Calmer recommendations

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ponyrider2024

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I have a young warmblood who is incredibly spooky and sharp. The fitter he gets the worse he gets. He’s an absolute angel to hack out, lovely on the ground other than a small issue with catching which I think we’ve now overcome 🤞🏻 he is a showjumper ready to step up to 90/1m but I’ve hit a bit of a plateau in our training because I just can’t get the concentration out of him in the school. There’s one corner that he massively over reacts at and spins/rears and basically piaffes across the arena basically every time we pass it. He’s had everything checked recently, has physio every few weeks as he competes a lot. He’s always been this way so don’t think it’s because he’s being over faced, I just think it’s a mix of winter, youngster pushing the boundaries and increased fitness but I could do with a good calmer to help me start fixing some of the training issues. He also gets fed an ulcer friendly diet as my other horse is ulcer prone. He’s not a brilliant doer so can’t really decrease feed but he gets half a scoop of dengie conditioning chaff, cup of baileys performance balancer and cup of linseed. Help very much appreciated 🙏🏻
 
I’d be inclined to try just plain magnesium first - it’s the base to a lot of calmers and is a friendly option that has other benefits too.
As for feed, you don’t have to reduce quantity but might be worth trying other products. Maybe look at cutting out alfalfa as this can make some reactive. (One of mine does really well on it and the other goes loopy).

Edited to add: and of course, lots of groundwork
 
I used Science Supplements ProKalm on a stresshead pony, and it worked very well. I didn't think it would but I was so desperate I would've tried anything! It just seemed to give him a little bit of "thinking space" so he didn't have to react instantly. It meant we could reback him, which would've been really difficult to do if he'd stayed in that high alert, instant reaction headspace.

Unfortunately while backing him properly did improve things, it made it apparent that his lack of proper training hadn't been the full extent of the problem. There was more going on and he ended up being retired as a companion at the age of eight. But my point is, if it's the ability to think rather than react that you want, then ProKalm is worth a try!
 
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Widgeon said:
I used Science Supplements ProKalm on a stresshead pony, and it worked very well. I didn't think it would but I was so desperate I would've tried anything! It just seemed to give him a little bit of "thinking space" so he didn't have to react instantly. It meant we could reback him, which would've been really difficult to do if he'd stayed in that high alert, instant reaction headspace.

Unfortunately while backing him properly did improve things, it made it apparent that his lack of proper training hadn't been the full extent of the problem. There was more going on and he ended up being retired as a companion at the age of eight. But my point is, if it's the ability to think rather than react that you want, then ProKalm is worth a try!
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ProKalm was on my list of ones to give a go. I’ve starter with a mag based one as I can imagine my grazing will be deficient in mag anyways and it’s cheap enough to give a go. Mine isn’t silly away from home, I think with him it is gaps in his training, I had to treat him as if I was rebacking as well, and young horse testing the boundaries/getting a bit bored of schooling as we all are after a long winter! Sorry to hear about your horse, that’s a real shame 🥺
 
My 18 year old Welsh wombat is similar in one corner of the school, where the block is, that he will happily stand by for me to get on !
He gets worse as the session goes on, I think it genuinely worries him, as you can feel him stressing as we go towards it. but I also think it’s a good evasion as he would rather be with his mates.
He is much better out, I just have to accept that we can’t use a chunk of the school of have lessons at home.
So I’m sharing your frustration but also saying it might not be a gap in anything, just him !
 
Premier performance calming powder worked well for mine. Someone else recommended science supplements and while I have used the ProKalm, I highly rate a few of their other products
 
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