Calmer?

[Reeis]

We had a horse whisperer come out for a bit of fun, we were talking about how my horse gets nervous in new environments like shows and she suggested lavender oil and vasaline just on the edge of his nostril? Has anyone ever tried this before? We’re gojng to try it but just wondering if anyone has before hand? Thanks

 

[Muddywellies]

Did the horse whisperer not suggest just good old fashioned confident handling. The horse will take its confidence from you. And also getting out lots and lots and getting used to these things. It's a case of learning to deal with these things until they become normal. No quick fixes or short cuts

 

[Cortez]

Well, you can try it. Won't work, but at least you'll know who to listen to next time.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

Horse whisperer aside, my welshie is the same going to new places, travelling etc & when moving yards a few months ago I found great success feeding him the Blue Chop calming supplement for a few months, definitely took the edge off him.

 

[Reeis]

😂

 

[Reeis]

Horse whisperer aside, my welshie is the same going to new places, travelling etc & when moving yards a few months ago I found great success feeding him the Blue Chop calming supplement for a few months, definitely took the edge off him.

Just a question 😂😂

 

[Reeis]

Horse whisperer aside, my welshie is the same going to new places, travelling etc & when moving yards a few months ago I found great success feeding him the Blue Chop calming supplement for a few months, definitely took the edge off him.

Thanks☺️

 

[Reeis]

Well, you can try it. Won't work, but at least you'll know who to listen to next time.

Woah just a question, no need to be nasty 😉 and actually it did take the edge off ☺️ Don’t knock it till you try it, try and be a bit more open minded 😉

 

[Reeis]

Well, you can try it. Won't work, but at least you'll know who to listen to next time.

And who exactly would it be that I’d ‘know’ who to listen to? Cause I only mentioned one person who suggested something 😂😂

 

[Pearlsasinger]

People who are tense are often advised to have a warm bath with lavender oil, it is known for its calming properties, so why not give it a go, so long as you don't put the oil directly on his skin, it won't do any harm.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have some clipping oil with lavender in it and it's supposed to be calming, worth a try I suppose I used the global herbs calmer on one of my horses and it did make a difference.

 

[Queenbee]

My boy is built like a brick * house, but behaved like a marshmallow at events. As much as I am a total advocate for 'confident handling' and believe that no horse can succeed without it, it was not enough for the Beast, I learnt that to build his confidence I had to take him to events that played to his strengths. Local shows put him so on edge he is dangerous, there are about two shows that he can comfortably go to, that he feels 'ok' at, but the general atmosphere and galloping ponies and utter chaos at local shows puts him on edge and so raises my defences and hackles.

What worked for him first was a county show, it was actually his second ever show, I had planned to show him a lot during the run up as prep but life took over and when I took him the week before to a local show he blew his brains and I sat that evening in a room with my YO saying that I could never put him through that again. So she suggested taking her box with living a day early, stabling him and letting things build up around him - If he couldn't cope we would load up and come home. My boy has always had a love affair with a stable and feels safe there - I certainly think this helped him on his journey. What also helped was that at the bigger shows the rules are strict - there are walkways for horses and if you do anything but walk in them - you are off the showground, you only trot/canter in the ring or the warm up arena. The difference was incredible, my boy was amazing - a little bit tense in the show ring but hey, It really was his first time so that is completely understood! And although I was fulfilling a life long dream of taking a horse to a county show and am absolutely not a showy person - It proved to me that with the right approach, he could go out to play.

So his problems were as follows - not having a 'safe space' to chill out - in the early days he couldnt be left tied up or on the box
Busy places and galloping ponies and horses - he can't warm up around others without getting tense and stressed

• 
  
• His strengths
• He just loves to jump (and so do I)
• He loves his stable
• He isn't a nappy horse - you can take him out on any new route hacking and he loves it

Our approach was as follows

• We went to showjumping comps - not shows
• I hired a stable for him - he came off the lorry into his 'safe space' had a net and water and got to chill between classes there,
• We warmed up on a hack out from the yard where the comps were being held and not in the arena and only if it was quiet would do a quick couple of practice jumps
• We started with strictly indoor comps, and were possible entered in via a side door away from the group of waiting horses - later that year we started outdoor comps when his confidence was better and he was more settled,

Within 6 months, he could be tied up to the lorry with a net, do indoor or outdoor comps but still to this day warming up is best done in either a quiet arena or if not possible we hack out away from the crowd and clear his head. He still hates most local shows but since we love showjumping and xc and not showing, this makes no difference to us.

As I said, confident handling and horsemanship is a key element but equal to this is assessing your horse and realising what are the triggers, setting him or her up to succeed and creating a scenario where they can experience these events whilst feeling safe to allow them to become familiar and nonthreatening.

 

[skint1]

I like TopSpec as a daily calmer in winter and ProKalm for specific occasions in the summer I use just straight Mag Ox. I try not to look at it too deeply, I believe that they work because of this or that ingredient and if I believe that, I will be more confident and that is the key to it all (with my horse anyway).

 

[Reeis]

People who are tense are often advised to have a warm bath with lavender oil, it is known for its calming properties, so why not give it a go, so long as you don't put the oil directly on his skin, it won't do any harm.

Thanks 😊

 

[Reeis]

My boy is built like a brick * house, but behaved like a marshmallow at events. As much as I am a total advocate for 'confident handling' and believe that no horse can succeed without it, it was not enough for the Beast, I learnt that to build his confidence I had to take him to events that played to his strengths. Local shows put him so on edge he is dangerous, there are about two shows that he can comfortably go to, that he feels 'ok' at, but the general atmosphere and galloping ponies and utter chaos at local shows puts him on edge and so raises my defences and hackles.

What worked for him first was a county show, it was actually his second ever show, I had planned to show him a lot during the run up as prep but life took over and when I took him the week before to a local show he blew his brains and I sat that evening in a room with my YO saying that I could never put him through that again. So she suggested taking her box with living a day early, stabling him and letting things build up around him - If he couldn't cope we would load up and come home. My boy has always had a love affair with a stable and feels safe there - I certainly think this helped him on his journey. What also helped was that at the bigger shows the rules are strict - there are walkways for horses and if you do anything but walk in them - you are off the showground, you only trot/canter in the ring or the warm up arena. The difference was incredible, my boy was amazing - a little bit tense in the show ring but hey, It really was his first time so that is completely understood! And although I was fulfilling a life long dream of taking a horse to a county show and am absolutely not a showy person - It proved to me that with the right approach, he could go out to play.

So his problems were as follows - not having a 'safe space' to chill out - in the early days he couldnt be left tied up or on the box
Busy places and galloping ponies and horses - he can't warm up around others without getting tense and stressed

• 
  
• His strengths
• He just loves to jump (and so do I)
• He loves his stable
• He isn't a nappy horse - you can take him out on any new route hacking and he loves it

Our approach was as follows

• We went to showjumping comps - not shows
• I hired a stable for him - he came off the lorry into his 'safe space' had a net and water and got to chill between classes there,
• We warmed up on a hack out from the yard where the comps were being held and not in the arena and only if it was quiet would do a quick couple of practice jumps
• We started with strictly indoor comps, and were possible entered in via a side door away from the group of waiting horses - later that year we started outdoor comps when his confidence was better and he was more settled,

Within 6 months, he could be tied up to the lorry with a net, do indoor or outdoor comps but still to this day warming up is best done in either a quiet arena or if not possible we hack out away from the crowd and clear his head. He still hates most local shows but since we love showjumping and xc and not showing, this makes no difference to us.

As I said, confident handling and horsemanship is a key element but equal to this is assessing your horse and realising what are the triggers, setting him or her up to succeed and creating a scenario where they can experience these events whilst feeling safe to allow them to become familiar and nonthreatening.

Very helpful, thanks so much!

 

[Cortez]

And who exactly would it be that I’d ‘know’ who to listen to? Cause I only mentioned one person who suggested something 😂😂

You'll know whether to listen to the person who advised you after you've had a go: if it works, great! If it doesn't, don't listen next time. Simples.

 

[Reeis]

You'll know whether to listen to the person who advised you after you've had a go: if it works, great! If it doesn't, don't listen next time. Simples.

It worked, even though you were so adamant it wouldn’t 🙂

 

[Goldenstar]

There’s been work done recently that showed introducing lavender oil into lorries reduced the cortisol levels of the horses verses those travelling without

 

[Cortez]

It worked, even though you were so adamant it wouldn’t 🙂

Great!

 

[Reeis]

Isn’t it just 🙃

 

[Reeis]

There’s been work done recently that showed introducing lavender oil into lorries reduced the cortisol levels of the horses verses those travelling without

Thankyou 😊