LaurenBobby
Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone,
So I'm after peoples advice and experiences on calmers?
Background -
My horse is usually chilled, but can sometimes be a stress head. For example when we go to competitions/clinics. He also does this weird muscle tremoring thing that is worse when he is more stressed. For example on a normal day he will be a bit 'shaky' when we arrive at the venue and then relax and eat his hay within about 2 mins. However, yesterday he was awful. He literally shook the whole time and did not calm down. Pood pretty much constantly for the first half hour. He is not a naughty horse so he wasn't particularly naughty but I just know he's not himself. When he is like this he will not eat. Was fine when we got home.
He has had blood tests done by vets, all normal. He has been scoped for ulcers, all normal. He is 100% worse shaking when he's stressed. When he's not stressed there is not shaking. Awaiting PSSM test results. Vets are stumped as to why he shakes, even top vets at leahrst. I'm convinced its to do with stress.
This shaking started Aug 2018, after a fun ride. It is now almost every time we go out. However we are doing lots more these days than we did previously to the first episode. No loss in performance, in fact getting better! No muscle loss, weight loss etc.
Feeding wise he was on hi fi molasses free, and hi fibre cubes. Ad lib haylage through winter. I have recently (last month or so) started to give chaff before each ride. However he will take or leave the hi fi molasses free. The only thing I can get him to eat every time is apple chaff. Which I know contains sugar, but which is the lesser of the two evils? He has seemed much better having chaff before traveling and at competitions. Yesterday however he would not eat a thing when we were out because he was too stressed.
Supplements wise he has turmeric, I've started him on a gut balancer (last week), he also had magnesium oxide. Which I didn't think helped so I didn't buy another bag once this one ran out (about 10 days ago), but now I'm thinking it had more of an effect than I thought?!
A few people have mentioned vitamin e? Does this help reduce stress if a horse is lacking vitamin e? I have ordered some anyway. Also ordered more MgOx.
So basically I'm asking if anyone has any thoughts on this? Or any calmers that have worked for them? He's a strange one because he always does as he's told, and I don't feel like he's going to explode or anything like that, but he's just a bit tense sometimes.
It really upsets me because I just want my old calm horse back. All ideas welcomed, at this stage I think id try anything.
So I'm after peoples advice and experiences on calmers?
Background -
My horse is usually chilled, but can sometimes be a stress head. For example when we go to competitions/clinics. He also does this weird muscle tremoring thing that is worse when he is more stressed. For example on a normal day he will be a bit 'shaky' when we arrive at the venue and then relax and eat his hay within about 2 mins. However, yesterday he was awful. He literally shook the whole time and did not calm down. Pood pretty much constantly for the first half hour. He is not a naughty horse so he wasn't particularly naughty but I just know he's not himself. When he is like this he will not eat. Was fine when we got home.
He has had blood tests done by vets, all normal. He has been scoped for ulcers, all normal. He is 100% worse shaking when he's stressed. When he's not stressed there is not shaking. Awaiting PSSM test results. Vets are stumped as to why he shakes, even top vets at leahrst. I'm convinced its to do with stress.
This shaking started Aug 2018, after a fun ride. It is now almost every time we go out. However we are doing lots more these days than we did previously to the first episode. No loss in performance, in fact getting better! No muscle loss, weight loss etc.
Feeding wise he was on hi fi molasses free, and hi fibre cubes. Ad lib haylage through winter. I have recently (last month or so) started to give chaff before each ride. However he will take or leave the hi fi molasses free. The only thing I can get him to eat every time is apple chaff. Which I know contains sugar, but which is the lesser of the two evils? He has seemed much better having chaff before traveling and at competitions. Yesterday however he would not eat a thing when we were out because he was too stressed.
Supplements wise he has turmeric, I've started him on a gut balancer (last week), he also had magnesium oxide. Which I didn't think helped so I didn't buy another bag once this one ran out (about 10 days ago), but now I'm thinking it had more of an effect than I thought?!
A few people have mentioned vitamin e? Does this help reduce stress if a horse is lacking vitamin e? I have ordered some anyway. Also ordered more MgOx.
So basically I'm asking if anyone has any thoughts on this? Or any calmers that have worked for them? He's a strange one because he always does as he's told, and I don't feel like he's going to explode or anything like that, but he's just a bit tense sometimes.
It really upsets me because I just want my old calm horse back. All ideas welcomed, at this stage I think id try anything.