what calmers do u use on your Tb?

italylyns

italylyns

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Hi all,
I have a TB who is generally well behaved but can be excitable and become a handful in certain situations like distance rides where there is alot going on.
I have tried global herbs TB calmer but it Didnt really do anything and then he stopped eating it!!

What do others use.??? ... That work!!!
 
Magnesium and B vitamin calmers will only work if your horse is deficient in those vitamins and minerals.

Chamomile can work, however it is prohibited in competition as is anything containing Valerian.

When my TB was unexperienced, I used Rescue Remedy on him and myself with good results.

In my experience, the only thing that I have found works 100% is experience, getting out there and doing it while putting him in as many different situatons as possible... The more your horse has, the better he is likely to behave.

My boy thought loud speakers meant race track, which is understandable as they did in the past... I took him to an event and left him in the float yards with heaps of hay and water - right next to the cross country course and closeish to a loud speaker. After 30-40 minutes, he stopped running around and calmed right down for the rest of the day. He was even having a sleep as the 2* and 3* horses were on course and galloping past him. Loud speakers now no longer get him excited.
 
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I use NAF magic daily in his feed, and the instant magic when were competing. Turns him into a donkey for the first 20 mins, which is long enough to get on, warmed up, and get him working and concentrating.
 
Agree with NaeNae, worth trying the magnesium/calcium/vitamin B calmers if the horse is completely neurotic, but they will only work if the horse is deficient, and if he was he would be on edge most of the time rather than only under certain circumstances.

Seconded again that it is all down to exposure. The more you get out and about, the less exciting he will find it.

Might be worth lunging him in the morning if you know you're doing something that will over-excite him? How often is he ridden?
 
He is ridden most days! I have tried lunging before but doesnt make a difference lol will just continue to get him out there. I had heard prokalm was good but its so expensive :-\
 
Well its safe to say that a tube of Naff Magic Calm at 5pm, 10pm and 6am along with earplugs didnt do a dot for my tb yesterday at Blair! I have never found a calmer that works - instant or fedlong term.
 
My TB used to get incredibly stressed at competitions (real stress, not naughtiness or excitement). On the recommendation of an eventing friend I used this (plus a four month break from comps to really teach him to relax, the combination worked IMHO): http://www.trinity-consultants.com/index.php/store/product/55-lesstresse.

He was far calmer - still a little bouncy but I could walk to and from the warm-up on a long rein, which would have been suicide before. We went from retiring in dressage tests to winning so a huge difference. I'm fairly confident that we won't need it this season as he's seen that comps aren't the end of the world, but it helped us over a hump! I suspect he had a bad experience racing and thought he was heading back there.
 
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