Trainers Secret CBD Q&A
Questions about the Effects of CBD and How it Works.
Q: Does CBD really have positive and noticeable effects on horses?
A: We have used CBD on about 20 horses for a variety of ailments.
Anxiety: CBD has a very noticeable results on horses that are anxious and don’t seem to gain weight. You see a change in anxiety in a matter of a few days. If you do not, increase the dosage by about 50% and wait a few days to see the response. The reduced anxiety improves the ease that you can work with and train a horse. The USEF prohibits using CBD on horses entered in USEF events. We eliminate CBD about 7 days prior to an USEF event. Yet, some trainers use artificial hormone and other methods to reduce horse anxiety.
Pain & Inflammation: The CBD dosage needs to be ratcheted up quickly in the 1st few days to generate results. We increase the dose after 2 days by about 100%. Do the same after the next two days. You should see very noticeable progress in mobility and freedom of movement in 4-6 days. The same is true for swelling/inflammation and wound healing. I have read and found that wounds heal much faster if you can reduce the inflammation.
Other: We have seen some positive results on cataracts, but not complete healing. CBD definitely helps some humans, present company included, to sleep at night.
Q: How long have your horses and dogs remained on CBD and do you see any long-term negative effects.
A: We have used CBD on one of our dogs and a couple of our horses for about 12 months. We see no negative effects of continued use. One mare and two geldings have been receiving maintenance doses. The mare receives a triple dose due to here arthritic condition. She continues to do well with no noticeable negative effects.
Q: Are you sure that your horses are not experiencing a placebo effect?
A: The mare with the arthritic condition and the anxious geldings are three animals where that readily show noticeable results in terms of freedom of movement and weight gains. We have withheld the CBD from the mare with the arthritic condition and saw the former image return of a mare almost unwilling to move due to the pain.
Q: What size of dose should we start with?
A: We usually start with a cup of the supplement and put on top of the regular feed. After 2 days increase the dosage until you see results. Seldom do we have to use more than two cups of the supplement.
Q: Isn’t ground CBD hemp quite bitter?
A: Ground CBD eaten by itself, is quite bitter and a horse or human quickly tires of the taste, despite all the good things in CBD. We personally flavor the CBD with ice cream, flavored yogurt, a smoothie. For horses, we have tried molasses, apple sauce, pancake syrup. They all work. You are likely to find others that your animals like.
Q: What does CBD contain that allows it to have such meaningful impacts on humans and animal? Is this CBD a bunch of quackery?
A: CBD (Cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid. It impacts anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain. CBD does not a hallucinogenic affect, but THC does. CBD has been clinically demonstrated to have an impact on epilepsy. Research is on-going on other neurological effects of CBD.
Q: What side effects have you observed?
A: Horses on a heavy dose of CBD do have loose feces and are gaseous. This does not affect their ability to work or their overall health. Reducing the dose does reduce the gas and loose feces.
Q: What is the difference between Hemp CBD and Marijuana CBD?
A: The quickest answer is the levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) -- Hemp is .3 or lower which is not enough to produce the "high" feeling a person gets from ingesting (in any form) Marijuana. For more information about the variances, we found a good link for you here: https://bit.ly/3fQzh4C
Q: How many types of CBD are there?
A: There is a host of Cannabinoids that are found in hemp and cannabis: CBC, CBG, THC, CBD, CBN, CBDL, CBE, CBT, CBL. Cannabinoids interact with the body’s cannabinoid receptors on the surface of cells. The receptors are located in different areas of the nervous system. Some cannabinoids are not psychologically active: CBC, CBD and CBG. The others are more hallucinogenic. The cannabinoids affect such key processes as mood, memory appetite and pain. CBD and CBDA share similar molecular structures and have similar therapeutic effects. CBDA is found in raw hemp, CBD is derived from CBDA when exposed to heat. CBDA is produced by stems, leaves and flowers of cannabis and hemp plants.
Q: When was CBD first discovered and investigation done on how CBD works?
A: British chemist Robert S. Cahn reported the partial structure of Cannabinol (CBN), in 1938. American chemist, Roger Adams successfully isolated the first cannabinoid CBD in 1940. Dr. Raphael Mechoulam discovered individual cannabinoids in 1963. He worked on the use of CBD for epilepsy. In 1992 his team isolated the first endocannabinoid: a molecule that was ultimately classified as a CB1 receptor. The discovery of these receptors resulted in the uncovering of naturally occurring neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids. In 1992, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Lumir Hanus along with American researcher Dr. William Devane discovered the endocannabinoid system. It is the system that creates homeostasis within the body. When an imbalance is detected within our internal environment, the body synthesizes endocannabinoids that interact with the cannabinoid receptors. This stimulates a chemical response that works to return the physiological process back to a stable equilibrium.