Help! Are there any calmers that work?

[Noodlejaffa]

Had an utterly horrendous day at the BRC dressage qualifiers yesterday. My main horse can get very excited when he's at a competition - to the point of having to show off to anyone and everyone who could possible see him. Anyway, he launched himself out of the lorry, danced around, then bronked his way across the lorry park when I got on him. Had allowed an hour to warm him up to settle him and he was going beautifully, and felt great. Took him out of the warm up (indoors) to the arena (outdoors) and calmly trotted him round and then exploded.

The infuriating thing is he can do an absolutely super test (high 60s or low 70s at Novice) but only when he's in his zone (if you know what I mean). I'm getting so frustrated with his behaviour I just don't know what to do. He's on a calmer (Top Spec) and he only gets a small amount of molasses-free Hi Fi, Top-Spec lite and unmolassed beet. He's turned out for a good 7 hours a day.

I know horses are not machines, but has anyone got any suggestions as to what I can try to perhaps get some form of consistency/calmness.

 

[chestnut cob]

I don't usually rate NAF products but I used their Instant Magic calmer last year when I was having problems with my horse out hunting (he is a seasoned hunter but just completely flipped). I used it several times and I do think it helps. The Master's OH recommended it to me!

You are supposed to feed one syringe about 1.5 hours before it is needed but she suggested giving one the night before and one the morning of the meet. It didn't knock him out but it did take the edge off him.

I now feed magnesium oxide daily - not actually as a calmer but because it helps with his feet, muscles and is supposed to help metabolise fat. It has had the added bonus of chilling him out quite a bit. He is still sharp and can be spooky (as proven yesterday when he trod on a stone out hacking, stone flew up in the air and hit something, he took off down the road...) but he doesn't overreact about everything now. It's as though he takes a minute to think about things first. Might be worth considering feeding it pure to yours daily?

 

[kirstie]

I used nuprofed on my old horse, really helped take the edge off him. Expensive but worth it I think.

 

[skint1]

We've had success with NAF Instant Calmer and the Equine Science biscuit ones.
I'd be interested to try the Nupafeed one though as have heard a lot of good about it

 

[MardyMare]

I know how you feel. I have a mare that works well in our lessons and my range of scores at novice level range from 44 - 72 % ! I tried loads of calmers and none seemed to really work. I even tried calming myself. This year I took her shoes off as I had had enough of all the hard work and no consistency in return from her. I have her on magnesium oxide for her feet and like chestnut cob has mentioned - my mare is a lot calmer and more laid back however I have not tried a comp yet. Lack of schooling time at the moment but I will try again soon and see if it makes any difference. I did however try all the calmers that had magnesium in so who knows. If you find something that works perhaps you can pass on the name to me

 

[Hemirjtm]

I use Nupafeed with my lad, fantastic ! I was having huge huge problems with him out hacking, he would spook at everything and turn out of the blue and fly buck on the spot. lovely to try and sit on a broncing horse in the middle of the road Put him on Nupafeed and I can now hack him out perfectly, he still has his 'moments' where it's better to just get on and trot straight away but thats more to do with the fact that he is pretty fit and is in 24/7 at the moment. I can actually hack my horse out and have him walk home calmly! I was actually getting to the point of never wanting to hack him out again.


Huge thumbs up for Nupafeed !

(last week we hacked everyday, 5 days - on our own and with company!)

 

[bordermare]

This was being discussed in Veterinary the other day

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=414550

Zylkine Equine, thought I might give it a try.

 

[Nic]

If you don't want to faff about trying a few I'd say go straight in with Nupafeed. Expensive to feed the loading dose but anything that has any effect on DA gets my vote!

NAF 5* worked on Dubh but didn't touch DA.

 

[TPO]

Horse First Relax Me has worked wonders on my friends horse who would just flip and appeared wired to another planet! It kept him on an even keel and his "energy" could be channelled in a more useful way.

 

[langside]

If you want i would be happy to send you a dose of oxyshot for you to try (I was lucky to win a bottle)
It has a rep for working wonders on some but nothing on others - I only ever got to use it once on the beastie at eglinton but felt she was actually listening to me for the 1st time this season

 

[spacefaer]

Nupafeed - works! Can take some time to get into the system at the loading level - you keep feeding it at max levesl until it works.... and with some horses, you have to be patient!

HorseFirst RelaxMe - also works - turned hyper hunter into nice hunter

The others - Magic, Steady Up etc - seem to be good (enough) for every day stressy horses, but not strong enough to overcome the effects of adrenaline at shows

 

[Britestar]

Have used Nupafeed with great success. It is expensive, especially at the start with the loading doses (make sure you do it to the letter), but made my mare rideable again.

Zylkene Equine is new, and although don't know about horses, we have had good reports of it at work with dogs and cats, even through with fireworks.

 

[soulfull]

I've had great results with Mag ox so cheap too

 

[kerilli]

Nupafeed didn't touch my mare, cost me a fortune too.
I use CalMag from Barefoot Basics, it's not expensive and I really see and feel the difference with mine.

 

[Mally]

I had exactly the same problem as you at the same competition! My horse clearly thought he was at an event as he went in search of the xc after the dressage!
Think i will be trying one of thesse calmers too

 

[Alibear]

Magnesium doesn't work on my boy,Nupafeed, Naff Magic etc I've also tried Oxyshot with no luck.
I've had a lot more luck with the products that contain L-Tryptophan as well as magnesium. (Yet to try one thats just L-Trytophan as had trouble finding one).
Blue Chip Karma is good, So Kalm Plus is even stronger and they also do Super Kalm in a syringe which is the strongest thing I've found so far and would be good if you only need it for shows as it can be used on it's own as a one off kind of thing.

 

[Baydale]

I use Crossgates Bioenergetics AAA, it makes them focus without making them dopey and doggy...although it sounds like you'd have been grateful for dopey and doggy.

http://www.crossgatesfarm.co.uk/ani...iquid-remedies/352-horse-liquid-remedies-30ml

 

[jakkibag]

Ive had the same results as Alibear, the only thing that works with mine is So Kalm plus powder, Mag based things made her even more of a loony (If thats possible) Def trial and error!

 

[MegaBeast]

Magnesium based products only work if they are actually magnesium deficient (usually depends on your grazing). L-tryptophan is effective but it's not competition legal for that very reason! Basically if it works it won't be competitionm legal unless your lucky... nupafeed has good results on some, although I must cofess to being sceptical. Valerian based products are also effective but again not legal.

I tried NAF Magic on my mare at a show to try to get her to relax during a test and she was a nightmare and just fidgeted non stop all day which she doesn't normally do, and was subsequently hyper to jump. Needless to say we didn't try it again !

 

[Honkey : )]

Equine americia's SoKalm, they do a syringe for two hours before.. and if its a big show you can also feed the sokalm powder supplement for 5-7 days before to make more impact!


I used topspec calmer last year on my mare just to keep her lid on with lack of turnot, and it worked for that but not for big comps

 

[Glayva]

Prokalm by science supplements, amazing and FEI legal.

 

[Dolally]

Where can I get magnesium oxide? It sounds like a worthwhile remedy to try to calm my feisty mares!

 

[OneInAMillion]

I have tried NAF Instant Calmer, Feel Good 30, pure magnesium, magnesium feed with extra magnesium. Nothing worked at all. I am now extremely sceptical about it. Is it all in the riders' head?! Maybe it's just my horse

 

[billysmum]

I have had similar problems with my boy. He is such a stress-head but often works well at home and then becomes like an unexploded bomb in a dressage test. The worst thing is his lack of focus. I used to feed Nupafeed but wasn't sure it was working. Then I tried a syringe of So Kalm before a show and he nearly went to sleep (hooray!) so I thought that worked and started feeding the powder on an everyday basis. Now I feel he's as bad as ever. I don't know if they get used to things after a while. Why are all these products so expensive? Prokalm and Zylkene Equine both a lot of money if you can't be sure that they are going to work

 

[deskbound]

I've had good results both with the AAA on a topical basis, and Nupafeed on a more consistent ongoing usage...

 

[Janette]

I think they get used to them as well. I've tried NAf Magic powder, Naf Magic Instant, Supreme DeFuse, Equine America's Magnesium, So Kalm powder......

I just need something to help in the show ring - when she is suddenly in the company of horses she's never met before, in an unfamiliar place. Cue - tension, leaning, pulling, rushing.... sigh

 

[MardyMare]

Where can I get magnesium oxide? It sounds like a worthwhile remedy to try to calm my feisty mares!

I get mine through my BF trimmer but I have seen it on Ebay

 

[Kenzo]

Horse First Relax Me worked very well on a horse at our yard at compeitions.

I use Equimins Serenity on a daily basis for my lad, it's not a instant calmer it's a mag type calmer but there is no doubt that it keeps him more level headed during stressful or excitable times, it's guaranteed to work or your money back, I'd give it a go and then use something like an instant type during the day of the competition.

I don't think there are many instant type calmers that will even touch highly excitable horses once they are feeling that way out, also had sucess with Gold Label Equikalm, it's a herbal supplement which is very good if used with the above, although be aware that one does contain the V stuff.

 

[Dolally]

Thanks for your reply Mardy Mare I will try looking on ebay but if anyone else knows other places to buy magnesium oxide please let me know, thanks.

 

[Mike007]

A few horses are Mg deficient,but not many. If they are not deficient a suplement wont work. sadly the biggest con on the market ,oxyshot does actualy work!Not because of what they say!!!! But because if you were a stressed excitable horse with a dry mouth ,what would you want! Someone to squirt some water into it!We always used to sponge race horses mouths before a race.Same principle.