Calmers

[WC1989]

Let’s talk Calmers

I have a gelding with some gnarly show anxiety (rearing, spinning, quitting) in the show arena. We’ve done all the usuals- schooling show mileage, ear plugs, ulcer scopes, ulcer prevention, 24/7 access to hay, saddle fitting, bit changes, many vet checks, and chiro. This is a mental barrier. He’s just an anxious dude when the show is in motion, any other time he’s stellar!

This past weekend I took him to a low key schooling show and tried SynChill AF on reccomendation. Tube says to give 1-2 hours out, so we planned accordingly, but we did not anticipate 2.5 hours to get through 12 classes. By the time we were ready to hit the ring, it had already been 5+ hours, so the end of the window. Just crap luck. I will say, his overall demeanor was much more agreeable. No rearing, no quitting, and some mild spins.

Would it be appropriate to give another half to whole tube to extend results in instances like this? My only concern in doing so is, he passed some looser manure when we got back to the stalls. He’s never done that before. Would you suggest some extra digestive support when giving a Calmer? We pregame with Nexium before, during, and after shows already.

Is there another Calmer you prefer? I’ve never had to go the Calmer tube route before, so this is new territory for me.

[luvmyhackney]

I’d give him a tube of ulcer guard and see if you notice a difference. Nexium does nothing for my horse at shows but a tube of ulcerguard and he’s a doll baby.

Have you tried just riding him at a show without actually entering classes? Dressage show to get experience in the ring alone, maybe other horses the issue?

[Demerara_Stables]

@WC1989

We’ve done all the usuals- schooling show mileage

Was he the same at the schooling shows?

[WC1989]

I can take him over to the grounds (no show) and he is a rockstar. It’s the show hustle and bustle that triggers him. I was really hoping more exposure and ear plugs would help, not so much.

This weekend probably was the best he’s done in a busier setting. He navigated a good bit of traffic with the Synchill AF on board without any complete meltdowns.

[ParadoxFarm]

[GreyDes]

FYI - you may want to take a look at this long thread. Short version is one of the ingredients in SynChill AF is specifically not allowed by USEF in case you are planning to do rated shows.

USEF says L-theanine prohibited in calmers

I was surprised to see another ad for a calmer today that includes l-theanine, saying its show safe. Back in October I emailed USEF about the ingredient and this is what they sent me…just putting it out there since no one seems to know about it. [usef-email]

[WC1989]

My goal is for him not to be on a Calmer longterm. I don’t mind to show him unrated until he builds confidence from positive experiences.
I’d much rather use a Calmer to aid in that journey vs. an RX (Sedivet, etc…).

[Demerara_Stables]

How many times has he gone to the show without being expected to show, just to hang out?

[WC1989]

Atleast half a dozen non-showing outings

[Demerara_Stables]

@WC1989

Atleast half a dozen non-showing outings

Is he in improving at all or not? How old is he?

[WC1989]

If there’s no show going on, quiet grounds, he’s fine. Its when all the noise and commotion sets in that he becomes overwhelmed. It has not improved until the SynChill. He was able to navigate a cluster of 8 horses around him without coming completely unglued. Once he was through, I swear he grew 3 inches and was so proud of himself. Followed by lots of praise of course.
He’s 15 and has been showing since he was 4… apparently under the influence, which was not disclosed to me. We’ve been trying to make positive steps in this “Sober Season”.

[Demerara_Stables]

I’ve had good luck with CBD use at home, dealing with horses that are herd bound, while also continuing to work with them (taking them away from the herd regularly, praising them for relaxing, etc). These horses were on CBD for a month plus, so I’m not sure how it would work for a single use, although the effect is mild, so if you’re not showing them I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t try it for a few weeks to a month. My horses continued to be worked regularly while on it, and I didn’t see any effect that caused me to change their routine/workload.

I use https://mikkoschoice.com/

[WC1989]

I’ve considered that as well! I’ve found a few short term/fast acting products that we may try later down the line. The Synchill AF just came as a reccomendation to me, so I thought I’d try it first.

Another line that has been heavily suggested is CEP Gear Down. They have both a daily pellet and a paste for as needed. I use some other CEP products, so its on my short list to try as well.

I’d like to give the Synchill AF another go, but maybe have an extra tube for back up (in case we get knocked out of the timing window again). Maybe pair it with extra digestive support as well. That’s why I thought I’d ask for other’s experiences.

[Demerara_Stables]

I’ve never used any other calmers so can’t speak to the need for GI support with them, but haven’t had any GI issues with the CBD. 🤷

[GreyDes]

I’ve found SynChill (I used the pellets - I think it’s called Daily?) and ViaCalm to be helpful for mildly exciting situations. They seemed to have similar effects for my horses - just took a bit of the edge off and helped them slow down enough to process things.

I also tried Perfect Prep and didn’t see much of a difference although it seems to get a lot of good reviews.

I haven’t seen any digestive issues with occasional use.

[Cowgirl]

IMO, for me the best thing that helps my nervous horses at shows or other events is ulcergard–a half or full tube. A quarter tube does not cut it for a show for them.

[Amberley]

That’s crazy he is 15 and they just drugged him instead of working through this! It sounds to me like he might be afraid of strange horses. How does he do with others at home- is he turned out in a group? How is he if you trail ride and he encounter another horse there? Warwick Schiller/ Tim Anderson/ TRT all have advice for dealing with horses who are nervous in groups that might be useful.

I think SynChill is about as good as it gets for legal calmers tbh assuming he’s getting enough magnesium / boron in his diet. It sounds like you made good progress with it and are on the right track to helping him. You might also attend some schooling dressage shows and do training level. They tend to be much calmer and one horse at a time in the arena is helpful.