Garlic’s protective properties are well-known, both for the results seen in humans and in horses. However, you may have concerns about feeding your horse too much, how much garlic is beneficial, and how to feed it to your horse. This guide has the answers.

How Garlic Benefits Horses

As you probably already know, garlic is an ideal repellent for flies and other biting insects. When eaten, garlic changes the way a horse’s sweat tastes and smells to midges, ticks, and flies. Yet fly repelling is only the first of garlic’s benefits for your horse; it also:

• Eliminates nasal congestion
• Boosts their immune system
• Kills parasites
• Heals cold sores
• Boosts the effects of antibiotics
• Promotes their heart health

So, how much garlic will offer all of these benefits to your horse? The maximum daily dose depends on their size classification and their weight.

A Word of Caution

Garlic is safe, but in high doses has been found to cause Heinz body anemia in some horses. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that you don’t feed your horse too much. The following dosing amounts are estimates only and, though based on a mathematical formula, are only a guide to a maximum amount.

Determining Weight

If a scale isn’t available, you can determine your horse’s heart girth with a weight tape. Ensure your horse is calm with a relaxed head.

Then, run the weight tape around your horse’s torso behind the withers and elbows, at a distance a few inches from the forelegs. The weight tape should be at a slight angle. Be sure to measure several times to ensure the initial length measured wasn’t skewed by the horse’s breathing.

Finally, measure their body length by stretching a measuring tape from the point of their shoulder to the point of their buttock.

Use the following calculation to arrive at your horse’s weight in kilograms:

• Heart girth x heart girth x body length, divided by 11,990

Determining Daily Garlic Dosage

The maximum daily amount of garlic to feed your horse can be calculated using the following formula:

• Your horse’s weight x 2, divided by 100

Important: This is only a guide; each horse’s tolerance to garlic will differ. As such, you should consult your veterinarian for an accurate garlic dosage for your horse.

For Large-Sized Horses

Clydesdales, American Cream drafts, Shires, and other breeds weighing between 720 and 1220 kg or more are considered to be in the large-sized range. Therefore, their approximate maximum daily dose would be between 14.4 and 24.4 grams of garlic daily.

For Medium-Sized Horses

American Standardbreds, Trakehners, Cleveland Bays, and similar breeds with a weight between 540 and 600 kg or more are considered to be in the medium-sized range. For these horses, an approximate daily garlic dose would fall between 10.8 and 12 grams daily.

For Small-Sized Horses

Spanish Mustangs, Lipizzaners, Morgans, and other horses of a similar size are considered to be small-sized, as they weigh between 360 and 550 kg. These smaller horses, therefore, would have smaller maximum daily garlic doses of between 7.2 and 11 grams.

Dosing Timing and Frequency

Starting with small doses may be best for horses who haven’t had garlic previously. This is best administered as a feed supplement. Sprinkle small amounts of garlic powder on top of their feed initially, and then gradually increase the dose.

If the horse is accepting their dosed feed, continue to feed increasing amounts up to, but never beyond, the maximum daily amount. Larger amounts may be able to be administered when your horse is threatened by infection, but, again, feeding garlic should be done with great caution and only with your veterinarian’s advice.

Natural Garlic Supplements for Optimal Horse Health

Equi-Herbs has a passion for horses and a belief that when giving them any supplement, natural is best. That’s why our garlic powder is 100% pure, comes from only the highest-quality natural sources, and is prepared specifically for horses.