can also provide local relief for sprained joints and injured ligaments .
CBD for sports horses
Some riders, especially the more competitively inclined, worry that CBD Oil may have negative effects on the performance of their sports horses. After all, CBD is derived from hemp plants, which fall under the species Cannabis sativa L., right?
Fortunately, however, this assumption is based on a common misconception. Many people associate hemp with the ‘high’ effect that recreational cannabis consumers seek. This high is a so-called psychoactive or psychotropic effect caused by another cannabinoid called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). CBD supplements are not allowed to contain more than .3% THC, however, which is not nearly enough to produce any noticeable effects.
This is in fact why CBD supplements are derived from industrial fibre hemp: a special type of cannabis plant that contains hardly any THC at all. Rest assured that horses cannot get high or stoned from using CBD Oil. Using these supplements will not degrade competitive performance; on the contrary, CBD Oil has the potential to improve focus, adding to the sense of calm that can give race horses a competitive edge.
In fact, many competitive riders use CBD Oil themselves to stay calm and in control of stress and anxiety as they prepare for equestrian events!
Premium quality CBD for your horse
If we add up all the potential benefits that CBD can provide, it is easy to see why horse owners increasingly turn to these natural hemp supplements to improve the performance and wellbeing of their cherished mounts. If you want to experience the benefits of our premium Full Spectrum CBD Oil for horses yourself, all you have to do is visit our online store to order the finest quality supplements online.D
Order premium CBD Oil for your horse online
SupMedi CBD Oil is subjected to rigorous laboratory tests to guarantee product quality and purity. We follow the latest scientific insights to get you the best that nature can offer. Try our full range of supplements today – we are sure your horse will enjoy it just as much as you!
