Equine nutritional advisor for Saracen Horse Feeds, Stephanie George, discusses the evidence for feeding your horse turmeric.
Q: I’ve heard people are adding turmeric to their horses’ feed. Why is this and should I consider doing it too?
A: Turmeric is becoming more popular within the equine sector and it appears to be used for a very wide range of complaints and issues.
While there are quite a few studies looking into its efficacy for certain complaints (such as joint issues) in humans, there’s very little research to support its use in horses.
Dosage and curcumin content of turmeric are also issues that haven’t been researched fully and there’s no evidence as how much of each need to be fed to horses to get the desired results.
Studies suggest curcumin may help to reduce inflammation and the symptoms of arthritis.
Due to the lack of current scientific evidence, we don’t know whether feeding turmeric will be beneficial or detrimental to horses.
While there’s anecdotal evidence in regards to feeding turmeric, without the proper knowledge and back up of scientific research, it’s unknown whether or not it should be used within a horse’s diet.
