Calmers

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timmyhorse

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My horse is usually very laid back but in the morning when he decides its time for him to be turned out he can get very stressed, very quickly. I am trying to avoid the problem by putting him out nice and early but sometimes there's no way round it and he gets himself in a state. I'm wondering if there's a product on the market that works so that it has a calming effect when he gets upset but doesn't dope him up the rest of the time... I'm sure someone told me about such a product once but I can't remember what it was. Does anyone have any ideas?
 
naf magic is great ! does what it says not too expensive. and blue chip have a new calmer on the market which is great as a top up when horse goes mad
 
All calmers are magnesium based, so the best bet is to get either some Magnesium Oxide (Mag Ox) or Cal Mag. The Cal Mag is grittier than the Mag Ox, the Mag Ox is much more powdery. We use Mag Ox but I know plenty of people who get on just fine with Cal Mag.

Lots of grazing in the UK is magnesium deficient, and as it is this which helps to support the central nervous system, magnesium can have a great effect on some horses.
 
Chamomile Tea
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All calmers are magnesium based

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That's not necessarily true - some are Tryptophan based.
Kate x

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Very true! I used calmers on my Welshy and magnesium based ones had no effect at all, whereas tryptophan based ones I found to be the most effective.
 
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All calmers are magnesium based, so the best bet is to get either some Magnesium Oxide (Mag Ox) or Cal Mag. The Cal Mag is grittier than the Mag Ox, the Mag Ox is much more powdery. We use Mag Ox but I know plenty of people who get on just fine with Cal Mag.

Lots of grazing in the UK is magnesium deficient, and as it is this which helps to support the central nervous system, magnesium can have a great effect on some horses.

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Interestingly, I had a chat with Topspep a while ago who said the exact opposite. Their nutritionist said all the research on the apparent lack of Mg in grazing was actually carried out in Australia, where horses respond well to Mg based calmers as they make up for the lack of it in the soil. According to Topspec those calmers don't have a lot of effect over here as our grazing apparently actually isn't Mg deficient.
 
UK grazing on the whole is not Mg deficient. However, some horses are deficient in magnesium. A magnesium based calmer will only have an effect if the horse is deficient. If not it is a waste of money.

This explains about feeding magnesium... http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/health/magnesium-121.shtml

However, it sounds as if your horse is dispalying a perfectly reasonable and rational reaction to the way he is managed. Looks like you will ghave to get up earlier!
 
What a great thread, I've learnt a lot from it. Have always been told that calmers are magnesium based and about our grazing being deficient in magnesium. Hmmmm, what an eye opener.

The Mag Ox we give to ours does work as a calmer as well as helping their barefeet - which was actually the reason we started feeding it.
 
Just a thought - could you ask the first person at the yard in the morning to put a hay net or a feed in? That might keep him occupied long enough for you to get there and stop him getting stressed. Or maybe something like a SnakBall.
 
What about this one?
http://www.globalherbs.co.uk/horse/2004_pages/calmers.htm#Turnout

It's a Global Herbs product called TurnOut. It's actually designed to reduce excitement/stress when horses are first turned out after box rest, but if your horse only gets wound up when it's time for him to be turned out, this might help? You could always email them for help; the products are designed by vets and I got a quick reply to my query by one of the vets.
 
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