CBD oil with 10% CBD, 1% CBG and 0% THC, made for horses and applied to the skin. Read the Formula Swiss-funded and other published horse research below.
Supporting university research into CBD and other cannabinoids in animals since 2019.
10% CBD · 1% CBG
0% THC · MCT
3,300 mgTotal cannabinoids per bottle
Formula Swiss research
Formula Swiss has funded research by Professor Roberto Chiocchetti's team at the University of Bologna into how cannabinoids could act in horses. The university's record lists a 2019–2021 Formula Swiss-funded project on CBD receptors in the horse's gut and spinal nerve ganglia, and three of the studies below name Formula Swiss as their funder.
These are laboratory studies of horse tissue. They show where cannabinoids may act in the body, but they did not test a CBD product in living horses or establish a dose.
Mapped cannabinoid and related receptors in sensory nerve cells from the necks of six horses: the cells that carry touch and pain signals.
Formula Swiss funding acknowledged in this publication
Found cannabinoid and related receptors in the lining, immune cells, nerve cells and muscle of the last part of the small intestine in six horses.
Found four receptors thought to respond to CBD in many sensory nerve cells, and in the cells that support them, in six horses.
Formula Swiss funding acknowledged in this publication
Found cannabinoid and related receptors in most nerve cells of the trigeminal ganglion, which carries sensation from the face, in ganglia from five horses.
Formula Swiss funding acknowledged in this publication
Studies by other research teams or with other funding, grouped by topic and including positive, mixed and null results. Most gave CBD or related cannabinoids by mouth, using other products and amounts. None tested Pet Routine for Horses.
In joint lining samples from 25 fetlock joints, both main cannabinoid receptors were present and increased as joint inflammation became more severe.
Tissue-bank study from the University of Montreal. It identifies possible treatment targets, but no treatment was tested.
Found cannabinoid and related receptors in the joint lining cells and blood vessels of 14 fetlock joints collected after slaughter.
Laboratory study by the University of Bologna team, funded by NBF Lanes. No treatment was tested.
Twenty horses with mild osteoarthritis received an anti-inflammatory medicine for five days, and half also received CBD oil by mouth for 14 days. The CBD group had lower chronic pain scores.
A small, short study in which both groups also received phenylbutazone. It does not show the effect of CBD on its own.
Twenty-four horses received either CBDA oil or an oil with CBG and CBD by mouth for 14 days. Pain scores fell in both groups, and no side effects were reported.
There was no untreated comparison group, and both oils differed from CBD alone. The improvements cannot be attributed to CBD or to Formula Swiss products.
Six horses received CBD oil or a placebo by mouth for three days. CBD raised the heat-sensitivity threshold at some time points but did not change sensitivity to pressure.
Six healthy horses and an experimental test, so it does not show relief of pain from disease. Heart rate and temperature did not change.
Describes a 22-year-old mare with long-standing crib-biting and wind-sucking whose behaviour improved during four weeks of CBD.
A single horse without a comparison group. A case report cannot show that CBD caused the change.
Horses received a CBD paste or a paste without CBD at three increasing doses. Sedation, facial expressions, heart rate and heart rate variability did not differ between the groups.
Three to six healthy horses per group, and no side effects were seen. This is part 1 of a linked research programme.
Twelve horses received CBD paste or a paste without CBD twice daily for 15 days. Behaviour, heart rate, cortisol and reactions to a new object and trailer loading did not differ between the groups.
Twelve healthy horses. Linked to the single-dose study from the same programme, rather than an independent repeat.
Found cannabinoid receptors in the lateral amygdala, a brain area involved in fear, stress and pain, in six horses.
Laboratory study by the University of Bologna team, funded by NBF Lanes. It did not test whether CBD affects behaviour.
Wounds on the lower legs of six horses were treated daily with 1% CBD in manuka honey, honey alone or saline. Healing did not differ between the treatments.
Six horses with experimentally created wounds, and the CBD was in a honey carrier rather than an oil. The authors call for further research.
Skin samples and skin cells from 15 healthy horses consistently contained both main cannabinoid receptors.
Describes normal skin only. It does not show that CBD applied to the skin has an effect.
Found cannabinoid receptors in the hoof's lamellar tissue, with higher levels in 12 hooves with laminitis than in six healthy hooves.
Laboratory study by the University of Bologna team; the paper reports no funding. It suggests a research target, but no laminitis treatment was tested.
Located cannabinoid receptors in immune cells, connective tissue cells, blood vessels and nerve fibres of the hoof in healthy horses and horses with acute or chronic laminitis.
Laboratory study of 18 hoof samples by the University of Bologna team, funded by NBF Lanes. No treatment was tested.
Senior horses received CBD or soy oil by mouth daily for 90 days. CBD lowered some inflammation markers in the blood but did not change the response to vaccination or other health measures.
Twenty-seven horses. Changes in blood markers do not show a clinical benefit.
Eye pressure fell for eight hours after eight healthy horses received one dose of CBD oil by mouth.
Readings were compared with the same horses the day before, without a placebo. A later controlled study found no clinically relevant change.
Thirteen ponies, seven with equine metabolic syndrome, received CBD or flaxseed oil twice daily for 21 days. CBD did not improve body condition or blood sugar, and insulin responses rose in the CBD group.
A small study. The authors say the insulin finding may raise concerns for ponies and horses prone to metabolic syndrome.
Six healthy horses received CBD in sesame oil or a placebo by mouth for three days. Eye pressure and tear production showed no clinically relevant differences.
Six horses and three days of treatment. The results differ from an earlier study without a placebo group.
Thoroughbreds received three low single doses of CBD in sesame oil by mouth. CBD was well tolerated, with no behavioural, digestive or heart problems, and was still measurable in the blood after 72 hours.
A small study with mixed effects on inflammation markers. The authors say more research is needed before CBD can be recommended as an anti-inflammatory.
Seven horses received a CBD product made for horses at two daily amounts for seven days. Both were well tolerated, and low levels of THC were also measured in the blood.
Seven horses and one product that also delivered THC. It did not assess clinical effects.
Twelve horses received CBD twice daily for six weeks, and CBD reached the joint fluid in eight of them. All horses had mildly low calcium and eight had raised liver enzymes, which improved or returned to normal within 10 days of stopping.
Twelve horses and one oil-based product. Absorption varied widely, and effective doses were not established.
Eight senior horses received a single dose of CBD by mouth or by injection. About 8% of the oral dose reached the bloodstream, and no adverse effects were seen.
Single doses in eight horses. Low absorption does not establish an effective dose.
Twenty horses received pellets with or without 150 mg of CBD daily for 56 days. There was no sedation or unsteadiness, and blood tests did not change.
Healthy horses and one fixed daily amount. The study assessed safety, not benefits.
Thirty geldings received a canola-based CBD oil or plain canola oil on their feed for 28 days. The oil was readily eaten, blood chemistry was unaffected and no banned substances were found in the blood.
Testing showed the product contained far less CBD than its manufacturer's initial analysis indicated, so the horses received much less CBD than planned.
Eight horses received CBD by injection and by mouth, in sesame oil or a water-soluble form. About 14% of the oral dose was absorbed with either form, and no adverse reactions were seen.
Eight horses per trial. The suggested treatment schedules were computer simulations, not tested effects.
Eight horses received a commercial hemp oil rich in CBD and CBDA at two doses, or no treatment. There were no effects on behaviour, gait, digestion or blood chemistry.
Single doses only. CBDA reached much higher blood levels than CBD, and the product also contained other cannabinoids.
Seven horses received CBD-rich and CBDA-rich hemp oil twice daily for six weeks each. Blood tests and liver biopsies showed no clinically relevant changes, and CBDA reached higher blood levels than CBD.
Seven healthy horses and full-spectrum extracts. The study assessed safety and absorption, not benefits.
Eight horses received one dose of CBD as an oil or a paste, fed or fasted. Absorption did not differ significantly, although the paste reached its peak level sooner.
Single doses in eight horses. The study measured absorption only.
Ten ponies received one dose of CBD oil by mouth and tolerated it well. CBD was no longer detectable after 12 days, while a breakdown product remained measurable for 16 days.
No comparison group. Heart rate was lower and some blood values changed after 24 hours.
Eight horses received CBD, CBDA or a placebo by mouth. CBDA reached blood levels up to 67 times higher than CBD, and CBD was detectable in urine for up to seven days.
One pilot horse and seven in the main study; it measured absorption, not effects. First published online in September 2025, journal issue 2026.
Eight horses received cannabigerol (CBG) by injection and by mouth, in oil or water-soluble form. About 28% of the oral dose was absorbed, and no adverse effects were seen.
The first study of CBG in horses. It measured absorption and breakdown, not effects.
Measured CBD in blood and urine after single doses and after 15 days of twice-daily CBD paste. After repeated use, CBD left the body slowly, with a half-life of about 161 hours in serum.
Designed to help testing laboratories interpret results. It does not set official detection times.
Cannabinoids were found in the urine of horses bedded on hemp straw. The researchers advise against hemp straw bedding before competition unless at least 48 hours pass, and suggest that bedding exposure may be distinguishable from CBD oil use.
Detection depends on the laboratory method and on each organisation's rules.
Twelve horses ate feed containing small amounts of CBD or CBDA twice daily for three days. Both were detectable in the urine of all horses, but not after more than four days.
Not designed to set detection times, and routine doping laboratories may be more or less sensitive.
Shake the bottle and apply the drops directly to your horse's skin, following the directions on the label. The oil is for external use and is not intended to be given by mouth. Do not use it on pregnant or breeding animals, and stop if your horse reacts badly.
Follow the label and do not exceed the recommended amount. The horse studies on this page mostly gave other CBD products by mouth, in amounts based on body weight, so their doses cannot be converted into drops of this oil. If you are unsure what suits your horse, ask your veterinarian.
In studies of healthy horses, from single doses to 90 days of use, CBD given by mouth was generally well tolerated and did not cause sedation or unsteadiness at the amounts tested. Some studies found changes in blood tests, such as raised liver enzymes, lower calcium or a higher insulin response. Speak with your veterinarian before use, especially if your horse is unwell, has a metabolic condition or takes medicines.
Check the rules before any competition. The FEI lists CBD as a controlled medication, which must not be present in a horse's body when it competes, and US Equestrian also prohibits it. Studies have detected CBD in horses' urine for a week or longer after use by mouth, and even after horses ate contaminated feed or were kept on hemp straw bedding. Ask your federation and your veterinarian how long to stop beforehand.
Pet Routine for Horses has a 0% THC specification. THC is a banned substance under FEI rules, and one horse study measured THC in the blood of horses given a CBD supplement. Do not use CBD products made for people or products with unclear contents on your horse.
Each bottle contains 10% CBD and 1% CBG in MCT oil: 3,300 mg of cannabinoids in total. CBG (cannabigerol) is another cannabinoid found in hemp. The full ingredient list is on the product page.
Two small studies of horses with osteoarthritis reported lower pain scores, but the horses received other cannabinoid oils by mouth, in one study alongside an anti-inflammatory medicine. Two controlled studies found no calming effect on behaviour, heart rate or cortisol. For laminitis, research so far has mapped cannabinoid receptors in hoof tissue, and we found no published studies testing CBD for gastric ulcers, navicular syndrome or Cushing's disease (PPID).
No. The Formula Swiss-funded studies map cannabinoid receptors in horse tissue, and the other studies used different CBD, CBDA or CBG products, mostly given by mouth. None tested Pet Routine for Horses, so their results cannot be transferred directly to this oil.
Speak with your veterinarian first. CBD can interact with some medicines, and research findings do not replace individual veterinary advice or the directions on the label.
