Rosehips for Horses: What They Are, How to Feed Them, and What the Research Shows

In short: Rosehips are the fruit of the wild rose. Horse owners feed them as a natural source of vitamin C and plant antioxidants. A common amount is a handful (30 to 40 g) of dried hips a day, or 25 to 50 g of a milled powder. One controlled trial in 16 horses found that 50 g a day raised blood vitamin C by about 40% over 12 weeks. We could not find a published horse study that measured joint or mobility outcomes.

This guide answers the questions Australian horse owners search for most. It is general information, not veterinary advice.

What are rosehips?

Rosehips are the red or orange fruit left on a rose bush after the flower drops. Most horse products use the dog rose (Rosa canina). Sweet briar (Rosa rubiginosa) grows wild across south-eastern Australia and produces similar hips.

Dried rosehips contain:

• Vitamin C. About 1,700 to 2,000 mg per 100 g of dried hips, according to the Australian nutrition service Balanced Equine. One tablespoon (about 12 g) gives roughly 240 mg.
• Plant antioxidants, including carotenes and flavonoids.
• A galactolipid often called GOPO, found in the seeds and shells.
• Natural sugars and small amounts of copper and zinc.

One fact that surprises many owners: healthy horses make their own vitamin C in the liver. They do not need it from feed the way people do.

Are rosehips good for horses?

Rosehips are a safe, palatable feed ingredient for most horses, and most horses eat them readily. What the research supports is narrower than most marketing suggests.

The main horse study is Winther and colleagues, Comparative Exercise Physiology, 2012. It followed 16 Standardbred trotters through three months of training.

• Horses fed 50 g of rosehip powder a day had about 40% more vitamin C in their blood after 12 weeks.
• The same group showed a drop in one laboratory measure of oxidative activity in white blood cells.
• Horses fed 25 g a day showed a trend only. It was not statistically significant.

The study did not measure movement, soundness or joints. An Australian equine veterinary practice, In Stride Veterinary Services, reviewed the evidence and found no horse studies showing an effect of rosehip on joint health or performance.

So the fair summary is this. Rosehip raises blood vitamin C in horses at 50 g a day. Anything beyond that is owner experience, not published horse research.

How much rosehip should I feed? (Dosage per day)

It depends on the form.

• Whole dried hips: a handful, about 30 to 40 g a day, is the traditional amount for a 500 to 600 kg horse.
• Milled powder: the 2012 trial used 25 g and 50 g a day. Only 50 g changed blood vitamin C. One widely sold Australian powder lists 50 g a day for the first four weeks, then 25 g a day.
• Ponies and small horses: scale down by body weight, and follow the label.

Start with a small amount and build up over a week. Follow the product label over any general guide, including this one.

Whole, dried, ground or fresh: which form is best?

Each form works. They differ in convenience and consistency.

• Fresh hips are fine as a treat in season. Vitamin C content varies a lot from bush to bush.
• Whole dried hips store well and most horses enjoy chewing them. Some pass through undigested.
• Ground or milled powder mixes into a damp feed and gives a consistent amount per scoop. The published trial used powder.
• Cut “shells” have the seeds removed. The powders used in research are milled from seed and shell together, so shells alone are a different product.

How do I pick, dry and prepare rosehips for horses?

You can prepare your own. Follow these steps.

1. Pick firm, deep red hips in late autumn. Leave soft or mouldy ones.
2. Check that the bush has not been sprayed. Sweet briar is a declared weed in parts of south-eastern Australia, so roadside and paddock bushes are often treated with herbicide. If you are not sure, do not pick.
3. Wear gloves. The fine hairs around the seeds irritate skin.
4. Rinse the hips and remove stalks and leaves.
5. Dry them in a single layer. Use a dehydrator, or the lowest oven setting with the door slightly open. High heat destroys vitamin C.
6. Dry until the hips are hard and do not dent when pressed.
7. Store in an airtight container, away from light. Throw out any batch that smells musty.

Do rosehips have side effects?

Side effects are uncommon at normal feeding amounts. Keep these points in mind.

• Sugar. Rosehips contain natural sugars. If your horse is on a low-sugar diet on veterinary advice, ask your vet or nutritionist before you add them. Sources disagree on this point, so get advice for your own horse.
• Loose manure. Very large vitamin C intakes (around 20 g of vitamin C a day) can cause loose manure. Normal rosehip amounts supply far less than that.
• Iron. Vitamin C increases iron absorption. This matters if your horse’s diet is already high in iron.
• Competition. Plain rosehip is not on the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List. Check every blended product, because other ingredients may be.

Can I feed seaweed and rosehips together?

Yes, but the caution is about the seaweed, not the rosehip. Seaweed is fed for iodine, and its iodine content varies enormously.

• A 500 kg horse needs about 3.5 to 4 mg of iodine a day.
• The upper safe limit is about 50 mg a day.
• The feed analysts at FeedXL report seaweed products ranging from 16 mg to more than 8,000 mg of iodine per kilogram.

Feed seaweed only from a product that states its iodine content. Weigh it. Never offer it free-choice.

Do rosehips help with fly control?

We could not find any published research on rosehips and flies. The idea circulates on social media. Treat it as unproven.

What rosehip is not

Rosehip is a fruit. It supplies vitamin C, plant antioxidants and a galactolipid. It does not supply everything an older horse’s owner may want to consider.

One compound that rosehip does not contain is palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). PEA is a fatty acid compound that horses and other mammals make in their own bodies. It also occurs in small amounts in foods such as egg yolk. Rosehip and PEA are different kinds of substance, so one does not replace the other.

Some owners of retired and pleasure horses feed both. Be clear about the limits:

• No published study has tested rosehip and PEA together in any species.
• Published PEA research in horses is at an early stage. See PEA in Horses: What the Early Research Shows.
• PEA is an FEI Controlled Medication. It is not for horses that compete. Rosehip is not listed. This is the biggest practical difference between the two.

If your horse is retired, spelling, or ridden for pleasure, read Feeding Rosehip? What to Know Before You Add PEA.

Quick answers

Are rosehips good for horses? They are a safe feed ingredient for most horses and a natural source of vitamin C. One trial found 50 g a day raised blood vitamin C by about 40%.

How much rosehip do I feed a horse per day? About 30 to 40 g of whole dried hips, or 25 to 50 g of milled powder. Follow the product label.

Can horses eat fresh rosehips? Yes, as a treat in season. Check the bush has not been sprayed.

Can I feed rosehip and PEA together? Some owners do. No study has tested the combination. PEA is not for competition horses.

Where can I buy rosehips for horses in Australia? Feed stores, saddleries and online herb suppliers sell dried hips and powders. WWN does not sell rosehip.

Sources

• Winther K, Kharazmi A, et al. The absorption of natural vitamin C in horses and anti-oxidative capacity: a randomised, controlled study on trotters during a three-month intervention period. Comparative Exercise Physiology. 2012;8(3-4):195.
• Balanced Equine. Rose Hips. balancedequine.com.au/rose-hips/
• In Stride Veterinary Services. The Science Behind Equine Joint Supplements, Part 1. instridevet.com.au
• FeedXL. Seaweed for Horses: Miracle Supplement or Massive Con? feedxl.com
• FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database. inside.fei.org

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.