Benefits of CBD For Your Horses & Dosage Guide

Gold Tree Organics Equine Hemp Pellets Calming Supplement For Horses Information.

Can CBD Help Horses, and if So, How Much CBD Should Horses Take

Horse owners are turning to CBD as an alternative treatment for common equine medical conditions such as, gastric ulcers, laminitis (hoof inflammation), and colic (abdominal pain).

Research on CBD’s effects on horses is limited. However, various human and animal studies have illustrated
CBD’s anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant properties.

At present, there is no standardized CBD dosage for horses.
However, a common practice among individual horse owners seem to indicate that CBD dosing depends on the animals’ weight and the severity of the health issue faced.

Before administering CBD to horses, horse owners should first consult with a veterinarian.

How Much CBD Should Be Given to Horses

When looking for CBD dosage information for horses, pet owners should be aware that a standardised CBD dosage chart for horses has yet to be approved
There is, however, common consensus that the dosage depends on the horse’s body weight, as well as the condition that CBD is being used for.

For safety and maximum effectiveness, horse owners should seek the advice of a veterinarian before initial administration.
Pet owners can also follow the dosage instructions indicated in the CBD product to be used. 

The general rule is to start with small initial doses and to increase in safe increments when the desired effect is not met.
Rest assured that CBD has exhibited minimal side effects on mammalian animals and human subjects in several CBD research.

Calculating the CBD Dosage for Medicinal Purposes in Horses

CBD can be administered to horses that suffer from osteoarthritis, laminitis (hoof inflammation), lameness (abnormal stance brought by joint injuries), anxiety, depression, colic (abdominal pain), and gastric ulcers.

Although CBD is not a cure for these diseases, it can be used to alleviate some of the associated symptoms, such as pain and inflammation.

We recommend using regular doses (0.25 milligrams for each pound of a horse’s body weight) for stress and anxiety relief, nausea, digestive issues, moderate arthritis, and joint inflammation, as well as minor pain.

Meanwhile, strong doses (0.5 milligrams for each pound of a horse’s body weight) should be administered for chronic pain, severe cases of arthritis and inflammation, seizures, and intense anxiety.

Strong doses are also stated to increase CBD’s desired effectiveness.
For mitigating pain and inflammation administer CBD every 8 hours.
For reducing anxiety, horse owners should give CBD to the animal 30 minutes before an anxiety-inducing event, may it be a competition or travelling.

Determining the CBD Dosage for General Purposes in Horses

CBD can also be used for improving horses’ overall health.
Administration of CBD pellets can impact a horse’s overall health by continuously promoting homeostasis (processes that the body’s various systems undergo to remain stable).

Examples of these processes include maintaining the balance of body temperature and fluids.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has a vital role in the body as it takes part in maintaining homeostasis.

It is through the ECS that CBD’s therapeutic effects are activated.
Taking CBD pellets can help horses’ ECS in maintaining bodily functions and processes that regulate the brain, endocrine system, and immune system, among others. CBD can also revitalize a horse’s coat and hair. It can also positively affect horses’ skin quality.

For general health purposes, horse owners can simply administer regular doses.
We recommend a dosing frequency of twice a day if the purposes are for the horse’s general well-being.
Calculating the Right CBD Dosage for Medicinal and General Purposes in Horses
When using CBD pellets, it should indicate how much CBD is contained within the pellets, so check the lab result for the batch.

To calculate for the right CBD dosage, multiply the animal’s body weight by the recommended dose.

Following this dosage chart:
12,500mg per 500g.
A horse weighing 400kg (900 pounds) should be administered a regular dose of 225 mg of CBD twice daily (900 x regular dose of 0.25 mg of CBD = 225 mg of CBD).

Meanwhile, the same horse weighing 400kg or 900 pounds should be administered a strong dose of 450 mg of CBD twice a day (900 pounds x strong dose of 0.5 mg of CBD = 450 mg of CBD

How to dose CBD:
Step 1: Determine your initial baseline daily dosage. (Suggested starting dose of 38mg CBD)
Step 2: Establish the incremental (step) dosage you will use to slowly raise the daily dosage level for each step. (Suggested increase of 20mg)
Step 3: Start administering the CBD at the daily baseline dosage for a full 7 days (38mg). Pay attention to any changes in your horse’s symptoms or condition and document. The 7 days gives the ‘ CBD time to build an accumulative effect.
Step 4: After 7 days at your baseline dosage, if you are not receiving the desired results, then increase the dosage by one step (20mg) to create a new baseline dosage.
Step 5: For the next 3 days (Day 8 – 10), administer the new increased dosage (38mg + 20mg). Pay attention to any changes in your horse’s symptoms or condition and document.
Step 6: Repeat. After 3 days of administering at the new dosage level, if you still have not obtained the desired results then continue to raise the dosage by 20mg every 3 days until you know the minimum effective dose that relieves symptoms. This may take several steps, be patient and stick to the process. For example, if your animal’s minimum effective dose turned out to be 120mg it would take 19 days using the stepwise dosing procedure to dial-in the most effective dosage.
Step 7: Review the dosage. Once you know the dose that works for your animal, you can review the dosage by reversing the process and lowering the dosage by small 5mg steps in 3 day increments to dial in a more exact dosage.

Why Owners Are Using CBD for Their Horses?

Many horse owners are turning to CBD as an alternative means to help treat common health issues experienced by horses, including osteoarthritis, gastric ulcers, laminitis (hoof inflammation), and colic (abdominal pain).

Research done on both human and animal subjects found that CBD possesses properties that combat the effects of anxiety, inflammation, pain, nausea, vomiting, and psychosis.

The endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for activating CBD’s therapeutic effects on the body, was also found to be present in all mammalian life, including horses.

This discovery led researchers and various individuals to inquire about the potential health benefits of cannabinoids such as CBD, which can improve horses’ overall health and well-being.

Cannabinoids like CBD can inhibit inflammatory symptoms and chronic pain experienced by equine (horse) animals.

CBD can also help alleviate commonly-occurring horse anxiety and depression due to its aforementioned neurological benefits.

The presence of the endocannabinoid system, along with CB1 and CB2 receptors, can also help in addressing equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGS) commonly experienced by foals and adult horses.

However, there exists a lack of substantial research on the effects of CBD use on horses.

Most of the available CBD and cannabinoid research utilized human and other animal subjects, such as mice, rats, and pigs.

Horses are animals with large bodies and long generational intervals (the average time it takes for one generation of animals to be born)

These distinct characteristics set them apart from humans and the other animals mentioned, making both inappropriate models for studying equine physiology and health conditions.

To add, most of the information available regarding the effects of CBD use on horses is anecdotal.

However, horse owners who have personally administered CBD to their equine mammals have given mostly positive feedback.

These individuals resorted to using CBD for horses when no other treatment or medication was effective in helping the animals.

Also, various equine veterinarians have been advocating for CBD use on horses due to the promising development.
However, individuals must consult with veterinarians before administering any CBD to their horses.

Anti-Inflammatory and Pain Relieving Benefits of CBD for Horses

Horses are often subject to diseases that cause inflammation and chronic pain. One example of this is osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD).
In both humans and horses, a characteristic of osteoarthritis was the destruction of cartilage (tissue surrounding the joints).

In the case of horses, osteoarthritis occurs when advancing decay, and eventual loss of the articular cartilage (tissue surrounding the ends of bones and forms joints) is present.

It is also accompanied by bone and tissue modification.
Osteoarthritis in horses can lead to devastating results, from the total loss of joint movement to the eventual development of chronic pain.
Osteoarthritis commonly caused lameness in horses, yet another common equine problem that affected equine operations and all types of horses.

Horses that exhibited lameness were unable to move or even stand properly. Hence it is considered as the most common reason for the loss of use in horses.
A common cause of both osteoarthritis and lameness in horses is trauma. Studies found that osteoarthritis occurred in both young racehorses to old horses.
Racehorses subjected to continuous training and usage sustained severe cartilage damage and even bone fractures.

As such, joint diseases experienced by animals with large builds (like horses) were recurrently accompanied by inflammation, albeit in varying degrees.

Also, a study concluded that in the case of osteoarthritis, inflammation hindered the body’s ability to repair already degrading cartilage by promoting further destruction.

Continuous damage to the affected joints activated inflammatory responses, which lead to the enlargement of tissue and unstable homeostasis (processes that regulate the body).

Researchers found CBD to possess anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving benefits.
CBD is a phytocannabinoid, a type of cannabinoid naturally found in plants. 
Cannabinoids, like CBD, interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for regulating bodily functions from sleep to memory.
In animal studies, early research conducted in the 2000s found that CBD had a potential anti-arthritic effect due to its anti-inflammatory abilities.

In the study, researchers administered CBD to mice. They found that it was able to restrict further advancement of arthritis in the subjects.
They also found that CBD was able to protect the mice’s joints against severe damage.

Another study identified CBD as a safe and effective drug in alleviating rheumatoid arthritic pain and cancer pain, all of which are kinds of chronic pain considered challenging to treat.
Another study examined CBD as an alternative to arthritis treatment due to the latter’s tendency to cause adverse side effects in patients.

The researchers utilised CBD on rats with induced-arthritis to assess its effectiveness in reducing inflammation and pain.

They found that CBD was able to reduce swelling and pain significantly.
Researchers concluded that the topical application of CBD on the skin had the potential for alleviating animal behaviour related to pain and inflammation without adverse side effects.

On the same note, one notable case report saw cannabidiol as a promising treatment for horses who experienced pain.

The report stated that a 4-year-old mare was exhibiting marked sensitivity when touched near the shoulder region. It was later diagnosed with mechanical allodynia (pain as a result of a light stroke or brush).

When several attempts in treating the mare yielded no positive results, cannabidiol was administered by mouth twice daily. After only 2 days, the horse’s pain disappeared.

Lastly, one significant study explored the use of cannabinoids as an alternative osteoarthritis treatment for horses.

The standard therapy currently available for treating osteoarticular equine disease has caused unwanted side effects on various horse patients.

The researchers explored the idea of using cannabinoids as an alternative to pain treatment on horses due to its relationship with the ECS.

When activated, cannabinoids like CBD can employ various physiological responses, including pain relief.

Anti-Anxiety Benefits of CBD
Horses are also subject to anxiety and depression.
Studies have shown that horses in confined domestic settings were prone to depression, while horses in training were prone to anxiety.
Domestic horses also experienced chronic stress that resulted in behavioural problems and disorders.

These behavioural issues include unusual postures, unresponsiveness (being withdrawn), indifference to their environment, weaving, stall walking, and head shaking.

Weaving is defined as the sideways swinging of the head and neck, while stall walking involves repeated walking in circles when inside the stall.

An uncontrollable jerking of the head characterizes head shaking. It is also a behavioural problem believed to be caused by stress and anxiety.
Aside from its ability to inhibit inflammation and pain, cannabinoids like CBD could also combat psychiatric and mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.

A study on mice found that cannabinoids like CBD can affect the animal subjects’ psychiatric conditions like depression and stress due to its interaction with the ECS, which all mammals have.

In another study on rats, cannabidiol was able to elicit stress-relieving responses, triggering anxiety-reducing and antidepressant benefits.
Although there is a lack of similar studies done on horses, the same neurological effects may apply to these equine animals.
Like rats and humans, horses are also mammals. They possess the same ECS system that allows for cannabinoids like CBD to activate within the body.
Acid-Neutralizing Benefits of CBD

The same can apply to issues plaguing horses’ digestive systems, such as gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers). Gastric ulceration has a high prevalence rate among horses and even foals (young horses).

In particular, foals demonstrated high stomach acidity levels immediately after birth, while horses in training were most vulnerable to developing ulcers.
The same study found active racehorses to have an almost 100% prevalence rate. In comparison, endurance horses (used for long-distance races) had 93% during competition season. More than half of horses diagnosed with gastric ulcers also had colic (abdominal pain).

Both humans and animals, like horses, have the ECS, which are composed of two primary receptors: the CB1 and CB2. CB1 are cannabinoid receptors that reduce gastrointestinal motility (movement of food from the mouth to stomach) and gastric acid secretion.
When CB1 is activated, it suppresses the secretion of gastric acid. An equine stomach perpetually secretes acid, causing gastric ulcers if the horse does not eat properly.

Cannabinoid receptor agonists, in particular, can delay gastric emptying (the time it takes for food to empty from the stomach).
Certain cannabinoids, like THC, are receptor agonists, meaning they bind to the CB1 receptors that can lessen the amount of gastric acid in the body.
Researchers discovered this activity to be effective in both human and rodent subjects(39).

There is also interest in examining the therapeutic effects of cannabinoid receptor antagonists on the gastrointestinal tract.
Studies discovered CBD to be a potent CB2 antagonist of cannabinoid agonists, which are responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties. 
Despite the capability of certain cannabinoids, like THC, to inhibit stomach acid, further research is still needed to determine if other types of cannabinoids, like CBD, can have the same effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

How CBD Works for Horses

All mammalian life, from humans to horses, have an endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The ECS is a signalling system responsible for regulating various bodily functions, such as sleep, mood, appetite, and memory.
It also plays an integral role in maintaining homeostasis, processes that regulate the body’s stability.

The ECS is composed of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids (cannabinoids found within the body), and enzymes that synthesize and break down the endocannabinoids.

The two primary receptors found in the ECS are the CB1 and CB2.
CB1 receptors are found within the brain and the nervous system, while CB2 receptors within the immune system.
Endocannabinoids that bind to these receptors act as signals for the ECS to take action.

The action depends on which receptor is targeted.
For example, when an endocannabinoid binds to a CB1 receptor, it can activate a pain-relieving effect.

Meanwhile, binding to a CB2 receptor can signal that the body is currently undergoing inflammation.
Cannabinoids also exist outside the body. Cannabidiol or CBD is a phytocannabinoid, which means that it is a cannabinoid naturally occurring in plants.

CBD is one of the hundreds of cannabinoids found within the Cannabis sativa plant. Another example is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, which is popular for its psychoactive properties that make users euphoric or “high”.
Cannabis sativa has two plant varieties: marijuana and hemp plants. CBD is naturally derived from the hemp plant, which contains less than 0.3% of THC.
Unlike its famous counterpart, CBD is not psychoactive, which means that it does not induce a euphoric state in users.

When CBD binds with any of the CB1 or CB2 receptors in the body, its therapeutic effects are activated.

The Pros and Cons of CBD  for Horses
Pros
 Research suggests that the careful administration of CBD is safe for both animals and humans. It was
found to be non-toxic and did not affect appetite, heart rate, blood pressure, or body temperature. CBD was
also unable to impact physical movement or psychological functions adversely(43).
 Humans were able to tolerate well high doses of CBD, coupled with chronic CBD use.
 CBD can effectively combat arthritis, inflammation, as well as pain-related symptoms in both humans and
animals.
 Although limited in number, cannabinoid and CBD studies done on horse subjects have yielded positive
results.
Cons
 Some studies found CBD to induce adverse side effects like decreased fertility and harmful drug
interactions.
 There are limited studies regarding the effects of CBD use on horses.
CBD performance may differ between animals and humans due to distinctions in target receptors.
Differences lie in how long and how well CBD binds to the targeted receptors.

How to Give CBD to Horses
It is also generally considered safe for horses to consume CBD pellets with either a full or empty stomach.
We recommend mixing with feed for ease of administration but The CBD hemp pellets can simply be fed directly to the horses.

Conclusion

CBD has a promising potential in helping treat equine medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, chronic pain, laminitis, lameness, gastric ulcers, anxiety, and depression.

Various studies have discovered CBD’s anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant effects on both human and animal subjects.
However, limited data is available regarding the effectiveness of CBD use on horses.

Despite this limitation, promising results on significant equine studies suggest that cannabinoids and CBD may be an alternative treatment for pain and arthritis.
There is a lack of a standardized dosage guide for horses. However, common consensus indicates that CBD dose depends on the weight and the severity of the health issue.

Horse owners are recommended to consult with a veterinarian before administering CBD to the equine animals.