Apple Cider Vinegar for Horses

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Posted by Lee (Salt Lake City, Ut) on 03/23/2012
★★★★★

Here are some good remedies to cribbing---read and try them out---look for the ***'s

Apple cider vinegar and my herd.....

I have had my herd of horses on apple cider vinegar for over a year now and I have to say hands down that it is one of the best 'natural' products out there for a number of reasons.

Horses who have apple cider vinegar in their water drink way more of it. This is a fact with my herd. I go into the barn each morning and find that my stalled horses go through '2' full water buckets each and every night.

An added benefit to adding it to their water is if the horse is travelling, he will never shy away from 'new' water as the ACV hides any taste of a new environment. I know a few show people who swear by adding it to water when they go to shows and they have had no issues with them refusing water.

ACV works wonders on cracked hooves as well as improving the quality of new growth in the foot. It can be sprayed directly on the hoof as well as the frog and it has the added benefit of acting as a hostile environment for thrush and fungus to live in as well.

***The vinegar is high in potassium and horses which are low in potassium will seek out wood to chew on which is also high in potassium for horses.

I met an old cowboy the other day that has used ACV mixed with crushed garlic daily in horse feed to prevent ulcers in race horses. I am not sure if it's a cure-all or not but I have found that adding the ACV to the water in the stall of Bliss has made him really pack on the pounds.

ACV can be used as a natural fly spray and I have read wonders about using it as such. I will be using it on my horses this summer and I will advise what I find out although I have read glowing recommendations about it on-line. (ACV mixed equal parts with Avon skin so soft and citronella. )

My research on-line also showed that ACV can help with arthritis in horses and although I cannot say that it was either the herbs or the ACV dosage for Bliss in his water, he's way more spry as of late and I'm convinced that if it can work on arthritis in humans, it should work equally well in our equine friends.

I know from experience that ACV mixed with black pepper works wonders on proud-flesh. I used the combination with ichthamol on Maverick when he came as a rescue and the results were amazing. My vet was even impressed.

The race track here keeps ACV on hand always for horses that colic. They shoot it into the mouths of horses in a syringe and it helps with the pain. They also soak standing bandages in it before wrapping to bring down swelling in the legs of worked horses.

Finally, ACV added to pasture water helps reduce algae and keeps flies and mosquitoes from hanging out by it.

Hands down, ACV is one of the best natural products that can be used on horses. I have used it for a long time and the lists of things that it can do is extensive and really quite impressive.

It has worked wonders with my herd and I thought it a great idea to put the 'research' out there that I have done on using ACV on horses and the results of doing so.

03/19/2010: Stu from Cambridge, New Zealand: "Hi, Im a racehorse trainer and have fed my horses apple cider/garlic and honey for over 30 years about 20 mils in their feed every night. I have trained major stakes winners in both nz and australia, and at this time im the leading trainer in Oman [middle east] my horses are the healthiest here and I get so many comments on how they look.

I would not do without this secret and we do not give injectables. Stu"

01/13/2011: Skipper523 from Las Vegas, Nv, Usa replies: "I place apple cidar vinegar in our horses water. We have 3 horses, and one of them had a bad skin condition all over her neck when we first got her. It was either hives or some type of allergic reaction. In a fresh full bucket of water (our water buckets are 18 gallons in size), I use about 2 cups of ACV. I pour a little more in when filling it up again.. A dash here and a dash there. This past summer she had no irritations or hives!! I also find the horses drink more water when the ACV is in it! I would never not give it to the horses!! "

02/20/2009: Cheri from Gentry, AR, USA: "I have a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse whose joints would pop a lot when he moved. I started him up on 1/2 cup of ACV in his feed, twice a day, and within 3 days - no more popping! I also noticed that his attitude was brighter, he had more range of motion, his coat took on a darker richer tone, and his new hoof growth was smoother. I won't be changing his diet any time soon. Also used it as a spray for his coat with about a teaspoon of tea-tree oil. It really glossed up his coat."

11/21/2008: C Alesi from Lake Mathews, California USA: "I have been putting a cup of ACV in my horses water barrel since last spring. I noticed my gelding was drinking alot more water with ACV. A few weeks of ACV, my gelding peed out a calcium deposits the size of a walnut. It also helped with the biting flies. One of our mares would get terrible fly bites, but this year she was scab free."

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Posted by Jntte (Winnsboro, Texas, Usa) on 02/17/2012
★★★★★

I have used raw apple cider vinegar on my horses since last fall. One horse is 24 and of course predisposed to hoof rot and poor frog growth. Instead of putting him on antibiotics I decided to try the ACV as my vet suggested giving him 1/2 cup daily the next time the farrier came the growth looked really good and just minimal rot. It is very wet in East Texas so battling mud and slop is common, that was the first 6 weeks. It has been 18 weeks now and even though they have been walking and sometimes standing in mud his feet look really good, as well as the others as they have all been on the ACV. I used the raw for the first 12 weeks and have gone to a regular ACV w/o the mother in it for expense costs, but the results have been the same.

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Posted by Skipper523 (Las Vegas, Nv, Usa) on 01/13/2011
★★★★★

I place apple cidar vinegar in our horses water. We have 3 horses, and one of them had a bad skin condition all over her neck when we first got her. It was either hives or some type of allergic reaction. In a fresh full bucket of water (our water buckets are 18 gallons in size), I use about 2 cups of ACV. I pour a little more in when filling it up again.. A dash here and a dash there. This past summer she had no irritations or hives!! I also find the horses drink more water when the ACV is in it! I would never not give it to the horses!!

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Posted by Stu (Cambridge, New Zealand) on 03/19/2010
★★★★★

Hi, Im a racehorse trainer and have fed my horses apple cider/garlic and honey for over 30 years about 20 mils in their feed every night.I have trained major stakes winners in both nz and australia, and at this time im the leading trainer in Oman [middle east] my horses are the healthiest here and i get so many comments on how they look.

I would not do without this secret and we do not give injectables. Stu

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Posted by Cheri (Gentry, AR, USA) on 02/20/2009
★★★★★

I have a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse whose joints would pop a lot when he moved. I started him up on 1/2 cup of ACV in his feed, twice a day, and within 3 days - no more popping! I also noticed that his attitude was brighter, he had more range of motion, his coat took on a darker richer tone, and his new hoof growth was smoother. I won't be changing his diet any time soon. Also used it as a spray for his coat with about a teaspoon of tea-tree oil. It really glossed up his coat.

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Posted by C Alesi (Lake Mathews, California USA) on 11/21/2008
★★★★★

I have been putting a cup of ACV in my horses water barrel since last spring. I noticed my gelding was drinking alot more water with ACV. A few weeks of ACV, my gelding peed out a calcium deposits the size of a walnut. It also helped with the biting flies. One of our mares would get terrible fly bites, but this year she was scab free.

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Posted by Cathy (Topeka, Kansas, USA) on 10/29/2008
★★★★★

I have 9 horses in my barn and have used unfiltered ACV for the past two years with marvelous results. One TB gelding has even reduced ulcer problems with ACV and garlic. I go through so much of in the barn that I am now processing information as to how to make my own to keep costs down. Any ideas on how to make ACV that does not require fermenting Hard Cider?

EC: Here are a couple of recipes, but it appears that both recipes ferment Hard Cider: https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/how_to_make_apple_cider_vinegar.html

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Posted by Liz (Stuttgart, Germany) on 07/06/2008
★★★★★

i mix 40 ml of cider vinegar with 20 grams of copper sulphate into a one liter spray bottle..top with water and it makes the most effective wound spray i have ever used (been using on it on my horses for over 20 years) .. it works equally as well on skin conditions ..
copper sulphate prevents proud flesh and kills all skin fungus.

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Posted by Shaylee (Adelaide, Australia) on 03/28/2008
★★★★★

My horse has just been diagnosed with Cushings disease... i amn thinking of putting him on ACV to help him as well. he is 32...

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Posted by Abbey (Coffs Harbour, Australia) on 03/17/2008
★★★★★

I used ACV on my horses for many years, along with dolomite, seaweed meal, sulphur, occasional garlic, occasional dose of copper sulphate as an additional worming, a little molasses, sometimes a few drops of cod liver oil for extra vitamin A when needed, mixed in with a small amount of slightly moist lucerne chaff. The horses loved it, it got them through a drought when there was not much to eat and not a lot of goodness in what there was. They never lost condition, always bright, shiny coats, healthy feet and when tested for worms - no worms and I did not give them anything commercial for worming accept what I have listed previous. When I bought an old horse home, wormy, in poor condition and a coat that was coming away in handfuls, I gave her a diluted apple cider wash and within days her coat stopped falling out and within weeks was growing a beautiful new coat.

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Posted by Kimbelry Carter (Orangeburg, sc) on 03/03/2008
★★★★★

My horse came down with uvitis commonly called moonblindness and after 4 weeks of doing everything the vet said he still was unable to open his eyefrom the pain, it also drained constantly. I bought him a special mask and everything. Two weeks ago I started him on acv and he is now opening his eye and the draining is much better. I am so happy his is feeling better.

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Posted by Deanna (Woodstock, IL) on 02/17/2008
★★★★★

Hi everyone. I wanted to say that my gaited horse has been lame on his LH leg. He has been on bute regimens, has been to the university and had' other vet visits regarding his lameness issue over the last 9 months. Now I have been giving him Formula 11 mixed with water and ACV (2 gallons of ACV and 3 gallons of distilled water, CS FLEX. All of which are all natural. Now I have been doing the stretches, riding him and massaging him...and WOW He has just come around totally in less than 3 weeks. Now, he is not cured yet but has made a marked improvement. The ACV must be "organic" or "raw".

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Posted by Kimberly (Mineral, VA) on 01/19/2008
★★★★★

Well Hello Everyone, Good Morning!!
I've been cleaning up my horses diet (and trying to do the same for our family of 6) and emediatine governornment for over 6 months now. Why not try Organic ACV, I use it and love it's wonderful qualities and fabulous reslults!! My horses are on a wholesome diet now, one that includes a good vit/min supplement. They get reconsituted alfalfa cubes every feeding to aid in digestion along with Aloe Vera juice which helps with their stomachs. Wonderful stuff!! They recieve a cocosoya oil divided into two feedings, my draft is on a wonderful glucosamine supplement put out through the natual vet. I cannot find another comperable to it any where on the market, and my other two horses are on the same supplement with out the glucosamine. They get their bug check every morning and my IR horse get his magnesium oxide and cinnomon. A good pre/pro botic is wonderful, I was able to experience its benifits first had this summer with a sick horse, I will never be with out the stuff againg. After reading about the ACV, I am really impressed and excited to try this with my horses. I am going out first thing tomorrow morning and purchase several gallons to keep in the barn. This will become part of the feed routine from now on. One I took my horses off the commerical diet and wet to a wholesome diet, the change was dramatic! I now even keep loose free choice feed organic sea salt and minerals ava in bucket for them in the paddock at all times. All my horse eat it up, but my IR hourse really eats the salt and minerals!!! I can't wait to document the effects of the ACDV so I can show her my completed case study once I am throught treating two of my horses with perscription medication followed by holistic supportive care and the third horse is be treated holisticly for his ulcer. I'm curious how ACV will effect the out come of my case study.

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Posted by Valerie (Coldwater, Ontario, Canada) on 01/03/2008
★★★★★

My paint horse had a bad habit of chewing anything wood ( ie; fences , trees etc.). My father, an old time farmer, said they always fed the horses acv when he was a boy. I tried 1oz a day in his grain and he no longer chews. Once again listening to my dad paid off.

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Posted by Judy (Perris, CA) on 12/31/2007
★★★★★

I would like to know if anyone has used ACV for laminitis in horses. Also, if so, if I should use the one with mother

Apple Cider Vinegar for Horses
Health Benefits

Apple Cider Vinegar for Horses