Which calmer?

[ldlp111]

Where to start?..
I'm wondering whether to try a calmer for my mare, she can be abit spooky on hacks on her own much better in company.
Also at the last ode we did she was flipping out before the dressage, kept doing bunny hops, reversing, generally being abit silly, would settle every so often. She wasn't being really naughty as in full on rears/bucks, but I think due to amount of people warming up was abit much for her. She can be quite sharp/ spooky and have the omg can't cope moments anyway.
At combined training the week after she was alos naughty, fine in the outdoor warm up but asked her to go into indoor (which she has been in before) and she wouldn't due to dog barking which set her off and she just kept reversing, had to get off her in the end and lead her in. Once she was in arena she kept spooking at everything even though there was nothing particularly scary.
So just wondering whether a calmer might help when it gets just too much for her.
Most of the time she is fine, in lessons and normal just dressage comps she normally quite laid back, although will look/spook at stuff occasionally.

There are sooo many different calmers.... not sure what to try first
Ones on my list so far....
Naf magic
Calm and collected by hilton herbs but this has valerian root in is this competition legal?
Steady up by feedmark
Equine edge calmer bars by equine science
Nupafeed MAH
Horse first- relax me
Equistro betamag
Calmex

So any reviews....

 

[L&M]

I have yet to find a calmer that works.

You see a lot of posts re pure magnesium (mag-ox?) on here that is meant to be an good calmer, but apparently only works if they are deficient in magnesium in the first place.

The best thing I have found is to feed less, turnout as much as possible, and excercise more.....

Good luck!

 

[ldlp111]

She is out 24/7 at the mo anyway, she only has dengie hifi lite, some fats fibre, one tea cup full of saracen re-leve (was on cup and half so have cut back already) a sprinkle of linseed (to use it up as on it over winter as she dropped quite abit of weight) scoop of protexin and half a scoop of shake relief by naf.
Oh and don't want to exercise her anymore than I do as she's worse when she's fitter.

 

[JennBags]

I give mine Magnitude...and I think it helps.

However, the biggest change I made was to stop feeding him carrots. I'd read it on here a few times, and poo-poo'd it, I seriously could not believe the difference in him.

 

[JennBags]

If the carrots/magnitude didn't work, I was going to try the Top-Spec calmer as a couple of people had highly recommended it.

 

[ldlp111]

She doesn't get fed carrots although does get polos, assume due to the sugar in carrots is why people say to avoid.

 

[firefoxgirl]

I have had our TBx gelding on Equimins 'magnesium' calmer as he just wont settle at the yard he is at. Sadly, it hasn't made the slightest difference over the last few months so I won't be buying another tub.

 

[3Beasties]

Relax me has been great for my mare

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Over the years I've tried various calmers & to be honest they've been an expensive waste of time as they achieved nothing.

I have however found a calmer now that genuinely works but it is expensive, Nupafeed MAH. Many calmers have magnesium in them but it just goes straight through the horse & very little is absorbed so those achieve nothing & the horse's behaviour remains unaffected. Nupafeed is absorbed & I've found it has helped both my show jumpers. One has always been a stress head. He has loads of ability but he's always become stressed at shows, won't listen & panics & charges at fences. Any amount of schooling makes no difference. I've had him on Nupafeed for a couple of months now &, although he still gets a little stressed he is loads better & we are getting good results at shows. The other is razor sharp & has a real edge. He can be difficult on the ground as well. The Nupafeed again has got him more chilled, he still has a bit of an edge, be he's more manageable & his show performances are getting really good.

It is very expensive stuff but well worth trying. It takes about a week of dosing a horse up with it before you will see a change & then you give a smaller amount daily to maintain the magnesium level.
http://www.nupafeed.co.uk/#/mah-horse-calmer/4557791966

 

[ldlp111]

My instructor did say the Nupafeed Mah is good stuff but very bitter so umming and arring whether will actually get her to eat it
She did say that equifeast is it is quite good as well.

 

[Elsiecat]

Topspec calmer. I can't recommend it enough. When I first got my horse she was a nightmare. I (very naughtily but in a panic) used more than recommended and could see a noticeable difference within 48 hours. 3/4 days later and other liveries started commenting on how she was much better!

 

[SNORKEY]

Save yourself some money and buy the main ingredient of all these calmers on eBay. Magnesium oxide 1kg for horses is £10, and agnus castus used for balancing hormones is £9 for 1kg. Global herbs told me these were the main ingredients of their calmers and they work for me.

 

[ldlp111]

With the relax me, assume it's ok to use other supps? shes currently on shake relief by naf and protexin

 

[smanf]

Very useful thread this thanks, I am contemplating taking some action with my boy who can get very anxious very quickly. When he is in familiar surroundings he is a sweetheart but if somehing out of the ordinary happens or we go somewhere new, he can be rather a handful.

I wonder though, how do you know if a horse is deficient in Magnesium, I always worry about upsetting balances if they are actually ok?..

 

[lea840]

How about valerian calmer, made by Lincoln, it comes in a 500ml liquid bottle and you just use 2tps in the daily feed, I bought my second bottle yesterday in DH and it was £8.25, might be worth a try without spending a fortune... It totally takes the edge off without effecting performance, ideal for shows and generally being out and about. Works a treat on my mare who can be one of the biggest 'Mares' going lol

 

[smanf]

Having now just read the Nupafeed website using the link from Toby_Zaphod (thank you) I think I understand the magnesium thing a bit better now and will probably give it a try. (More money for the pit )

 

[ldlp111]

How about valerian calmer, made by Lincoln, it comes in a 500ml liquid bottle and you just use 2tps in the daily feed, I bought my second bottle yesterday in DH and it was £8.25, might be worth a try without spending a fortune... It totally takes the edge off without effecting performance, ideal for shows and generally being out and about. Works a treat on my mare who can be one of the biggest 'Mares' going lol

Well I thought that anything with valerian in was banned for comps although that might just be BD/BE etc, I do occasionally do Bd so

 

[lea840]

Well I thought that anything with valerian in was banned for comps although that might just be BD/BE etc, I do occasionally do Bd so

I've just read the back of the bottle, it states, not permitted for use under FEi & Jockey Club Rules...