Horsing Around! By Rhea Graham

Your horse, like you, has an EndoCannabinoid System. If they are suffering with pain, anxiety, depression, lack of appetite or any number of things, they too can be treated with Smokeless Cannabis. We have found that once-processed Cannabis works well for them. It isn’t too strong, but strong enough; they will eat it with their grain. We’ve discovered by working with equestrians that both the processed plant matter and the kief work well to medicate them.

Just like with humans, you will want to start low and go slow with dosing. Too high isn’t fun for anyone, including horses. You can slightly increase their Cannabis dose as you decrease their prescriptions if they are on medication, or just slightly increase what you give them if they aren’t. Most horses just take about ¼ cup to start with and large horses get up to a half cup per dose. It is a pleasant reward to not have to pay for prescriptions to keep your horse healthy and happy!

The terpenes remaining in the plant matter work for the horses just as they do the humans. We have used it to help create an appetite, to calm, to relieve stress, as well as for pain and anxiety on several horses. I’d really like to help a horse that has Heaves, a chronic pulmonary disease that is similar to asthma in humans. I believe I have a remedy that will help, so if you know of anyone that has a horse with this condition, please ask them to contact me at 541-981-2620 so we can find out if my idea works.

Another condition that may be treated with Cannabis is Laminitis. Laminitis leads to lameness. Caught early it is treatable, and may be prevented with diet and exercise and proper care of the hooves from what I read. Instead of using prescription drugs for the pain and inflammation, Cannabis would be ideal. Fresh leaf, even if dry, is full of THCA which is the best anti-inflammatory on planet Earth. Because the THC has not been activated, it will not make your horse high.