I know there is another CBD thread but I really wanted to know if anyone used it on a horse when they have exhausted their checkbooks on vets exams , that have come up with nothing.
My vet clinic is excellent by the way, but my horse who was formerly happy to work no longer is.
Because I know someone will ask, he is also that way when my trainer rides him.
I know of if a few people who have been helped with CBD when nothing else worked, so I think I am going to give it a shot.
I would love to hear if anybody else has had a similar problem, what brand you used and if you are happy with the results.
I have a ton of reservations about using an untested and unregulated supplement to treat an unknown problem so no, I have not and would not use CBD.
I’d be far more inclined to chase down different neuro options, rear suspensories, or vision changes in a horse unwilling to go forward. If you are completely financially tapped, I’d do 6-12 months of Dr. Green. I trust rolling hills far more than CBD oil.
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Thanks for your reply, we have covered everything you suggested, this is why I am tapped out!
He does move forward when asked, I just know him so well, he is not happy and there is something wrong, so I was hoping maybe someone has had some experience with CBD, because frankly, my vets , Chiro, acupuncturist,horse friends, and I are completely stumped.
What actual bloodwork have you had done?
Have you had any X-rays or scans done?
what makes you think that the horse is unhappy in his work?
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How do you understand CBD to work, and how do you expect it to help your horse? What do you think is wrong with him and why would CBD helps?
When CBD helps people they usually start with having some kind of diagnosis.
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Scoped for ulcers?
This absolutely.
Have you at least localized the problem. Nerve blocks, radiographs, ultra sounds? blood work?
Are these equine sports medicine practitioners?
CBD does help, but its source is of critical importance, whether hemp or marijuana. I know, I know, same plant, but!! From some sources the purity and strength is difficult to verify.
While you many have exhausted your vet options, is that from multiple practitioners multiple facilities? Or just work up from the same group practice over and over. Personally I would invest in a diagnostic work up at a vet school where a team of advanced practitioners would work together to find possible answers.
new and emerging knowledge of neurological syndromes ( see current threads in HJ forum) may leave many practitioners in the dark.
CBD is an interesting product but I suspect with little scientific knowledge and the cost of quality products you are better off investing that money in a comprehensive work up at a top facility or even a different training pathway with a different trainer
Agree. CBC seems to help for some things, and it utterly useless for most others. It is not the magical “cure-all” that it is marketed as on the internet (everything from hair loss to seizure disorders.) I don’t believe it cures anything, actually. But can be useful to control seizures and may have some pain relief properties.
I would also be curious what you have actually done so far as far as diagnostics and treatment (if any.) CBD oil would definitely not be my first choice for anything.
Thank you everybody for your answers, however there is nothing that has been suggested here that has not been explored by my vet practice.
I meant it when I said my checkbook was tapped out!
For those of you who expressed concerns over the quality of my vets, I use Rood and Riddle of Saratoga,plus as stated before multiple other very good equine professionals have also looked at him in addition to pasture rest.
So my question was has anyone used CBDwhen they could not figure anything else to do,
Hopefully there is someone out there that has had the same problem.
CBD has been prohibited by USEF. https://thehorse.com/172011/usef-positive-cbd-tests-in-horses-will-result-in-rule-violations/
“The USEF encouraged owners to use caution when administering these products as their composition widely varies and might not be representative of their label claims as there is no regulatory oversight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or guarantee of their safety in horses.”
CBD is the snake oil du jour, just like fish oil was, flax was, acai berry was, coconut oil was. That is not to say that those things do not have benefits, but when they became a fad, people said they solved any and all health problems and were THE answer for good health.
Yes, people take CBD and have reported improvement for various ailments. I tried it for chronic pain and it caused depression, which I was not experiencing prior to taking it. Until it is fully studied and understood what it may be good for, people will take it for anything.
The industry is not regulated. There is no “% of xxx cannabinoid” versus “% of xxx cannabinoid” that has proven to do this not that. Buy 20 different CBD oil bottles and test them for ingredients and see what you find. Do they all have what they say they have?
There’s information out there that indicates it helps with pain relief for dogs. http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/cornell-takes-lead-cannabidiol-research
Search for information online of how CBD can help your horse and the results that come up are from companies that want to sell you CBD.
Wouldn’t you rather find out what is wrong with your horse versus just masking symptoms so you can ride? Even if you find a CBD product that is reliable and helps with pain tolerance, the underlying problem is there and you are only exacerbating it if you don’t understand what it is and treat accordingly.
Could be neurologic? Kissing spines? Ulcers? Lyme? These are of course typical COTH answers, but people throw them out a lot to consider for needle-in-haystack cases because they present with NQR-ness. Masking the pain with CBD (or bute or equiox or whatever) doesn’t make the problem go away.
From what I’ve read, CBD has pain relief and antiinflammatory properties, and may have some mood altering properties especially if tainted with THC.
People take it as an alternative pain relief medication for chronic issues.
I would be more likely to put an NQR horse out on pasture for 6 months to just be a horse than to keep him in work and give a painkiller.
I had a whole reply typed out and it got lost.
I have not and would not use CBD oil on my horse unless and until there are double-blind studies indicating the exact levels of cannabinoids (and which one, there are multiple) provide the best results for a given issue. The industry is completely unregulated and untested and you do not know what you are getting.
The only information I can find by quick searching is all provided by someone who has something to sell you. I am a very skeptical person by nature and do not succumb to marketing in order to empty my checkbook.
CBD is prohibited by USEF. https://thehorse.com/172011/usef-positive-cbd-tests-in-horses-will-result-in-rule-violations/
“The USEF encouraged owners to use caution when administering these products as their composition widely varies and might not be representative of their label claims as there is no regulatory oversight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or guarantee of their safety in horses.”
OP, it may be that for whatever reason your horse is not rideable anymore. CBD is not going to “fix” your horse. If it is pain you are wanting to be rid of, it may or may not be helpful. But it will not fix a neurologic issue, reverse kissing spines, mend a broken bone, or act as an antibiotic. Whatever the problem is, if you’ve thrown money after it and still don’t have an answer, then it might just be time to retire the horse and give your checkbook a rest. I have a retiree that I’ve taken in who is 14 and has been retired since he was 7 or 8. It sucks, but it is what it is, as they say.
Just got off 12 months pasture rest
He is rideable just not his former happy self, Nobody has found anything after exhaustive and very expensive testing and he has just come off 12 months of rest
There is no currently known biological pathway by which hemp extract would have physiological effects, beyond the obvious hallucinogen THC.
Why would rubbing “CBD oil” be any different than rubbing pokeweed juice or cranberry juice or whatever on your horse?
In evaluating any “alternative” medicine or “dietary supplement” ANYONE is selling, one should seek biological plausibility–best checked by asking your vet. Most of the time there’s no “there” there beyond “owner placebo effect.” It is also well to remember that most minor equine musculoskeletal afflictions are fleeting and self-limiting; it will get better on it’s own, regardless of the unlikely “remedies” smeared on the supposedly offending part.
Use well-fitting tack. Ride judiciously with proper warm-up and cool down. Do not attempt to cram conformational square pegs into round holes. Be realistic about your horse’s physical limitations and train and condition accordingly. Turnout, turnout, and MORE turnout. Get a GOOD farrier and pay him on time.
All of the above will have quantum leaps more effect than the latest iteration of “snake oil.”
Including what? Lyme? Cushings? Ulcers? Lameness?
Presumably if he is rideable he is not obviously lame?
Are you treating for anything? If I were considering CBD oil I would certainly have done a trial of bute or Previcox to see if there was any change in behavior.
How old is this horse?
I have not tried CBD oil, but I also have a horse with a “ghost in the machine.” I completely get the money pit frustration, AND the reality is that science is not perfect. I also got tons of recommendations to try this and that, and I’d both have exhausted some Powerball winnings and potentially not have resolved anything! If he’s basically retired, who cares about banned substances? I’m guessing you just want to get him more comfortable. Trust your gut. The reality is that some things aren’t easily diagnosed, and even if diagnosed, aren’t treatable, so options are retire and monitor quality of life, or try things that MIGHT work. Do keep a vet in the loop for any contraindications, but if you’ve run out of traditional options, why not try non-traditional??? Good luck!
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Thanks for your answer, it is frustrating when you can’t seem to find anything wrong but you know there is something wrong.
In case you are wondering I put my guy on CBD pellets 3 days ago and I see an huge difference already.
He looks happy and interested in the world again, looks like he used to!
I used the pellets from Hippie Critters, my trainer had recommended these, she used them on her retired GP horse, with great results.
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CBD is discouraged by AAEP. Forget USEF, APHA, etc. When AAEP is against it… https://www.facebook.com/AAEPHorseDocs/posts/10156111074527691
