Horse Calmers That Work - Do they exist?

Do Horse Calmers Really Work?

There are times when your horse may become a little more reactive than normal and the use of horse calmers may be beneficial to support them during times of stress or to assist long term management.

Finding one that works can be challenging, as whether a calmer works or not depends on a large number of factors. It is important to identify the source of the stress and it may be coming from a number of sources including horse feed, workload, negative experiences (eg. injury/accident whilst traveling), learned behaviour that results in what they want (eg. napping and the rider getting off), spring grass, fluctuations in diet, hindgut imbalance, returning from injury and many others.

Effective Horse Calmers

As each horse is an individual, the daily rate required to be effective for your horse may be different to their neighbour! That is why the feeding rate of calmers is often shown as a range rather than a specific amount. Play around with the feeding rate - start with the highest amount when first trying a calmer and then reduce down. If you find it effective at the lower rate, save the higher rate for situations when you may need additional support due to increased stress, tension and anxiety. It is important to assess products over a period of time and not expect an instant effect!

Horse Calmers for Spooky Horses

Equine calming supplements are scientifically formulated to support the various causes of tension in horses which can include hormonal and diet related issues (such as gastric discomfort, trapped wind, bloating etc). They are designed to aid your horse’s stress response and help them maintain a state of calm, allowing for optimal focus and performance.

Instant Horse Calmers

Horse calming supplements now come in a variety of forms including powders, liquids, gels and even calming cookies. So called “Instant calmers” usually come in syringe form (or as calming bites) and can be fed directly, whereas powders and liquids are mixed into a horse's normal feed. Instant calmers should probably be better named as short-term intense calmers as the effects are not instant. They can be particularly useful before stressful situations like traveling, dentist, shoeing etc to help your horse relax.

Always remember that supplements are generally formulated to "take the edge off" the anxiety and stress of a horse, they are not sedatives (which are prescription only medicines recommended and used by vets for certain situations).

Magnesium Based Calmers

The majority of calming supplements on the market are magnesium-based. Magnesium plays an important role in both nerve excitability and muscle spasms/muscle tension and has therefore been used for many years with the assumption that a nervous horse may have a magnesium deficient diet. Naturally occurring magnesium varies widely throughout the UK, if you find that magnesium-based products are not proving effective or showing a negative effect (as can often be the case), it may be that your horse's diet is already providing enough magnesium and you may need to try a different active ingredient.

There are many products available that use combinations of adaptogenic herbs and amino acids to help support anxiety without relying on magnesium, these can be a useful option for horses that do not respond to a magnesium-based calmer and have been proven to be as effective.

Other ingredients to have a look out for are:

B vitamins: There are 8 B vitamins that assist your horse in a number of functions of health and the nervous system. During times of stress and illness, the body’s natural B vitamin production may decrease, and a supplement with B vitamins may help level out the deficiencies, resulting in a calming effect.

Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) – the essential oils in this adaptogenic herb have a calming and soothing effect on the digestive system which can aid behaviour in stress prone horses and ponies. Studies have shown that Lemon Balm supports GABA levels, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood.

Passionflower (Passiflora) – traditionally this adaptogenic herb is used to support sleep and anxiety.

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) also known as Winter Cherry: An adaptogenic herb that can help to balance mood. It has anti-depressant qualities and can be helpful in stress reactions such as cribbing and weaving. Ashwaganda is often found in natural calming supplements for horses.

L-Tyrosine is an essential amino acid that has been shown in studies to improve cognitive function affected by stress. It is a natural mood stabiliser, its role in the production of serotonin helps to manage stress and maintain a relaxed state. Tyrosine supports the production of dopamine and can help to lower anxiety levels, assisting learning.

L-Theanine: An amino acid derivative not commonly found in your horse’s diet but it is found in green tea. It has been found to increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine to promote calm and relaxation. Highly effective in dealing with anxiety and shown to reduce stress reactions but not an approved additive for horse feed in the UK.

There are a large number of products formulated with tryptophan on the market but research opinion is divided on the benefits of tryptophan in low amounts.

Moody Mares

Hormonal mares and Riggy geldings can provide additional challenges! Calmers may aid with hormonal changes in mares that lead to difficult behaviour. These products support the mares natural hormone cycles by including herbs useful in supporting hormone balance, helping your mare to feel more relaxed and comfortable. These supplements can be fed year round even when the mares are not cycling. Grumpy geldings can also benefit from hormone support!

What is the best horse calmer?

Some horses are naturally more nervous than others and simply need a little extra support to keep them happier in their daily life. Feeding an every-day calmer that helps to calm worry and nervousness can be the ideal option if you’re one of the many owners with spooky horses!

Equell Unwind contains a unique blend of adaptogenic herbs combined with Tyrosine to support your horse through challenging situations such as competing, traveling, clipping etc. Supports cognitive function and allows them to be calm, happy horses - helping them to perform at their best and giving you one less thing to worry about!