Apple Cider Vinegar for Horses | Hooves, Digestion & Natural Health Support

Flies

Posted by Christina (CA)
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ACV has been working well to get rid of flies. I use minimal fly spray on my horses. I also feed it to help prevent stones, I figure that if it DOESN"T work, it's the cheapest non-usable horse item I've purchased!

Arthritis

Posted by Jody (NSW Australia)
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I am using it to help with Arthritis in my older horses

Arthritis

Posted by Patricia (Cardiff)
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Am using to treat my horse's arthritis at the moment but very early on at present but showing improvements already after only 2 weeks. What I will say however is that my horse absolutely loves it, he cannot get enough of the stuff, even spends twenty minutes licking his bowl clean. Excellent.

Stops Fly Bites

Posted by Anonymous (USA)
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Add 5 tsp. of apple cider vinegar to your horse's oats morning and evening to stop fly bites. We have a Quarterhorse who was literally covered in welts from fly bites. After starting on the vinegar, the bites disappeared and were kept under control for the remainder of the season.

Flies

Posted by Nan (USA)
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I have used cider vinegar for years to help keep mosquitoes & other biting insects away from both myself & my horses. I take 1 oz per day, and give my horses about 1/2 cup per day.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Cheryl (Frankfort, IN)
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We used to feed the horses a 1/2 cup daily in their grain. It made their hair coat soft and silky and they utilized their grain better with the vinegar. Also the biting flies didn't bother them as much and not at all if there was another horse around that was not on the vinegar. Also the fly larvae supposedly don't thrive in the manure so you have less flies. Also the horse's sweat is not white and lathery but rather thin and watery so it doesn't dry white on their coat. I recently picked up a bottle of Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar and noticed it no longer said made from apples but rather it said apple flavoring. If not made from apples what is is made from and when did it change from real apples. I was looking for a more economical brand than _______ (which is a great product but pricey when using on the horses of which I have several).

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Posted by Kimbelry Carter (Orangeburg, sc) on 03/03/2008
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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 Clare (London, Uk) on 02/20/2010

To Deanna from Woodstock, IL - would you please tell us where to buy Formula 11. I've looked everywhere without any success. Many thanks.

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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.

Chewing Problems

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
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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

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Posted by Karen (Greenbank, Qld Australia) on 12/21/2008

Hi Judy, Lamimitus is caused by too much protein in the diet & not enough exercise to use it up. Remove grain from diet. If feeding lucerne hay (20% protein) swop to Barley or good grassy hay (5-10% protein). Feed tbsp Epsom Salts daily for 1st 3 or 4 days & a tbsp dollomite in feed. This is prescribed in Pat Coleby's book "natural horsecare"

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Posted by Josephine (Davis, Ca) on 12/20/2009

Thank you Sabina for a very helpful and informative post on causes of laminitis. There are some instances where horses cannot handle lots of alfalfa in their diet and it causes laminitis, presumably from the high levels of protein. This cause is still not well understood, certainly not like we now understand the high sugar/insulin resistance/bacteria die off/toxin causes of laminitis. There are also cases of subclinical laminitis caused by shoeing/hard ground/too much sugar in the diet that causes the coffin bone to drop slightly in the foot and the sole to flatten out, resulting in hoof pain through two avenues - stretched white line and not enough protection of the coffin bone from the ground (even if the horse remains shod).

Prevention of laminitis also involves management of the sugar content of the hay you feed, pasture grass management and mineral balancing the diet - not just reduction/elimination of grain in the diet.

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Posted by Leanda (Bundaberg, Qld, Australia) on 12/29/2007
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We had heard that giving a mare acv (1-2 cups in feed daily) a month before she foals, helps with the stretching. Can anyone verify this?

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Posted by Britt (Franklin, Tennessee) on 12/11/2007
★★★★★

Hey! My mom actually stumbled upon this site when looking up ACV for my younger sisters stomach ache- and she printed it out for me because I am always keeping my eyes open for horse remedies. I was wondering what are the serving sizes/ proportions to feed when ixing it with water? Are there different rations for different treatments (ie; more ACV for flies, but less for coat heath...)?' Also, will it help a colicking horse and/or help prevent a horse from colicking? Thank you so much! I am very interested to see if my horse likes it!

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Posted by Melissa H (Gonzales, TX) on 02/20/2008

Response to Britt:

The serving size for the following are:

-Added to water only is at 16oz. to 75 gallons for internal fly control
-Added to 32 oz. fly spray bottle only is at 4-6oz. of ACV with 26-28oz. of water
-Added to grain diet is for internal use at 2-3oz. per day mixed throughly

Been giving all my horses ACV for years and they love it and all are in good health.

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Posted by Kelly (Sylvania, Ga) on 12/04/2007
★★★★★

I have 5 horses, one i have had over 29 years, one i just purchased from a rescue, she was so bad i just knew she would die before i could get her home. i have had her for over 4 months now and she is doing much better. Because of her condition and not being properly taken care of she has arthritis very bad. I give her a supplement but seems to not be working. I take acv myself and it is wonderful. i have read in your colum how it has helped horses. My question is how much acv do i use. Thank you Kelly

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Posted by Abbey (Sharon, PA) on 09/12/2008

Amazing supplement for any type of leg or hoof injury, including laminitis & founder. Power Horse is amazing Valley Vet has it & they seem to be the cheapest on it. We have a Mare with osteoarthritis from an Injury vets had done everything. Nothing worked. But within days we saw a huge difference. Feed as directed. We had talked about putting her down because she is an older mare. But no more. This stuff is a miracle. Was also wondering if anyone could email me privately with any info on the benefits of Black Strap Molasses? Thanks.

EC: Power Horse is a chelated trace mineral supplement for horses.

Flies

Posted by Kathy Deutscher (Pleasanton, CA) on 09/12/2007
★★★★★

I feed my 2 horses ACV every day. It really helps with the flies. It changes the flavor of their skin, and the flies don't like it. It also helps in eliminating stones in the stomach, reduces inflamation, and promotes general health. there are other benefits, but I don't have the documentation in front of me. Oh, and my horses love it. I started out with 1/4 cup per day, and now are giving them 3/4 cup each per day.