Aside from humans and domestic pets, CBD is slowly gaining interest in the equine field. CBD for horses is explored not only by veterinarians but also by horse owners and lovers themselves. Like humans, dogs, and other mammals, horses are some of the animals proven to benefit from the wonders of CBD.
If you're someone who doesn't have a lot of experience with CBD products, you might have a lot of questions or doubts about using CBD for horses. How safe is it really? And more importantly, is it acceptable to use CBD for horses before a race or a game?
We have gathered up everything you need to know about using CBD for horses. So sit tight and read on to learn more.
What is CBD?
To begin the discussion, let us start with defining what CBD is? CBD or cannabidiol is an active cannabinoid compound extracted from the hemp plant's stems, leaves, and flowers. Biologically, the hemp plant is a member of the cannabis family, which boasts high amounts of phytocannabinoid compounds or cannabinoids from plants.
Cannabinoids are active compounds that trigger homeostatic reactions in the endocannabinoid system of mammals. To explain better, mammals produce cannabinoids on their own. These compounds bind with receptors located in the central and peripheral nervous systems to regulate the body's involuntary functions. These functions include regulating our sleeping cycle, pain management, appetite stimulation, and even inflammation.
Phytocannabinoids like CBD are used when there are imbalances in the body's endocannabinoid compound. When the body cannot produce enough natural cannabinoids on its own, phytocannabinoids like CBD are used to help regulate balance within the body.
Aside from CBD, there is another popular phytocannabinoid in the market. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is an active cannabinoid compound derived from another plant from the cannabis family, marijuana. THC is similar to CBD in terms of its benefits. But aside from these positive naturopathic effects, THC also has some adverse effects, including intoxication and euphoria.
Contrary to THC, CBD is perfectly safe and does not have any observable side effects. This is because CBD is extracted from hemp, which contains little to no amount of THC. As horse owners or enthusiasts, it is best to use CBD and THC-free products. THC can be toxic to some animals and can give psychoactive effects to its users.
CBD for Horses
The observable positive effects of CBD are recorded not just in humans or domestic pets. Any mammal with a spinal cord, or a complex nervous system and chordate, can benefit from CBD. Since the compound targets critical locations in the central and peripheral nervous system, it follows that any mammal with these receptors will accept cannabinoid compounds.
As such, horses are just one of the many mammals that benefit from CBD.
Like human athletes, equine athletes suffer the same wear and tear of their muscles. Sharing the same homologous characteristics with humans, horse athletes also experience muscle tears, fatigue, and even more severe diseases like cancer. Racehorses undergo gruelling training and practices leading up to their race. Most racehorse owners' concerns are to speed up their horse's recovery period without compromising their equine athletes' health.
Using CBD for horses addresses all these issues, whether directly or as an effect.
Benefits of Using CBD for Horses
- Reduce Inflammation
When horses train hard, their muscles swell from the strain. When pushed too far, these muscles eventually tear, and that might mean the end of your horse's career. CBD has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps in reducing muscle swelling during recovery periods.
Another equine health issue is the inflammation of the horse's joints. This might come from old age or simply the strain of training. Eventually, inflamed joints could lead to more damages to your horse's body. Using CBD for horses could help prevent muscle or joint inflammation from getting too severe.
- Manage Pain
Chronic pain is an illness that plagues older horses. It could be from years of hard training, injury, or arthritis. Whatever the cause, treating chronic pain in horses can be pretty tricky with medication. A cocktail of drugs to address pain might cause more harm than good to your horses.
The good thing about CBD is it's a natural and organic way to manage pain. When CBD targets key receptors in the body, the active compound helps in suppressing any pain stimulus.
This health benefit to horses is especially good for horses who have been under NSAIDs (non-steroidal inflammatory drugs) treatment for years. NSAIDs have been found to lead to gastrointestinal issues after repeated use. When using CBD, there are little to no adverse side effects, making it an excellent alternative to common medication for pain management.
- Reduce Anxiety
Anxiety can negatively affect your horse's performance, especially before races. If you have to travel before some races, this could be the reason why your horse seems unsettled. Flying your horse from one point is also another reason why they might be feeling anxious and unsettled.
CBD helps in managing your horse's anxiety because of its calming and relaxing effect. There are several studies and research on CBD and its anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects on both humans and animals.
- Treating Cushing’s Disease
Cushing's disease is often spotted on horses 17 to 24 years old. This disease is characterized by your horse's inability to produce hormones needed to regulate its homeostatic functions.
As CBD targets exactly the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for any mammal's involuntary functions, it is the best treatment to manage this disease. Studies show that CBD has a significant effect on relieving stress in the endocrine system.
- Improving Immune System
In a nutshell, CBD helps to tip the scales whenever there are imbalances in the body's homeostatic functions. When the body is in a perfect homeostatic state, it also means that everything is working well within the body. If there are any infections or injuries, the body could protect and heal itself quite quickly. Through CBD's anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and many other homeostatic effects, these issues are solved while keeping the body healthy.
Using CBD for horses might make some horse owners take a step back. But backed with science and several years' worth of anecdotal evidence, using CBD for horses has many more medical benefits than cons. It could help manage inflammation, pain, and even arthritis in ageing or injured horses. It could even help in treating anxiety and more severe diseases like Cushing's disease. Overall, CBD helps boost a horse's immune system by its natural effect of balancing the body's regulatory system.
There are so many other positive effects of CBD on pets and other animals. Check out our article on what you need to know about organic CBD oil for pets to learn more.
