Question about Calmers

Tiffany

Tiffany

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Is the idea to keep a horse on a calmer all the time or just when going somewhere new or in a situation where horse is likely to get stressed/excited?

Also, if you could recommend a calmer from your own experience it would be appreciated.

Thanks
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I think it depends on what type you get, and wether you think your horse needs a calmer all the time, or just at a competition, or when travelling etc. You can get the instant ones that you give your horse orally just before you need it. If generally your horse is a bit stressy an everyday one may be better. There are loads of different ones on the market, I have used the NAF magic on my eventer, he has a small maintence dose everyday, then i up it a couple of days before a competition. I have found that it works really well, however I also know that alot of people say it doesn't work for them. I think a bit of trial and error is necessary to get the one that your horse responds to best, as all horses are different.
 
I changed my mares diet to a low starch diet and it made a huge difference, I give her magnesium (Equine americ Magnitude) as sometimes the grass is deficient in it/ That is what makes up a lot of calmers anyway
 
QR
From personal experience I can recommend Equistro Equiliser.
It very much depends on your horse though, a magnesium based calmer will work only if your horse is deficient in magnesium in the first place.
Otherwise, L-Tryptophan, Niacine and Vitamins B group is what you are looking for as those have the happy pill effect as a combination.
 
It depend on the problems you are experiencing with your horse. If your horse is normally ok in everyday work but gets stressed when travelling or when at a show etc then you would probably only use a calmer for those type of events. If your horse is a general stress head then you may need to put him on a calmer everyday to help maintain his calmness. It's difficult to generalise as each horse & their situation is different.
 
we have our youngster on NAF Magic as we have backed him this year and thought it was a good idea. I have no plan to keep him on it all the time as i would liek it as a useful ally when required.
 
currently my horse is on the NAF magic calmer all the time, and so far it has helped. however he's an anxious stresshead and needed it to just take the edge off - particularly when introducing him to new things and settling him in his home. I'm not a big fan of calmers and from peoples comments they don't seem to work, however because this is a magnessium based calmer it has worked and I can really tell the difference in him in his stable and when riding.

I use the calmer not as a fix-it, but to help support us in training and settling him in his work

but it does depend on the horse on whether they actually do need it all the time, or just a quickfix to ease the pressure and take the anxiety out of them.
 
I have tried a herbal calmer which i just used at shows and that worked the best. I tried feedmark instant syringe calmer and it made my horse sweat up really badly and if anything made him worse! I have given up on instant calmers but i dont think it's a great idea to use them all the time, as you might well notice a difference when you stop using it!
 
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