calmers

B

blood_magik

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 January 2011
Messages
6,343
Location
Scotland
Visit site
I'm looking for a bit of advice.

I usually give jerry a calmer before he travels. Yesterday he downright refused to take it (I usually pop it in some comp mix because he rears and boxes at you if you try the other way) so we decided to persevere and just get him home.

We managed to get him in without too much fuss but the minute the ramp went up he freaked out.
he's taken a chunk out of his head and ear and the skin off of my leg.


so would you think about putting him on a calmer supplement or would you persevere with as needed?

we are still working on getting him used to going in the lorry.
 
For the time being, for his sake, I would give him a calmer before he travels.

However, if you can spend some time de-sensitising him to travelling it would be worth it. You will have to forget about competing for a while though. Give your self plenty of time with each session so you are not rushing him. Load him up, let him stand in the open box for a few seconds and then take him out, lots of praise. Get him to stand a bit longer each time and the minute he relaxes take him out.
Don't put up the ramp until he is standing quiet and relaxed on a regular basis, it may take a few sessions. Put the ramp up a few feet when he is nice and relaxed, and then let him out. Gradually closing it further each time and letting it down when he is relaxed, until you can close it completely. When he is relaxed with the ramp up , try starting the engine and when he relaxes, turn it off and let him out. Initially, his reward for relaxing is coming out of the lorry, but the more relaxed he gets the less bothered he will be about the whole thing.

Gradually build up to travelling a short circular route and then longer distances. Keep the whole thing slow and calm.
 
Last edited:
he's been getting NAF magic an hour before he goes. I pop it in a little bit of feed and there's usually no problem.

the only reason he travelled without was he was at the vets for his prp treatment and they couldnt get him to take it. he won't be going anywhere for 12 weeks so we will have lots of time to practice once the vet gives us the ok to do so. he'll also have a travelling buddy as my dad's horse will be here by then.

the main issue we usually have is closing the partition - being closed in is what upsets him. we think he's associating going in the lorry with being beaten (long story - previous owners over-faced him at shows and beat him when he didnt perform to their standard). yesterday he stayed calm until the ramp went up.

I think I'll try him on an every-day calmer and see if that takes the edge off? what does everyone else think?
 
blood_magik said:
the main issue we usually have is closing the partition - being closed in is what upsets him. we think he's associating going in the lorry with being beaten (long story - previous owners over-faced him at shows and beat him when he didnt perform to their standard). yesterday he stayed calm until the ramp went up.

I think I'll try him on an every-day calmer and see if that takes the edge off? what does everyone else think?
Click to expand...

No wonder the poor lad panics. I think a daily calmer and gradually closing the partition a couple of inches a day may well do it.

How people can treat a horse in that way is beyond me - he's lucky to have found you.
 
A vet at a ride recomended epsom salts as a calmer, it works out very cheap, and so far so good with mine. Its basically magnesium.
 
Has he enough room to spread his legs.

I have a mare that last year stared to throw herself about in the trailer. What we did was give her more space by moving the back part of the partion. We travel her loss with no boots or bandages.

I spoke to a number of companies about calmers and found that "Nupafeed Calmer " was the best. Within a week we had a calm horse that travelled from Hampshire down to Exmoor the only thing I could see (I was following the trailer ) was that she did leaned going round corners (not throwing herself just leaning) I have seens travelled (on my own) to Wales ,again with no trouble.

I give her 25mls of the calmer every day and then 1 syringe 1hour before travelling. She did not like me using the syringe but has now got use to it.
 
Not sure on that, I tried it for 3 months on my mare, who shakes with excitment every time she goes near the lorry, and gave up, I was feeding it 3 times a day and using about 125ml, on there advice, which for a 13.2 is a lot, and didn't seem to be getting anywhere!
 
Magic is an expensive way to feed magnesium.

Magnesium isn't a calmer - it is an essential trace mineral that is often found lacking in forage and especially if the horse gets alfalfa.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include;

• Irritability
• Hypersensitivity
• Muscular twitching and spasm
• Gastro intestinal symptoms
• Heart irregularities
• Gait disturbances
• Inability to control hind end (can be seen as a reluctance to canter)
• Sore hooves (seen especially in spring/autumn)

If the horse displays a positive reaction to a magnesium based calmer - then there is a deficiency and the horse has been crying out for help. The calming effect is actually the horse getting back to it's normal functioning state.

It really pees me off to see companies selling such products (at a hefty mark up) without explaining the real reason why it works :(

The other main ingredient in Magic is brewer's yeast - another very cheap ingredient to keep the gut happy.

So I would save your money and feed additional magnesium and brewer's yeast long term.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAGNESIUM...r_Equipment&hash=item3f15984d6b#ht_1368wt_952
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BREWERS-Y...r_Equipment&hash=item41640dbc40#ht_1100wt_952
 
I could handle him being excited - what I can't handle is him being so stressed that he hurts himself trying to get out of the lorry.

yesterday was awful - he cut his face in several places and also managed to get inside his ear when he reared.
the vet couldn't get the needle into him and he was sweating and shaking. he was absolutely terrified :(

unfortunately he needs to travel to the vet for ultrasounds over the next few months so we need to crack the issue.
 
Oberon said:
Magic is an expensive way to feed magnesium.

Magnesium isn't a calmer - it is an essential trace mineral that is often found lacking in forage and especially if the horse gets alfalfa.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include;

• Irritability
• Hypersensitivity
• Muscular twitching and spasm
• Gastro intestinal symptoms
• Heart irregularities
• Gait disturbances
• Inability to control hind end (can be seen as a reluctance to canter)
• Sore hooves (seen especially in spring/autumn)

If the horse displays a positive reaction to a magnesium based calmer - then there is a deficiency and the horse has been crying out for help. The calming effect is actually the horse getting back to it's normal functioning state.

It really pees me off to see companies selling such products (at a hefty mark up) without explaining the real reason why it works :(

The other main ingredient in Magic is brewer's yeast - another very cheap ingredient to keep the gut happy.

So I would save your money and feed additional magnesium and brewer's yeast long term.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAGNESIUM...r_Equipment&hash=item3f15984d6b#ht_1368wt_952
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BREWERS-Y...r_Equipment&hash=item41640dbc40#ht_1100wt_952
Click to expand...

I agree with this. About 15g of the MgO from the link, and 30-50g of brewers yeast.
 
I see from the eBay link that it is the Oxide not the better Magnesiums. Magic contains both Magnesium chloride and oxide so it is the Magnestium chloride that is doing the work.

What works for one horse does not work for another.
 
I started feeding straight Magnesium to my mare a couple of weeks ago and to date it has made jack all difference!! I have 6mths supply so will continue to feed it but not holding out much hope of it doing much.
 
paulineh said:
I see from the eBay link that it is the Oxide not the better Magnesiums. Magic contains both Magnesium chloride and oxide so it is the Magnestium chloride that is doing the work.

What works for one horse does not work for another.
Click to expand...

Would you mind elaborating on this a little? I have not heard anyone describe magnesium chloride as being 'better' than magnesium oxide. MgO is the form with the greatest bioavailability to the horse, I believe? In what way are other forms of magnesium superior?

Thanks
 
I thought chelated magnesium was a more effective way of feeding magnesium. I had understood that the molecules of oxide were too large to get into the blood stream effectively?
 
Oxide mineral forms are usually less digestible than sulfates, carbonates or chlorides with the only exception being magnesium.

Magnesium oxide is fine.

Ingredients of Magic;

Magnesium oxide,
Grass meal (?binder)
Hops (calming)
Passion flower (calming)
Calcium carbonate (limestone flour...which will make absorbing the magnesium harder!)
White mineral oil (filler)
Brewers' yeast (b vitamins in tiny amounts and gut soother)
Magnesium chloride
Fenugreek seed (taste)
Oligofructose (dried) (sweetener)
Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract (brewers yeast in Latin to make it sound like another ingredient).
 
sjp1 said:
I thought chelated magnesium was a more effective way of feeding magnesium. I had understood that the molecules of oxide were too large to get into the blood stream effectively?
Click to expand...

The jury is still out on whether chelated mineral forms are better or not.
 
topstripelucy said:
Me too - fab stuff. My boy fence walks - on magnesium he is a happy chap in the field!!
Click to expand...

Ohh I am pleased someone else is having luck with it!!! I was going to look at doing a full mineral work up with forageplus?! The only reason I was going to do this was because I have had such a good result from the magnesium, and was wondering if he must have had a mineral deficiency?! He just seems less stressed about life. Anyone used them????
I would feed it straight at magnesium is the only thing horses can not store naturally in their body
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top