CBD Specifically for Horses

If you are reading this, you are already considering the use of CBD for your horse or you are looking for another brand that will better suit your needs and the needs of your equine companion. Let’s start off by noting that the Cannable Equine Range has been specifically produced for effective treatment of horses. Cannable provides species-specific dosing, backed by research and we provide it at competitive pricing.

CBD and Horses: Hype vs Reality

With all the hype surrounding CBD, and it being touted by many as a ‘Miracle Cure’ for every ailment under the sun, it is hard to cut through all the misinformation and arrive at solid state of understanding. The misinformation coupled with the fact that there are only a few, if any research projects undertaking the use of CBD on horses, makes it extremely difficult to provide a long list of content-specific citations for reference. At this point, Cannable is using the very limited research, on-the-ground experience from our clients and others’ first-hand accounts of how CBD has come to aid their equines.

CBD for Horses: Specific Formulation

At Cannable, we have specifically developed a CBD tincture that consists of CBD isolate and Hemp Seed Oil with 25mg of CBD per 1ml of oil. This ratio of CBD and Hemp Seed Oil is formulated to provide your horse with the ideal therapeutic dose of CBD in order to assist them with Anxiety, Stress, Pain, Inflammation, Laminitis, Ulcers and Leaky Gut, Post-Surgical and Injury Healing, Wound Healing and Immune system depression associated with Cushing’s Disease and other immune compromising conditions. The tincture is provided with a 1ml syringe rather than a dropper as we believe the accurate dosing cannot be attained by a number of drops, nor can a horse be safely administered drops with a glass dropper.

CBD for Horses: Assisting Treatment of Ailments  

As mentioned above, CBD is not a ‘Miracle Cure’, but there is most certainly evidence that supports the use of CBD to assist with the treatment of many ailments.  

Arthritis, Pain and Inflammation

This disease affects many horses and is caused by chronic inflammation which ultimately leads to the degradation of the cartilage surrounding the affected joint. Arthritis can cause chronic pain, swelling, stiffness and decreased range of motion. According to Hammell, D C et al. (2016) the use of CBD to treat arthritis and the associated inflammation and pain that persist with this disease is viable and poses no risk of side effects when compared to conventional treatments. CBD has a potent anti-arthritic effect due to its immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions (Malfait et al., 2000)

Anxiety and Stress

Horses suffer from fear and anxiety because they have evolved with these adaptive responses which are essential to their survival (Blessing et al., 2015). As prey animals, horses have more of a flight response, which can lead to difficulty in coping with stressful situations. In order to alleviate the inherent stress that horses face, CBD can be used therapeutically. CBD may benefit animals with anxiety or anxiety related disorders according to Shannon et al. (2019).

Gastritis (Gastric Ulcers)

Gastritis is a common diagnosis with horses, with many horses suffering from this ailment at some point in their lives. Again, the anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of CBD come into play by reducing the inflammation and actively promoting wound healing and closure (Styrczewska et al., 2015). CBD has been proven to reduce gut permeability by Couch et al. (2019).

Colic

A very common occurrence in horses, colic can range from mild to life threatening. CBD can be used in the treatment of colic by reducing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and assisting with the associated pain. It should be noted that self-treatment of colic is not recommended and you should seek the advice of a Veterinarian.

Wound Treatment & Healing

If you own a horse, you know they are fairly accident prone. Whether it’s a scratch from the stable door or a bite or kick from another horse, they often end up with wounds or injuries. According to Styrczewska et al. (2015) CBD’s anti-inflammatory and collagen production promotion properties are proven to assist in wound healing and can stand as a treatment for long-standing, non-healing wounds.

Laminitis

Laminitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the sensitive layers of tissue inside the hoof of a horse. This disease cannot be cured; however, CBD can be used in the treatment by reducing inflammation and pain.

As can be seen from the ailments highlighted above, the anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, healing and anti-anxiety properties of CBD can assist in the treatment of many disorders and diseases.

Dosage and Directions for Use

Cannable recommends that 1ml of oil (25mg CBD) should be taken daily and split into 2 doses (Silver, R. 2018). For more severe ailments or diseases, this dose can safely be doubled to 2ml of oil (50mg CBD), administered in two separate 1ml doses daily.

CBD in Competition  

It must be noted that all cannabinoids are still on the FEI Banned Substances List for 2020. If you are competing in FEI sanctioned shows or events, please avoid use of cannabinoids. For all other local shows and events, CBD is safe to use.

References

Hammell, D. C. et al. (2016) ‘Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis’, European Journal of Pain (London, England), 20(6), pp. 936–948. doi: 10.1002/ejp.818.

Malfait, A. M. et al. (2000) ‘The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine collagen-induced arthritis’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97(17), p. 9561. doi: 10.1073/pnas.160105897.

Blessing, E. M. et al. (2015) ‘Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders’, Neurotherapeutics: The Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 12(4), pp. 825–836. doi: 10.1007/s13311-015-0387-1.

Shannon, S. (2019) ‘Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series’, The Permanente Journal. doi: 10.7812/TPP/18-041.

Styrczewska, M. et al. (2015) ‘Flax Fiber Hydrophobic Extract Inhibits Human Skin Cells Inflammation and Causes Remodeling of Extracellular Matrix and Wound Closure Activation’, BioMed Research International, 2015, pp. 1–15. doi: 10.1155/2015/862391.

Couch, D. G. et al. (2019) ‘Palmitoylethanolamide and Cannabidiol Prevent Inflammation-induced Hyperpermeability of the Human Gut In Vitro and In Vivo-A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Controlled Trial’, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 25(6), pp. 1006–1018. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izz017.

Silver, R. Chief Medical Officer for RxVitamins, White paper: “Equine Phytocannabinoid Dosing Study”, 2018

Iffland, K. and Grotenhermen, F. (2017) ‘An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies’, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2(1), pp. 139–154. doi: 10.1089/can.2016.0034.