How to Give Pills to Horses

The veterinarian has checked your horse, diagnosed the problem, and left you with a bottle of large tablets that you’re supposed to dole out twice a day. You’re relieved that the malady is easily treatable…but now what do you do? You suspect the horse won’t just lick the giant pill out of your hand. What’s the best way to get it into him?

For small pills, the easiest thing to do is to cut a hole into a chunk of apple or carrot and push the pill into the hole. Give several unmedicated chunks to the horse and then offer the doctored chunk, followed quickly by a few more plain ones. With luck, the horse will chew and swallow without noticing the pill.

Horses have good senses of smell and taste, however, and this trick might not work for later doses. If so, the next thing to try is grinding the pill into a powder and mixing it with a larger portion of something delicious. You can try blending the powder into applesauce, yogurt, molasses, pancake syrup, or even cake frosting. A few tablespoons (or more) of one of these carrier substances will often hide the taste of the pill. If the horse won’t eat the mixture, try stirring it into a few handfuls of sweet feed. Some horses will happily eat the powder if it’s just mixed into their regular grain ration without adding a carrier, but the powder can sift to the bottom of the feed tub and not be consumed.

Another suggestion is to mix the crushed medicine with some sweet feed, a few tablespoons of powdered fruit drink mix or flavored gelatin powder, and half a cup of water. Many horses seem to enjoy strawberry flavoring; you may have to experiment a bit to find a taste that your equine can’t resist.

If no combination of these ingredients can persuade your horse to consume the pills voluntarily, you might have to use a different technique. Mix the crushed pill with applesauce or yogurt, put it into a large syringe obtained from your veterinarian (you’ll need to cut the tip off to make the hole larger), have a friend hold the horse’s halter, and slide the syringe into the side of the horse’s mouth. This is just like giving oral dewormer, and it’s just as important to avoid jabbing the syringe into the roof of the horse’s mouth. Also, be sure the mixture is deposited toward the back of the horse’s tongue so that it’s less likely he will spit it out. With some practice, this will become easier and eventually you probably won’t need an assistant.