Depo alternative - Injectable Regumate / Altrenogest for geldings

[Joziegirl]

Has anyone tried this as an alternative to depo? Depo was great to take the edge of my gelding at shows. Without it he is hot and nervous. Now that depo is band I’m trying to find an alternative that provides comparable results. I’ve spoken to my vet and have his advice but would like some feedback from anyone who’s tried it before purchasing it.

If you reply that it’s a training problem, I’m not going to even read it because that’s not the problem and that’s not the info I’m looking for. So please save your typing fingers for another post 😉

[kwpn_01]

Regu-Mate has worked wonders on some temperamental mares in the summer time for show season, and I’m even considering it for my mare when her time comes to show the circuit. I’ve never heard of its use on geldings, but I know that it also does work on stallions (can affect breeding ability though, once taken away).

Down side is that it is very expensive, and must be handled with extreme care. It also doesn’t need to be injected, it can be poured directly on top of feed.

[Joziegirl]

Thanks Kwpn_01. As far as I know the oral regumate will definitely not affect geldings. If it’s going to work it needs to be the injectable form of regumate. I just don’t know if it’ll have the same calming effect that the depo had 🤷🏻”â™€ï¸

Oral regumate was awesome for a mare I had though… it was super helpful when she was a hormonal mess.

[Denali6298]

I thought regumate was banned in geldings period and that’s why people put them on depo?

I love these “how do I drug my horse so I can ride it at a show” threads.

[endlessclimb]

God forbid your animal (not a robot) gets a little nervous in a new location. And god forbid you learn how to ride him in a way that provides the confidence he needs.

Nooooooo, let’s just pump him full of a rando chemical disregarding any long term implications of it instead of putting the onus on ourselves and learning how to ride.

Enjoy those ribbons - they come in the stead of being a horseman, hope it’s worth it.

[Jenerationx]

I wasn’t aware that geldings had heat cycles. Learn something new everyday, I guess.

[endlessclimb]

And, to add: I’m sick of the damn excuses.

Come ride my mare, and you’ll understand that I should be the FIRST in line for a calming supplement - she’s like riding a damn dragon, and is really easily offended. Instead, I took it as a personal challenge - my horse was calling me to task on riding as a partner, riding with tact, and quieting TF down.

Or. I could drug her.

Yeah, no thanks.

It’s taking time. We have good days and bad days. Some days I’ll admit to getting really frustrated with it all. I never ever want to own another one as sensitive as her. But you know what? I’m 100x a better, more giving and following rider now than I was before she came around. She demanded it, and instead of telling her to shove it and pumping in a chemical, I took it as as the challenge riding is meant to be.

[Dinah-do]

Not my circus but I have a friend that uses Regumate on a gelding and swears by it… I kinda think maybe a placebo thing??

[Twisting]

Whatever drug you find, if it is actually effective, it too will eventually be banned. Probably sooner rather than later, and you will be on the hunt for a new drug.

[Denali6298]

Oh, OP it is a training problem that has been ignored since ya know, it’s for shows.

[CanteringCarrot]

@Twisting

Whatever drug you find, if it is actually effective, it too will eventually be banned. Probably sooner rather than later, and you will be on the hunt for a new drug.

This is a fair point, and why relying on drugs in order to compete your horse is not the best plan.

If I have to give my GELDING Regumate to calm him (uh, ok), then I need to look at my training program and/or if this is the right horse for me to be competing. Not all horses are fit for that. That’s fine. I know the OP said not to waste my typing fingers, but as the owner of a neurotic, quirky, borderline bat sh*t crazy unstable equine, I’m sick of the short cuts. Esp these weird hormonal ones given to geldings.

[Tackpud]

Altrenogest / Regumate is illegal to use in geldings or stallions for the reason that it does not have a legitimate therapeutic use in anything other than suppressing estrus in mares.

[findeight]

@Tackpud

Altrenogest / Regumate is illegal to use in geldings or stallions for the reason that it does not have a legitimate therapeutic use in anything other than suppressing estrus in mares.

That been true for some time but only applies to USEF rated shows (even if the specific division is not rated). So it’s possible people use it elsewhere.

So I’m not going to tell OP it’s a training problem and some things just never train out, either it’s just the horses basic nature or a mismatch to the program and rider(s).

Just mention it is illegal at better shows and probably in Cali since the state can test any show since the 1970s.

[Doberpei]

@Joziegirl - it’s either a training problem, or he is not the right horse for you. You decide.

Altering the temperament of horses in order to show is unethical and forbidden. It is not in the horse’s best interest. Whether Regumate works on geldings or not, it’s not approved for use in males because they lack the the biology that the drug was created for.

To ask a question on a public forum, and then tell people what answers you will accept, is a “ya, but”. You are not asking for advice, you are asking for affirmation that what you are trying to do is ok. It’s not. Most members of this forum won’t tell you it is. Since you are a “greenie” on this forum, I am guessing this name is an alter, and you already know the pile-on you will receive. The answer you seek, grasshopper, will probably not be found in this forum.

Why would you ask your vet’s advice, then go to a forum for the advice of a bunch of strangers? I think because your vet has told you that it’s a bad idea, unless you use Dr. Feelgood, and then you wouldn’t need this forum’s advice, because Dr. Feelgood would have just given you the drug and shown you how to use it.

Finally, I suspect that you will go to other locations looking for the answers you want, please know that Depo is “BANNED” not band.

[IPEsq]

@Tackpud

Altrenogest / Regumate is illegal to use in geldings or stallions for the reason that it does not have a legitimate therapeutic use in anything other than suppressing estrus in mares.

This is only for FEI. USEF doesn’t have this rule otherwise.

[Denali6298]

@IPEsq

This is only for FEI. USEF doesn’t have this rule otherwise.

I totally thought depo/regumate was banned unless used for therapeutic purposes and since there is no therapeutic purpose for regumate outside of mares only mares could have it.

[IPEsq]

Depo is banned by USEF now. Regumate is not on the list. It’s questionable IMO that there’s no possible therapeutic purpose. I mean, Depo was allowed because there was anecdotal evidence that it was therapeutic for some geldings (that may have also resulted in a calmer demeanor). There has been a study that showed that Regumate did affect testosterone in stallions; it could possibly have a therapeutic effect on geldings. There was a bit of discussion on this in the Depo thread which boiled down to hormones are complicated. In any event, it is an express rule for FEI that geldings and stallions cannot get Regumate. There is no such rule currently at USEF but USEF has banned Depo as of this show year.

Technically, all of the USEF restricted (permitted with time limits or permitted with medication report) substances and several of the banned substances have a therapeutic purpose. Some banned substances with therapeutic purposes are fluoxetine, gabapentin, capsaicin, devil’s claw, lavender, CBD (we think), certain corticosteroids (they are on the permitted with medication report with some exclusions).

Giving any substance for an intent other than a therapeutic purpose is against the rules, no matter what it is. An example would be giving Dex not for hives or anti-inflammatory purpose (therapeutic) but to hype the horse up to try to make it “tired” later. As is giving a sedative to get a horse on a trailer (not a therapeutic administration), but giving it to assist in the diagnosis or treatment of an injury (sedate the horse for stitches or imaging or to help with symptoms of gas colic) is allowed under certain time restraints and with a D&M report and could be done in a scenario where horse might be otherwise healthy to show before the withdrawal time.

[Jealoushe]

BuT ItS NoT A TrAiNiNg PrObLeM GuYs

[Denali6298]

@Jealoushe

BuT ItS NoT A TrAiNiNg PrObLeM GuYs

I love you

[mvp]

@Denali6298

I thought regumate was banned in geldings period and that’s why people put them on depo?

I love these “how do I drug my horse so I can ride it at a show” threads.

And it’s banned (not band) because it’s performance enhancing. (Synthetic) progesterone is one of those fat-soluble hormones that affects the brain the way Xanax does. And it does this in all animals, males and females.
At least that is what I learned about why it works reading some posts by endocrinologists here. You can look up those threads.

I’m sure, OP, that you don’t want to read that you are cheating in addition to not wanting to read anything other than a chemical solution to your worried gelding… any of which is cheating.