Feeding Rosehip? What to Know Before You Add PEA

Not for competition horses. For the other half.

In short: Rosehip is a fruit that supplies vitamin C and plant antioxidants. PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) is a fatty acid compound your horse already makes in its own body. They are different substances, so one does not replace the other. PEA is an FEI Controlled Medication, so it suits only horses that do not compete. No study has tested the two together.

Who this is for

Rosehip is popular with competition riders for a good reason. It is not on the FEI prohibited list.

But many horses never see a swab. In a 2024 survey of 1,153 horse owners published in Veterinary Record, 49.7% said they and their horses did not compete. The survey covered Europe and North America, not Australia, but the picture is familiar here too. Retired horses, paddock companions, spelling horses and weekend trail horses make up a large share of the horses people care for.

If that describes your horse, the competition rulebook does not limit what you can feed. This post is for you.

If your horse competes under FEI, Equestrian Australia, racing or harness rules, stop here. WWN PEA is not for horses that compete.

What is PEA?

PEA stands for palmitoylethanolamide. It is a fatty acid amide. Horses, dogs, people and other mammals make it in their own tissues. It also occurs in small amounts in foods such as egg yolk and peanuts.

Scientists first isolated it in 1957. A research group led by Nobel laureate Rita Levi-Montalcini described how it works in the body in 1993. Research interest has grown since, mostly in people and dogs.

WWN PEA for horses is one ingredient: pure micronised PEA. It has no fillers or flavourings.

How is PEA different from rosehip?

They are different kinds of substance from different sources.

• Rosehip comes from a plant. It supplies vitamin C, carotenes, flavonoids and a galactolipid. Your horse does not make these plant compounds.
• PEA comes from the animal. Your horse’s own body makes it. A supplement adds to what is already there.
• Rosehip is not FEI listed. PEA is. The FEI lists PEA as a Controlled Medication. That is why WWN sells it only for horses that do not compete.

Because they are different substances, feeding one tells you nothing about the other. Some owners of retired and pleasure horses choose to feed both.

What does the research say?

Here is the plain position.

• Rosehip in horses: one controlled trial in 16 trotters found that 50 g a day raised blood vitamin C. See our guide to rosehips for horses.
• PEA in horses: published research is at an early stage. The main paper followed four horses with no control group. See PEA in Horses: What the Early Research Shows.
• Rosehip and PEA together: no published study has tested the combination in any species. We make no claim that they work better together.

We would rather tell you this than have you find it out later.

How to add PEA to a horse already on rosehip

1. Talk to your vet first if your horse is under veterinary care or on any medication. If your horse is lame or unwell, see your vet before you change the feed.
2. Keep the rosehip the same. Do not change the amount or the brand.
3. Change one thing at a time. Do not start PEA in the same fortnight as a new feed, new shoes or a new paddock. Otherwise your notes will not tell you much.
4. Use the feeding table in our PEA for Horses guide to find the amount for your horse’s weight. Mix the powder into a damp feed.
5. Keep a simple diary for six weeks. Once a week, write down what you see: how your horse walks out of the paddock in the morning, how it moves on a circle, how keen it is to go forward. Film the same short walk each week if you can.
6. Review at six weeks. Read the diary from the start. Decide from your own notes whether to continue.

A 200 g bag lasts about 40 days at 5 g a day, which covers the six weeks.

Common questions

Can I feed rosehip and PEA in the same feed? Yes. Both are powders that mix into a damp feed. No study has tested the combination, so tell your vet what you feed.

Should I stop rosehip when I start PEA? No. They are different substances. Keep everything else the same so your diary means something.

Can my competition horse have PEA in the off-season? We do not recommend it. The FEI has published no detection time for PEA, so there is no reliable withdrawal period.

Does WWN sell rosehip? No. WWN sells PEA only.

See WWN PEA for horses

Sources

• Elte Y, Wolframm I, van Grevenhof I, Nielen M, van Weeren R. Survey-based investigation of sports and leisure horse owners’ approaches to, and expectations of, equine veterinary care. Veterinary Record. 2024. doi:10.1002/vetr.4197
• Aloe L, Leon A, Levi-Montalcini R. A proposed autacoid mechanism controlling mastocyte behaviour. Agents and Actions. 1993;39:C145-C147.
• FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database. inside.fei.org
• Winther K, Kharazmi A, et al. Comparative Exercise Physiology. 2012;8(3-4):195.

This article is general information. It is not veterinary advice. If your horse is lame or unwell, see your vet first. WWN products are nutritional supplements. They are not veterinary medicines and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.