Those who use calmers...

Tried magic ,didn't notice any difference.Tried so calm from global herbs [with acid x and zephyr pollenex yes he costs me a fortune] and he seems to a lot more relaxed in his dressage tests.
Having said that we also started our lessons with partoow and that has helped so not sure which one is doing the trick but something has improved his dressage marks conciderably and scared to give anything up
 
I use Steady Up. It does seem to work - just takes the edge off a little, though he will still be silly given the opportunity - just perhaps not quite as bad.

I have also bought but not used yet, some So Calm paste (gives faster results for things like travelling, shows ets) so I will watch this to see if anyone else has used it and what they say.)
 
I started using it because my horse just doesnt think and gets worried and anxious in a comp environment. He has improved alot to handle at a comp since being on a calmer, he was on magic, but recently have swapped to Anxicalm as is designed to be used only for comps, which is what he needs! Also been given samples of So Calm by Global herbs to try....
 
What I really want to know is what made you decide to use a calmer though? At what point did you decide your horses behaviour (or whatever) was too much to deal with? As I am debating whether to put my horse on one or just carry on schooling him and hope he improves with time. He has never done anything to hurt me (yet?! (touches wood)) but he is very sharp and you ahve to be very soft with him all the time, so new experiences can be a problem. But I have never used a calmer before on any horse so am not really sure what to think of them.
 
I decided to when he was wild at comps (took me 35mins to tack him up) as he wouldnt stop spinning/rearing/being a bargy sod, telling him off made him worse, and his tension was spoiling his normally very good dressage. Always thought it was a bit of a fad thibng, but it has helped him, he has since been placed 1st and 3rd in 2 ODE's and been alot easier to deal with since he has been on calmer
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I personally wouldnt use it just because he's sharp, it isnt something i would rely on all the time, if you did then tried him without it you could be unprepared for what happens. I'd persevere and try to work through it, i think you'll find it better in the end!
 
i use magic calmer as my mare is just so spooky and irrational. but i decided to put her on a calmer as i realised i could get so much more from her when shes calm rather than fighting with her all the time
 
I used a herbal calmer on my ex-racehorse when I bought him 4 years ago as he was nuts - He argued about everything, bolted regularly and frequently beat up his fieldmate. lets just add that I'd known him for years and he'd always been lovely. He was bought by a novice before me who thought bribary with polos was the way to get him to do what she wanted! I bought him off her out of a hope that the old lovely horse i'd known was still in there.

He was on the calmer for a few months before I took him off it. I realised that effectively what I was giving him was a naturally derived sedative (camonmille). He was dopey in the field and regularly hurt himself, but all the while was still mad when I rode him!

Then by sheer luck someone mentioned barley intollerances so as an experiement I put him on a barley-free diet and ZING! my lovely horse of old was back. Realised he was like a kid with ADHD being given sweets - all those E numbers (barley equivalent) just drove him mad!

Of course all this was allied with a strict re-training programme but in honesty I put it all down to the barley.
 
I put my mare on Equine America So Kalm powder after about a month or so of box rest. She had been fine, but was starting to get fed up and we were approaching the point where I was worried she'd start getting bargy when being handled in her desperation to get out of the stable. I knew if she carried on getting worse (if I left it another week or so) she'd learn that she was a big horse and could easily get her own way (she's 15.3hh but is a big middleweight ID X). I put her on it and within a week she was SO much calmer, not back to her old self but we had retreated far enough away from the "danger line"! So I am sure it works as she did improve so rapidly. I also keep a syringe of So Kalm paste handy, she has to have half a tube at a time for it to do anything to her but that (15ml) was far more effective than the 5ml dose of ACP paste the vet gave me when it came to turning her out again (she went out after having the ACP and hooned round, I got her in again as she was getting dangerous and gave her So Kalm paste (2/3 tube as that was what I had) and she went back out again fine!)
She's off it not as she's been turned away, but will be back on it as a precaution when I'm allowed to start riding her again.
 
I bought So Calm paste last week because when I took my mare to a particular yard for a lesson (where I plan to do a competition next month) she was uncharacteristicly two hands higher and spooky and the lesson became a bit of a lost cause. I gave her the paste before I went again on Sunday. She was a doll coming off the wagon, tacking up etc. All was good until we reached the arena when we had snorting and leaping! Turns out pigs are house ajacent to it. when she settled down to do some work, she was sluggish and knackered. I think that was just the pigs feeling too much for her, combined with the paste. I expect with something less challenging than pigs it would be very useful.
 
I started to use a calmer during the spring with my boy, as he turned into a complete tit! He got sharp and spooky and quite bolshy - I use valerian just to take the edge off. I usually take him off when the spring grass and first flush of hormonal mare subsides!
 
I used a magnesium based calmer supplement (Topspec) on a unhandled yearling who was a bit scared of the world in general and also needed to gain weight (cutting down the hardfood intake was not an option). I did not feel that it was dangerous or anything but decided it was worth the try to make her more comfortable while settling in.
 
We use Steady Up on our very fizzy 19 year old. Daughter used to ride her without calmers but she is now being ridden by young girl who lives locally. Started using steady up and it seems to take the edge off her, though she is by no means calm. Pony Club instructor (who knows her well) said she seemed a lot calmer. Don't think its down to her age because she was off steady up for a week or so and definitely became more het up. Had thought of using So Clam but she is a nightmare to syringe wormer etc into her mouth so decided it might defeat the object.
 
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