HEMP FOR HORSES; HIP OR HEALTHY?
Since a couple of months now, the use of hemp products is super popular.
But hemp has always existed and it isn’t NEW. The hemp fibre has been used for the manufacture of cars parts, textiles and construction materials, but also for feed.
Recently people have decided to add it to the horses diet. There are hemp oils, milled hemp seeds, and whole hemp seeds sold on the market. But how does hemp benefit your horse?
CBD
It is important to know that the hemp plant naturally contains CBD. The plant is grown for its fibre and seeds. The seeds which are mostly used for equine products, do NOT contain CBD.
A lot of manufacturers of hemp seed products will use the word CBD on their products. Which will make customers think that the product has CBD in it. But it actually DOES NOT. Only when the whole hemp plant is used you will have CBD in it. How much is in the product will be tested in a lab. The label will have to show how much percentage is in the product and you should always ask the manufacturer for a certificate of the lab test results. That way you know for sure you are buying a product with CBD in it.
THE USE OF HEMP SEEDS FOR YOUR EQUINE
Hemp seeds support the general condition and are extremely beneficial for the horse. Especially older & skinny horses, horses that work hard or need to build muscle and horses with poor health can benefit a lot from this product.
Hemp seed is one of the few foods with an almost complete protein content. This means that hemp contains almost all essential amino acids! The functions of fatty acids are countless, but to name a few: vitamin intake, energy / temperature regulation, hormone production / balance, organ protection, cell structure, heart function, etc. etc.
Hemp seed provides omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in the ideal ratio. Other foods usually contain too much omega 6.
Hemp seed contains a significant amount of minerals and vitamins. It has a good range of vitamins (such as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C and E) and minerals (including iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and copper). In addition, hemp seed is also a source of chlorophyll and dietary & prebiotic fiber.
Hemp contains 76% polyunsaturated fatty acids, more than flaxseed, which has 66%. And the amino acid profile is comparable with soy.
BUT, WHEN AND WHY SHOULD YOU USE HEMP PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HORSE?
As an equine nutritionist I look at the horse as an individual and what that specific horse needs at cellular level. Hemp seed is absolutely not suitable for every horse. My experience and advice is to use this product, for example when your horse is underweight or when they are in hard work. Besides the benefits of Hemp seed, it is also fattening. So I would be careful using it for horses that do not work out a lot and are already on the heavy side.
Hemps seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds (or oils) in general are fattening. Yes they have certain benefits, but did you know that horses digestive tracts is not well developed in processing fatty feed. They do not have a gallbladder to break down fat. In order to breakdown fat the liver has to work harder, so your burdening the liver when adding fat to the diet. When there is too much fat, the liver and kidneys will excrete these `toxins` via the skin.
So your horse might get a shinny coat but when you pet it, groom it or massage it and your hands have a black sticky layer on them. Then you know that your horse is excreting the fat through the skin and the kidneys and liver are burdened. Not so great right!
A lot of manufacturers of hemp products grind (mill, ground, crush, micronize ) the seed. But did you know that seeds and oils oxidize. So if you want to feed milled hemp seed you should mill it and feed it straight away. Fats and oils oxidize and oxidized fats are no longer nutritious for the horse.
In general horses that are healthy are able to create their own proteins in their gut, they get fatty acids from hay and grass, hay is a prebiotic for them, most vitamins are developed in their (healthy) gut and they get minerals from hay and grass as well. Most horse owners also feed a balancer or other concentrates that contain proteins and fat. These horse owners might be over- feeding their horse.
If you feel that your horse has joint issues, is stressed, has digestive problems or other issues then it is better to look at the whole management around the horse, find out where the problem is coming from, rather than supplementing a hemp product. If you are looking for a product that DOES contain CBD then look at products that have used the whole hemp plant (Stalks, leaves and flowers ) and who can provide you with proof from a lab.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS FOR HEMP SEEDS?
Because hemp has become such a popular product more Companies have started to sell products containing mostly the hemp seed. They sell these products at a prize of 50,- to 80,- euro. What your basically buying is milled hemp seeds with maybe some other stuff added. But did you know that you can buy 1 kilo or organic hemp seed for 20,- up to 30,- euro. You can buy this, mill or grind it yourself and feed it fresh to your horse every day. This saves you a lot of money!
At the horse therapist we sell both hemp seeds and CBD oil. In general we only advice these to customers when horses really need them to get them back to health again. Please contact us if you have any questions or need nutritional advice for your horse.
Written by The Horse Therapist 11-11-22
Sources:
https://www.teagasc.ie/rural-economy/rural-development/diversification/industrial-hemp-production/
https://ker.com/equinews/answer/hemp-for-horses/