Icelandic horses behaving bizzarrely was the beginning of an investigation by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority a few years back. The horses shivered but had good appetite. After veterinarians requested assistance from colleagues in the US it became evident that the horses had eaten cannabis plants and were severely intoxicated.
Mia Hellsten, a veterinarian in Iceland, remembers the case,. „They were trying to find out what was wrong with the horeses. They suspected it was some kind of new neurological disorder,“ says Mia.
The symptoms included disorientation. They shivered and their walking was quite unusual. They didn‘t appear sick and had no fever.
Mia decided to contact The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) for consultation. In an open forum run by the AAEP she sent a video of the horses and a description of their symptoms.
„There were a lot of theories about neurological disorders. In the end, one of the vets told me that the horses‘ behaviour resembled that of a dog he once got into his clinic and had eaten his owner‘s marijuana cakes. We decided to drug test the horses, and the tests turned out positive for cannabis,“ Mia explains.
The case wasn‘t taken any further but it is assumed that the horses got into a pile of cannabis waste from a greenhouse in proximity of their stables. How much cannabis they ate is unknown, but it was enough to make a handful of horses quite stoned.
Mia says the horses did not bear any permanent damage.
„I remember when we were looking at this case, that we found it so strange that in spite of all the symptoms, they ate really well.“
Seems that horses also get the munchies.
Icelandic horses behaving bizzarrely was the beginning of an investigation by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority a few years back. The horses shivered but had good appetite. After veterinarians requested assistance from colleagues in the US it became evident that the horses had eaten cannabis plants and were severely intoxicated.
Mia Hellsten, a veterinarian in Iceland, remembers the case,. „They were trying to find out what was wrong with the horeses. They suspected it was some kind of new neurological disorder,“ says Mia.
The symptoms included disorientation. They shivered and their walking was quite unusual. They didn‘t appear sick and had no fever.
Mia decided to contact The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) for consultation. In an open forum run by the AAEP she sent a video of the horses and a description of their symptoms.
„There were a lot of theories about neurological disorders. In the end, one of the vets told me that the horses‘ behaviour resembled that of a dog he once got into his clinic and had eaten his owner‘s marijuana cakes. We decided to drug test the horses, and the tests turned out positive for cannabis,“ Mia explains.
The case wasn‘t taken any further but it is assumed that the horses got into a pile of cannabis waste from a greenhouse in proximity of their stables. How much cannabis they ate is unknown, but it was enough to make a handful of horses quite stoned.
Mia says the horses did not bear any permanent damage.
„I remember when we were looking at this case, that we found it so strange that in spite of all the symptoms, they ate really well.“
Seems that horses also get the munchies.
