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Trewsers

Trewsers

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Oct 13, 2004
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I'm not looking for short-cuts / quick fixes without reason here! Some of you will know for various reasons I can't do groundwork at the moment with Joe (due to time / illness on OH's part). What I really need tho is some advice on calmers - I know its been asked before - sorry to be repetitive. I had him on Top Spec calmer which has done nada:rolleyes: Am I just wasting money? Today he displayed more of his daft behaviour - completely out of the blue, no rhyme nor reason, but I worry that one day he will do us both a mischief. He's already cost us £1000's in car damage:eek::mad: I know the real way to sort some of his issues out is to do ground work but I just don't have time / chances at the moment. Just really need some recommend on a calming product. Thanks in advance.:)
 
hi i notice your in lancashire, thiers a place up the road

carrs billington about half hour up m6 from preston.

They sell cattle supps basicly i have a friend that swear by calcined magnesite you can get a 20kg bag for £10 she gives 50g twice a day and her standardbred is fab on it settles her rite down. The bag will last the year, when i can be bothered to driv and get it im gonna get some as its handy stuff.

xxx
 
Somebody else has mentioned magnesium - do you think that it might be that his diet is lacking in it? I know where Carrs Billington is - (I think!).
 
hi i doubt she's lacking in it, but its a fab suppliment and its very cheap and its gets fantastic results. Defo worth a try hun :) x
 
Emma_P said:
hi i doubt she's lacking in it, but its a fab suppliment and its very cheap and its gets fantastic results. Defo worth a try hun :) x
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I disagree. Generally speaking, if a horse isn't deficient or imbalanced with regard to certain nutrients, it can do more harm than good to feed them extra. At any rate, it's just wasted if not needed. Eg excess mag in relation to it's balance with calcium can cause the same probs as mag deficiency. Without a diet analysis I would be hesitant about suggesting any supplement at all.

Without further information on what behavioural problems you're having & how you deal with them & manage your horse overall, I wouldn't want to assume it's a deficiency or suggest any general 'fix'. It could be too much hard feed, too little exercise or stimulation, fear based, dominance based, pain, the way you ride....

I don't get why you haven't time for groundwork, if you have time to ride? Is it that you hate groundwork or something? Especially if you're having dramas, I'd be spending more time on your relationship & communication & less time just riding.
 
NO I DON'T HATE GROUNDWORK!!!!!!! But my OH is very ill (he has a long term illness) and Joe is his horse and I already have my mare to contend with - I think looking for a calmer is quite reasonable at the moment!! I have no proper school - but even if I had, I am struggling to just do the horse chores and do my job. Joe caused £1000's worth of damage to our car not long ago - and I was concerned that he might do one of us a mischief! He's been on box rest for quite some time on and off due to suspensory ligament damage - so yes, I'm guessing this might have something to do with the fizzy behaviour! But, there isn't anything I can do about that - the ligament (on vets orders) needs to heal - and I can't turn him out. He does get a roll and a leg stretch twice a day tho - so not totally stir crazy!!! (don't know where you got that I had time to ride from - as Joe can't be ridden at the moment?)
 
Hi Trewsers - sounds like you have a lot to cope with at the moment.
I dont see why you shouldnt try some calming herbs/minerals, along with whatever else you are doing with Joe. Im bumping this up for you in case anyone has more expert knowledge about this particular area - trouble with the feed companies giving advice is of course that its all vested interests.
I was told that lime branches have calming properties and our lads seem to choose to eat them when we bring them in.
Hope your husband is feeling better soon.
 
In your case I would be taking the vets advice and maybe using small doses of ACP (sedolin). This is not so much a behavioural issue as one of confinement on vet grounds. If you don't want to go that route consider one of the valarium based sedatives, Gold Label used to do an effective one.

Edited to add...discuss the possibility of long term turnout with your vet, they do tend to jump on box rest these days but the old fashioned idea of turning away for an extended period can be just as effective.
 
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How about trying a natural calmer? I think "Wendal" do one that's made from100% herbal ingredients.:)
 
Not too familar with your personal situation but from what you've described he sounds similar to my lad.
Has out of the blue tantrums whereby he'll happily do himself a mischief (never mind the person holding him/on his back). Defo not a chap to get stroppy with!
It IS mostly a training issue and he's much improved since I bought him. But hes been forced to have several months off due to injury, which co-incided (as these things always do :rolleyes:) with me having other strains on my time. So lack of exercise and the less time spent on him havent been ideal, but can't be helped.

I found (sorry to say :cool:) calmers are trial and error. Friend swears by magic mag. calmer, but it did nothing for mine. However Nupafeed liquid calmer did help a bit (strange, because they're both magnesium based :eek:). It hasn't calmed him per say, but it has taken a bit of edge off of him.

Don't know if that helps at all.
 
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I agree with eml that acp could be the way to go.
My lad when he was on prolonged boxrest after his operation was given several acp tablets approx 1 1/2 hours prior to his hand-walking exercise. This meant he didn't jump out of his skin, we could do the light vet-prescribed exercise without him hurting himself or his handlers AND he could be taken for some in-hand grazing on quiet days (when it was windy we didn't risk that though as acp only does so much). The ability to hand-graze in a civilised manner especially was fabulous as it helped his mind a lot.

Number of tablets depends on size of horse so ask your vet.

It MAY not work -some horses don't seem to calm down with acp at all, but for my boy it was a godsend and worked a treat.
 
Thanks for the suggestions - eml - I had discussed the turnout issue with the vet, but she is fairly certain that it would only cause more setbacks - we did initially have him in a tiny paddock (which he kept jumping out of!) but apart from that, with him being quite "lively" (he doesn't do grazing quietly!) she thought it was going to undo all the good being done with the healing process, even if he was only allowed out for a few hours at a time - trouble is, as we live on a sheep farm, its quite busy with the sheep at all times and Joe being a tb still hasn't got used to them (prob never will!) and it really doesn't take much to get him going and running around hooning!!!!!!! I think Sedalin is definitely worth paying out for - I'm going to ask the vet for some and use that when I have to. Its really difficult trying to persuade something that is only allowed out twice daily for a leg stretch and a roll in a tiny sandpaddock - that walking around calmly for 10 minutes is the way forward............! Last night, he tried using his strength against me again - (OH is ill again) and I need to keep his walking up - vet said he really needs it as otherwise scar tissue might start to form? (think I've got that right). Horses eh?!!! Just what I need in the cold and the dark...................
 
icegirl said:
Hi Trewsers - sounds like you have a lot to cope with at the moment.
Hope your husband is feeling better soon.
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I will pass on your good wishes thanks:) At the moment its been a bit of a struggle I must admit - but fortunately, my lovely storm seems to know when things are tough - she's been an angel:D She keeps looking at Joe as if to say "what are you getting so worked up about"!!! She doesn't seem fazed at all by the limited turnout and me doing everything - Joe really is getting his horsey underpants in a twist over it all..........:rolleyes:
 
hey hun. can i ask what you are feeding joe on right now? i'd pare that right back to a minimum if he's not already on that. I have mixed feelings on ACP, mainly coz my little darling was on 8 a day (wee 13.3hh toots so didn't need much) and it made not a bit of difference to her! we had success with the wendals calmers, and i know some people who swear by the NAF magic clamer. tbh, i'd try wendals first :)
 
I've fed magnesium and I think it does help, as I stopped for a bit and my mare was very spooky out (could be coincidence of course)..anyway here is a link about it...

http://www.naturalhorsesupplies.co....53-Magnesium+Oxide+%28Heavy%29+900g++%A31149/

but buy it from her ebay site as the postage is cheaper:D.

I've also tried Blue Chip karma and I think that helped but in quite big doses when needed. I might try Global Herbs one next.
 
eventerbabe said:
can i ask what you are feeding joe on right now? :)
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He's on half a scoop of Happy Hoof in the morning with a couple of carrots or slices of swede and in the evening, he gets his Cosequin and some biotin mixed with a tiny amount of 16 plus mix (for some reason he won't eat his biotin with Happy hoof!!!!) I honestly, don't think he's getting that much hard feed - I daren't cut it out altogether cos of the supplements.

I've heard of the Wendels herbs - I'll have a look in our local tack shop - or maybe on line.
 
Thanks for that link Clava! And thanks to all of you for replying - I feel better just talking about it - I feel like a pest bothering OH right now (he's really not well) and sometimes its a bit disheartening when you're doing everything alone. I do have family that can help with certain things but they're not horsey so no good handling JOe etc.
 
I don't really have any advice but just thought I'd send you a quick reply to sympathise!!

Frosty isn't coping very well with being stabled at all. In fact, it's not the stabling that is stressing her but more the horses moving in and out of the field (it's a livery yard so people bring their horses in at different times and it makes her very unsettled). She's been moved in with a new group of youngsters today which she was fine with until she had to go into her stable this evening which majorly stressed her. I absolutely hate leaving her when she's getting all worked up. I've just bought some magnesium oxide off ebay (hadn't read this thread before :rolleyes:) which I'll give a try. If that doesn't work then I might try a herbal calmer. Hopefully, in a few days when she gets to know her routine she'll settle down.

Aarrgh, horses, there's always something to worry about!!
 
HI Hun,

didnt relise till now this had been bumped again. I 'd still go up to carls, you'll get a huge bacg adn it'll last ages. It does get great results, effectily its the same stuff as on ebay but you just get a 10k bag for the same money.

Hope your other half is improving or at least having an easier few days, i have to severly disabled children so i totally get you. Its hard going when they ahve really bad days.

Kepp your chin up and no body has any right to pass judgement on what you choose to do, you can only do your best at that moment joe curtainly is a huge hand full so glad your mare is behaving for you. She's prob staring at him to tell him to wind his neck in and behave.

Good Luck over christmas and sending you lots of healing thoughts xxxx
 
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