[Boomer]

I have found something Mr Picky Eater loves - cinnamon! Trying to get him to eat supplements is a challange as he rejects most "normal" cover-ups (applesauce, molasses, carrot puree, pepermint..).

But if I sprinkle cinnamon in with SmartVite EZ Keeper, then feed it with his dinner - he eats it!

So, how much cinnamon is too much? I'm thinking that just sprinkling it in the supplement isn't very much...maybe 1/8 teaspoon.. maybe?

[LarkspurCO]

I would think that 1/8 teaspoon should be fine.

If you are feeding standard grocery-store cinnamon you are feeding the cheap variety, cinnamon cassia. This variety is high in coumarin, which is potentially toxic (no idea what level would be toxic to a horse).

The good cinnamon from India, cinnamon Ceylon, is very low in coumarin and safer, in my opinion. It's also much more expensive, but tastes oh so much better. But again, at only 1/8 teaspoon I doubt you'd need to worry about the courarin in cinnamon cassia.

[Boomer]

How expensive is it? And where can I get it? Online?

I live in a small town so "exotic" items are usually online purchases.

[LarkspurCO]

Here are a couple of links but you can always shop around.

http://www.ceylon-cinnamon.com/
http://www.buyceyloncinnamon.com/

Oh, I meant to also say that anise is a very tasty spice that I sometimes sprinkle on feed when I'm hiding something nasty. My horses all love the flavor of anise. It's inexpensive and a little goes a long way. Fenugreek is another idea. There was a thread on it a couple of days ago.

[Boomer]

Anise...ok... I am cooking-challanged. I googled... apparently there are two types? Anise seeds (used in baked goods mainly, smells like licorice) and the other star anise?

Which one do I want? Common grocey store item?

[Hampton Bay]

I was feeding 1T a day to my IR mare for a while, before I had full control over her diet. She LOVED it, and it never hurt her. I was getting it at the dollar store.

[LarkspurCO]

Anise...ok... I am cooking-challanged. I googled... apparently there are two types? Anise seeds (used in baked goods mainly, smells like licorice) and the other star anise?

Which one do I want? Common grocey store item?

Hmm.... not sure about that. I think what I have is regular anise seed and it does smell like licorice. I think it came ground or whole, and I may have run them through the coffee grinder. I can look at the bag next time I go down to the barn.

[Boomer]

Was thinking about the "common cinnamon" and that it has coumarin in it.

My mare is on Breathe Ease, which is a traditional chinese medicine power for heaves. So I was looking up the ingredients using the chinese name on the label and one of them was "cinnamon bark", but it didn't say what cinnamon.

Would it most likely be common cinnamon?

[LarkspurCO]

Was thinking about the "common cinnamon" and that it has coumarin in it.

My mare is on Breathe Ease, which is a traditional chinese medicine power for heaves. So I was looking up the ingredients using the chinese name on the label and one of them was "cinnamon bark", but it didn't say what cinnamon.

Would it most likely be common cinnamon?

Don't know but cinnamon cassia does come from China.

I checked the anise bag - it is regular anise seed, not star anise.

[Boomer]

Don't know but cinnamon cassia does come from China.

I checked the anise bag - it is regular anise seed, not star anise.

How much anise do you feed and do you grind it first? If I can find it locally I may try it and see if Mr Picky likes it.

If not, I'll order the ceylon cinnamon to be on the safer side since it's likely I'd have to feed a little cinnamon to make the multi-vits go down!

[FLeckenAwesome]

Very interesting.... cinnamon is also supposed to help regulate blood sugars too! It's in Roany pony's smart pak metabolic supplement. But she doesn't particularly care for it! Doh!

It smells Soooooooooooooooo good though!!!

[JenEM]

Couldn't you just get a bag of cinnamon-flavored hard candies, crush them, and sprinkle a bit of that on the food? I'd think that would be far more economical than ordering exotic cinnamon to disguise horsey supplements.

Of course, a brief google didn't turn up any indication that cinnamon is toxic to horses (and the ASPCA site specifically says its not), so I don't see why a brief shake out of the McCormick bottle from the grocery store would be a problem if you know she will eat it

[rodawn]

Oooh, my gelding LOVES peppermint... not just the run of the mill stuff either... the really hot English mints. It's amusing to see him competing with my husband over the bag of mints tucked into the grooming box..... he kinda twists his nose and flares his nostrils as if to say, "heeeeeyyyyy, those are supposed to be mine, buddy! Share!"

Re the cinnamon.... That might be an interesting question to pose to a veterinarian or an equine nutritionist as they would be better qualified. I couldn't begin to say one way or the other. I do know you have to be very careful with some of these things as horses can react different to them than people do. One specific thing to be careful with is garlic dosages...too much garlic can cause anemia. A small bit of garlic supposedly helps against the War On Bugs.

Humm, doesn't Cinnamon help with digestion too? Thought I read tht somewhere.. . ...

[Boomer]

Couldn't you just get a bag of cinnamon-flavored hard candies, crush them, and sprinkle a bit of that on the food? I'd think that would be far more economical than ordering exotic cinnamon to disguise horsey supplements.

Of course, a brief google didn't turn up any indication that cinnamon is toxic to horses (and the ASPCA site specifically says its not), so I don't see why a brief shake out of the McCormick bottle from the grocery store would be a problem if you know she will eat it

Hadn't thought about cinnamon candies. Might give them a try.

I have the McCormick cinnamon and plan to use it unless another option presents.... he loves it. I'm not using that much, so hopefully it won't bother him. His mom is on Breathe East for heaves which has cinnamon bark - she's been on it 6 months and so far no side effects.

So funny because he is the pickiest food horse I have owned. Loves carrots (but won't eat them in a puree), won't eat apples (but likes those artifical brown apple wedge treats), doesn't like sugar cubes, won't touch a peppermint, no to flavored electrolytes...

[jaimebaker]

If you are feeding standard grocery-store cinnamon you are feeding the cheap variety, cinnamon cassia. This variety is high in coumarin, which is potentially toxic (no idea what level would be toxic to a horse).

Wait a second. I just reread this. You say it's 'potentially toxic' then go on to say you have no idea what level would be toxic to a horse Who is it toxic too then? Humans? Dogs? Cats? I just found that statement odd. I'm sure there are thousands of things 'potentially' toxic.

Lots of things are toxic to horses that aren't to humans and vice versa. I've been feeding cheap cinnamon for a year to 6 horses with no ill effects that I can tell. But I only feed like 3 shakes of a little canister. Probably less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon.

[Boomer]

...I've been feeding cheap cinnamon for a year to 6 horses with no ill effects that I can tell. But I only feed like 3 shakes of a little canister. Probably less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon....

Why are you feeding it? As a cover-up or for a health benefit?

Maybe I'll start with 3 canister shakes and see if that is enough to convince Mr. Picky to eat his supplements!

[jaimebaker]

Why are you feeding it? As a cover-up or for a health benefit?

Maybe I'll start with 3 canister shakes and see if that is enough to convince Mr. Picky to eat his supplements!

Feeding it because beet pulp by itself is so unappealing to them (and looks so gross to me) Add that to mostly powdered supps and yeah, it keeps them happy. For the ones that get the really foul smelling/tasting supps they get a sprinkling of jello powder. Raspberry is their favorite.

For what it's worth though, when I FIRST started feeding the cinnamon, I had a couple of horses that had slightly cresty necks. They just dissolved. I was thrilled since cinnamon is so much cheaper than Quiessence (which I feed for the fatties). But then, after a few months it seemed to wear off and the crests came back. Despite the horses losing weight. Any medicinal benefits are just a plus, I was just using it for flavoring because I had asked around about a 'safe' flavoring for the beet pulp.

OH yeah, ETA: The most my horses get right now are 3 cups of soaked beet pulp (yes, after soaked). So my horses get VERY little food. Just enough to get supps in them. They are out on pasture 24/7 and the little fatsos don't need a lot of food. So, I just need those 3 littles shakes for that small amount of food. If you are feeding a lot of food or nasty supps, you may need more.

[Boomer]

.

OH yeah, ETA: The most my horses get right now are 3 cups of soaked beet pulp (yes, after soaked). So my horses get VERY little food. Just enough to get supps in them. They are out on pasture 24/7 and the little fatsos don't need a lot of food. So, I just need those 3 littles shakes for that small amount of food. If you are feeding a lot of food or nasty supps, you may need more.

Mine are out 24/7 too and the only one getting "a lot" of grain is my gelding and he only gets 1.25 pounds XTN + 1 cup (after soaking) BP in the evening. But if he so much as detects something in his food (i.e. vit-min supps, electrolytes...) he won't eat it. But he will with cinnamon on it!

My other two are retired and get grain to get their supps in them. But they aren't as picky!

[Mia412]

As someone who has an uber-picky, hard keeping, elderly mare in my barn, I think it's a great idea that I'm going to try! i don't see where a few shakes would hurt anything. My neighbor fed her Cushing's horse a tablespoon a feeding for 5 years . . . he was 27 when she lost him due to an injury. I know that she bought it in bulk at the dollar store, so I'm sure it wasn't "true" cinnamon.

[MR]

I feed my gelding (15'3" warmblood) about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 5-6 times a week. He is IR and the cinnamon is suppose to help him break down sugars better (according to the IR folks on the Equine Topics board). He's been getting this much cinnamon for 4+ years now. I usually just buy the stuff at the Dollar Store, since I go through so much of it.

Cinnamon is also very good for people - same positive help with breaking down sugars (helps with weight loss). I put a couple shakes of cinnamon on my oatmeal on a regular basis - yum!

On a side note: my guys *loves* beet pulp. He thinks it is THE BEST. I get the "plain" kind (no added mollasses). However, I have heard of horses no liking it.

PM me if you have any other questions.