As horse owners we are always looking for that ‘magic’ supplement. Cinnamon may well be just that. 10 benefits of cinnamon for horses looks at how this delicious spice can work wonders for your horse.
Cinnamon is a readily available spice ground from the bark of several species of cinnamon tree. It has benefits for people as well as horses, including anecdotal evidence of being advantageous to cancer sufferers. Cinnamon is often used for horses with metabolic diseases such as EMS and Cushings.
Giving your horse cinnamon can have many benefits. Read on to find out about the top 10 benefits of cinnamon for horses.
10 Benefits Of Cinnamon For Horses
You may well ask, can horses eat cinnamon. The short answer is yes.
Cinnamon can have a positive effect on almost all of the horse’s systems and can help the health of all horses, not just those with diagnosed illnesses.
- Anti-viral – Cinnamon has been shown to have anti-viral properties, and as such is beneficial for your horse’s general health, keeping virus’s away.
- Anti-bacterial – With it’s anti-bacterial effects, cinnamon has long been used for wounds and to combat bacterial infections. The active ingredient cinnamaldehyde gives cinnamon its colour and scent.
- Anti-fungal – Cinnamon’s anti-fungal properties are often used by people and gardeners, so it is no surprise that it is good for horses too.
- Prebiotic – If your horse is prone to digestive problems then cinnamon can help fight off any ‘bad’ bacteria and help make ‘good’ bacteria work more effectively.
- Inflammatory joint disease – It is the antioxidants in cinnamon that make it beneficial for those horses with arthritis and inflammatory joint problems. The flavonoid compounds alongside the antioxidants in cinnamon have been recorded as being one of the highest performing spice when looking to reduce signs of arthritis.
- Blood Sugar levels – For horses that are prone to weight-gain, laminitis, etc. and have been diagnosed with EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome) or IR (Insulin Resistance) then cinnamon has been shown to have positive effects. In healthy horses particular enzymes encourage insulin to bind to cells. In EMS and IR horses this enzyme doesn’t work as effectively. Cinnamon however can change this and make the cells more receptive to insulin (says theholistichorse.com). With insulin at nearer normal levels EMS horses have a better chance of losing weight, and therefore lessening the risk of laminitis.
- Cancer – There is growing scientific evidence to show that cinnamon has anti-cancer possibilities.
- Blood pressure – Certainly in human trials cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood pressure, especially in those with diabetes. As human diabetes closely resembles EMS it can be theorised that cinnamon will have similar effects on horses suffering with the condition.
- Minerals – There are several minerals in cinnamon that can have positive effects on health. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium are all included in cinnamon.
- Crest reduction – Although anecdotal, with the benefits above, it also seems that cinnamon can help reduce the cresty necks that are often a sign of EMS horses and ponies. This may be because it is helping with insulin control leading to weight-loss so the fatty crest reduces, or there may be another reason. Regardless, crest reduction is indicative of an improvement in health.
These are just some of the recorded benefits of feeding cinnamon to your horse. With all of these benefits, can you afford not to give it a go?
How Much Cinnamon Should I Feed?
As with all feed guidelines, they are just that, guidelines. With cinnamon use there needs to be far more investigation and scientific studies to really give us a good idea of how much to feed for optimum benefits.
That said, the general consensus is that 2 grams of cinnamon per 100kg of equine is the right ratio to work on. However, a maximum of 2 teaspoons is also touted as ‘fact.’ Just for balance, there are other websites that actively suggest using 30grams of cinnamon daily, so much is simply trial and error to find the best level for your horse.
To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t visualise how much 2 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon actually was, so I got out the scales. I also wasn’t sure if it was 2 heaped teaspoons, or 2 level teaspoons. I opted for halfway!
It turns out that 1 teaspoon of cinnamon equals 3grams, so therefore 2 teaspoons would equal 6grams. 6 grams according to the above would only be enough to treat a 300kg pony, so it’s difficult to really know how much to give.
Fatty is just under 400kg when she’s the right weight, so she gets the whole dose i.e. 8 grams would be about right, but I’ve erred on the side of caution and only give 7grams and have crossed my fingers that the guidelines meant heaped teaspoons!
You may want to do your own research, but you should always consult your vet or qualified nutritionist before altering your horse’s diet.
How Do I feed Cinnamon?
If you have decided to give cinnamon a go then you may be wondering about the actual mechanics of feeding cinnamon to horses.
It can easily be added to your horse’s normal feed, and will usually be eaten without any fuss. However, you will need to damp the feed, and it’s surprising how much more water you need to add so that the feed isn’t dry.
How to give cinnamon:
- Add your cinnamon to the feed
- Carefully pour in water, around the cinnamon, not on top. If you pour water directly on top you’ll end up with a cloud of cinnamon and most of it will undoubtedly go up your nose rather than into the horse’s meal
- Stir thoroughly
- Leave to sit for a few minutes
- Add more water as necessary as it can turn rather paste like
- Feed to horse once you’re happy with the consistency
If you don’t give your hard feed, or you don’t want to add cinnamon, you can always add cinnamon water to your water buffet and reap the benefits through this method. Water Buffet For Horses – What To Add to Your Horse’s Water (2fatponiesuk.co.uk)
Can Cinnamon Treat Laminitis In Horses?
Laminitis in horses is an incredibly painful condition of the hoof where the laminae become sensitive in the extreme. Horses with laminitis find movement difficult and painful and will often rock back on their hooves to alleviate the pressure and pain. Some people have likened the pain of laminitis to slowly pulling off a fingernail. Therefore this is something that all horse-owners/carers need to be aware of and prevent as far as possible.
Cinnamon itself won’t rid you of the possibility of your horse suffering from laminitis, however, in conjunction with healthy, appropriate diet, and exercise, using cinnamon can help.
Cinnamon can help to:
- lower blood pressure
- increase ability to process insulin
- boost metabolism
- improve palatability of low sugar foods
Horses with EMS, IR, and even healthy ‘good doers’ could benefit from a daily dose of cinnamon, even it just to make any low sugar/low starch feeds taste more pleasant.
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Difference Between Cinnamon And True Cinnamon
There are several different types of cinnamon. The most commonly available can be split into two groups; Cylon or Cassia. Both are healthy and have beneficial properties, especially for those with diabetes-like problems.
Cassia is considered the lower quality product, and has a stronger flavour. It is also considerably cheaper.
Ceylon has a lighter flavour and is more expensive. It is also called the ‘true’ cinnamon. It has far less cinnamaldehyde than Cassia cinnamon which is why it has a lighter taste.
Although both have broadly similar health benefits, Cassia contains a greater amount of coumarin which can have negative side effects if taken to excess.
Is Cinnamon Harmful?
You might ask is cinnamon bad for horses. This is a difficult question to answer as it depends upon the horse, the whole diet and exercise regime, and other factors.
However, cinnamon for horses with EMS has been shown to be a very valuable tool in reducing crests, lowering blood pressure, increasing metabolism, and encouraging the body to process sugar/insulin more effectively.
Where MHCP (methylhydroxy chalcone polymer) cinnamon helps with insulin, the coumarin within cinnamon can cause problems if taken to excess.
Cinnamon has been said to cause:
- liver problems
- mouth sores
- cancer risk
- low blood sugar
- breathing problems
These are most likely very rare and as a result of ingesting too much cinnamon over a period of time. Breathing problems however, can occur if you do not adequately dampen feed. Equine cinnamon is a very fine powder and is easily inhaled which can cause choking and coughing if it finds its way into the lungs.
Conclusion
Cinnamon has a fantastic number of benefits for horses. Although only 10 benefits of cinnamon for horses have been listed in this article there are far more. The study into cinnamon is in its early stages, and there is a lack of studies looking into the differences between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon.
If you have a horse that suffers from EMS or IR, then starting with a low dose of daily cinnamon may help keep your horse healthy and improve his medical outlook.
As with all things, a little of something can be very beneficial, but too much can cause more problems that it solves.
