Your Experiences with Calming Supplements please!

[0dd]

After our little falling over incident last week (and many other cases of loonyism while out hacking) we've decided to try a calming supplement.. Top Spec to be precise.. not sure why I didn't think of trying one before!

What are your experiences with using them/certain products/did they work well or not/how did they affect your horse?

Thanks :)

[Afellpony]

Never tried any calming supplements for my pony. I keep him calm by the type of food I buy for him. At the moment, he has Ride and Relax but I've used Safe and Sound as well. Both are good. I would rather do it this way and only resort to supplements if I really have to. At the moment, there's no need to as he's getting calmer all the time - and - even more so that the warmer weather is here now. The weather seems to affect him (bless)!

[magicalmac]

Had a horse that I think wrote the book on loonyism whilst hacking, I used "Steady up" [I think Dodson & horrel] worked a treat. Took about 2/3 weeks before it took effect but after that he became a lot calmer and actually started to listen. As an experiment after 6 or so months I took him off it within the month back to loonyville.

[0dd]

that's interesting to know.. thankyou both!

my horse is a TB x Hanoverian gelding. not sure if he's an ex-racer, though the way he reacts when he's not at the front of a ride or if he's being slightly left behind measures up!

[Bob's mum]

I put my spooky, nervy boy on Top Spec Calmer and within a week I saw a positive change and after a month he was like a whole new horse. Still full of go when asked but no longer jumping at his own shadow ! I thoroughly recommended it.:)

[Bay Mare]

CalMag or MagOx are brilliant.

I've seen the effects of Saffy NOT getting CalMag and can say for sure that it works (but only if it's lacking to start with)!

[TaffyJay]

I have used steady up which worked for a while then changed to magic by naf its brilliant just takes some of the fizz out of my boy so he is sensible enough to think about what hes doing! also use temprelax for situations i know will really stress him like loading or if new horses go out in the field etc and find this really works although only use it occasionally as its very expensive so maintain him on magic!!!:)

[Sol_Gemma]

do they still do steady up? about 11 years ago i used to see it everywhere at some horses at the yard were on it, biut since last year when i started riding again i havnt seen any :confused:

[Peanut]

I used Naf Magic when I first started hacking my youngster out on her own. It just took the edge off her adrenaline without changing her personality. No one else would have noticed the difference but I could feel a much less jittery horse beneath me. Would recommend it.

[Jessey]

I've tried most of them :o Topspec did nothign for my boy, nor did steady up. I can't even remember all the names of the ones we have tried now :rolleyes: I found one which worked to start with them it didn't seem to be after about 8 months, reacently started him on Fell Good 30 science formula calming and have to say it does seem to be helping him alot, now onto our 2nd tub :D I am also trying to source MagOx, hopefully that wil have a similar effect but be a bit cheaper :p

[parsharainbow]

I tried most of them with my mare and nothing worked :o On a recommendation from a breeder friend of mine I bought vitamin E and selenium (not a calmer) which they used on their broodmares for various reasons, and it worked :eek: So I'm assuming she had a vitamin and mineral disorder, although a few people I know now have given it as a calmer and it does seem to really work - so whether the grazing in our area is deficient in selenium I dont know :confused: but its fantastic stuff :)

Instead of being really sharp and spooky, she's calm, doesn't spook anymore, doesn't have her up and down days and she's a pleasure to ride (which I certainly couldn't say before :) )

[HairyCob]

I've used Magic, which I found to be expensive and not all that effective, and now I use Feelgood30 science formula calming- which is brilliant!

It takes the 'super spooky' edge off her without turning her into a dobbin, and, most importantly for my fussy eater, she doesn't mind the taste of it either!

Dolly only needs half the reccomended dose, so a £20 tub lasts us two months, at which rate I recon it's cheap too:D

[Trewsers]

Global herbs instant calming sachets - they definitely helped my pair when we moved house. Got Settleeze for long term use for Storm, not sure if she's just settling in or if its actually working!!

[KT C]

I've tried a few (Magic, Steady-Up... can't remember the name of the other!) and didn't really find them to be all that effective; the only one that I think seemed to help was So-Kalm Plus (Equine America). Pricey though.

[arttilly34]

hi what amounts of vit e and selenium do you give

[carrimclaren]

I tried that equine america so kalm and to be fair i saw no difference on my mare. Then i swapped her onto Dodson & Horrell Stroppy Mare and have since a marked improvement but this could also be other factors in there e.g taken away a pain issue, me as a rider etc.

[SJ wanabe]

Calming supplements only really work if they have magnesium in them although zinc sometimes works, but most horses don't need supplements if they have a balanced diet, because they are already getting the right feed and that is the way they will go no matter what.:)

[Siogfinsceal]

theres a supplement called 'happy days' used that and found it helped. siog is a bit loopy but I dont use a calmer id be afraid it will affect her performance. take valerian and hops for example. These are calming herbs but I take these as tablets when I cant sleep (im a bit of an insomniac) and they make me sleep therefore I dont want to give those to my horse (dont want her feeling sleepy half way round a course!)

[Lydia B]

I've used Global Herbs and NAF Magic.

The Global Herbs one sent T batty to start with and actually made her worse so I took her straight off that and she calmed down. Also smelt of curry powder - eugh.

NAF Magic is much better. As others have said it just takes the edge off. I swear by it in winter when T's in at night.

She isn't on anything at the moment as she's out 24/7.

My friend has a TBxArab and also uses NAF Magic. Took her horse off it and his attitude changed completely so he's back on it and is much better. He's also on 24/7 in the summer.

Another friend swears by TopSpec's calmer.

Horses for courses I guess.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

i used FeelGood30 on my horse for a while after we moved yards and it definatly calmed her down.

[Stella2]

Calming supplements only really work if they have magnesium in them although zinc sometimes works, but most horses don't need supplements if they have a balanced diet, because they are already getting the right feed and that is the way they will go no matter what.:)magnesium and any other mineral only works if that mineral is in short supply in the body! Calmers with L Triptophan in (in high enough dose) should work as its proven (in humans too) to have the effect of increasing the neurochemical Serotoinin. This should reduce anxiety and startle response. Steady Up and So Kalm both contain L Triptophan. Of course if a mineral is in short supply in the body, a better result will be obtained by supplementing that.