Smartcalm, perfect prep, calming supplements

[Ready_To_Riot]

Thanks everyone! Mare has a ton of turnout. It was 24/7 until it became so damn hot and my barn has electricity so I bring them in under the fans from 10 am to 5 pm now. But this has been going on before this switch in living so it’s not this.
And we have 6-8 horse on the property at any given time.

Maybe I should dry lot her? (She is fat anyway!) I don’t know if that has ever been tried. I know since I have had her, it has not. Since she’s been with me, she’s had free range of 15 acres.

All things to think on. Thanks!

And idk who commended me on keeping her through thick and thin, but thank you! I have worked with and owned many rescue horses. I don’t sell horses because of that. If I can’t keep you forever, I don’t have you. I’m lucky enough to have that option as I know many people don’t. I have rehomed 1 horse in my short life, and he is still in my name and basically just on a long term lease with my best friend

[RugBug]

FWIW, there are plenty of people who like hot horses. I have someone riding my gelding that loves hot horses. She thinks he’s fabulous right now being a nut job. Her own horse is quite hot but has been a little mellowed since the move. She was lamenting that she’s quieting down. ???.

You CAN properly regime this one of you wNt, but it would take VERY thorough and honest marketing and then some luck in Finding the right person. Buy backs always help this type of situation

[Ready_To_Riot]

[QUOTE=RugBug;8722340]
FWIW, there are plenty of people who like hot horses. I have someone riding my gelding that loves hot horses. She thinks he’s fabulous right now being a nut job. Her own horse is quite hot but has been a little mellowed since the move. She was lamenting that she’s quieting down. ???.

You CAN properly regime this one of you wNt, but it would take VERY thorough and honest marketing and then some luck in Finding the right person. Buy backs always help this type of situation[/QUOTE]

There is a difference between a hot horse and my horse. We literally cannot walk around any where on the farm without her being in a frenzy. Breathing hard, jigging, head in the air, and in a dripping sweat from WALKING. I don’t mind a hot horse, but at home, she is literally uncontainable. She doesn’t buck, or bolt, she just cannot move without getting insane anxiety. But only at home. And a buy back option isn’t a for sure thing. There is no legal recourse and I won’t have control over what a person does with her. Also, if she hurt someone, I couldn’t live with myself.

[jaybird660]

With one of my horses, I tried Quiessence, no difference and Smart Calm, again, no appreciable difference. My horses also can go in and out at leisure from their stalls to pasture so that wasn’t the issue. Then I tried Ultra Digest and I feel that helped the most. Additionally, I recently changed feeds to something with slightly less protein but more fat, he’s an OTTB, and that helped even more.

[Winding_Down]

OP, I apologize if this has been recommended earlier in the thread.

If she is better away from home than at home, I would guess that it is a severe case of barn sour. I have had a mare that would be a total mess riding at home and perfect away from home.

How is she if you ride with another horse?

How is she if she is in the barn alone?

[findeight]

Given the added information that the mare only behaves erratically at home but is just fine away at the trainers???

That rules out physical problems and bad behavior caused by magnesium deficiency. That’s got to be environmental, somethings different. Look at herd dynamics, diet, feed/groom exercise routine etc. maybe it’s something you can modify to change the reactive behavior. Many horses do thrive in a busier barn with set scedule for everything same time, same way every day. What we think they would like, that idyllic country setting running on “island time”? Doesn’t actually work for every horse.

Know somebody with an erratic mare that was fine at the trainers over every winter but nuts at home every summer…most mares don’t cycle in winter. They finally figured that out and Regumate did the trick. Depo works but unless you buy it, time the injection to the mare’s cycles and give your own shots, is kind of a PITA to keep up with. I would try her on RM for a couple or months. My own mare can be pretty overreactive, spooky, wanting to pop/stand up instead of work or be quiet and not try to take a chunk out of you being led in or out. RM knocked that right out of her. I tried all the supplements and leaves, they didn’t do a thing. Depo worked but a shot every three weeks was a pain.

[RegentLion]

Op,

I have a gelding that is now 18. He does best in non-home environments. At home he’s spooky and reactive. He’s been this way at 3 different homes. He does best on a set and predictable schedule.

One of my theories as to why he gets giggity probably won’t apply to your horse, as yours appeared right after the move. Mine takes a few months to get comfortable enough to periodically lose his s***.

This spring, though, he went goofy more than usual. Turns out his E and Selenium were low.

Oh. And all the usual calming supplements had no effect. I’ll be starting him on quiescence to see if it affects his mild head shaking, but don’t anticipate a calming reaction.

[RegentLion]

Just realized I got your thread confused. Your horse has presumably been at your house a while.

Ok. My theory is my horse gets comfortable at home. He had expectations of how things Should Be. And when those expectations aren’t met, or something is different than how he anticipates it should be, he has the feelings. Whereas when he’s some place new, it’s all new, there’s no expectations to fall short.

Its maddening and frustrating, because he is so good at his job, but doing the home riding can be miserable.

[inca]

Yes, the additional information screams “herd bound” to me. That can be super frustrating. Is she turned out alone or with another horse?

Is it worse when she is in heat? I had a mare like that and Regumate helped a bunch. I had that mare on SmartCalm and Regumate and if she was on a consistent 5 day a week work schedule, she was pretty good. Less work than that and it was hit or miss. Less work and no regumate - heaven help us all.

[Dewey]

OP, I wonder of clicker training might help your mare. I have no personal experience with it at all, but it sounds as though she might benefit from having something to think about and focus on at home besides where her friends are. I have read that clicker training can be very effective for horses that have high anxiety levels. It might be worth investigating.

Food for thought. Good luck.

[Shagyas_Rock]

I used to use a supplement called Ex-Stress when I first got my young five year old; he was emotional and reactive. I believe the ingredients were a combination of Vitamin B and Magnesium. It made a huge difference. He calmed down a lot as he got older but in the meantime it really helped.

[vxf111]

Calm-n-Cool does have a new name…

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/devine-equine-daily-pellets?sku=O4CD&gclid=CLWP8IfFyM0CFUw6gQod0y4MwQ

(a stupid, unhelpful new name, if you ask me).

I have used this rehabbing horses on stall rest. I did a double dose (two scoops twice a day) and it did take the edge off. Didn’t 100% change the personality but mellowed the horse a bit. It will test (valerian), but I also don’t personally recommend showing any horse you’re artificially calming whether the ingredients test or not. Some horses just need a different job.

[DMK]

Honestly, if there is something about “home” that makes her unsettled and anxious, you may need to think about “reprogramming” that experience.

Maybe try Confidence EQ for a few months or so and try very short rides that end before she gets unsettled. That could mean something as limited as tack her up and then lead her around or lunge her for about 5 minutes in such a way that reinforces that she needs to pay attention to you (not just twirling her around), whatever it is that ends on a good note. Maybe ride with one of her buddies and then just periodically walk away and then come back (it’s better if you leave vs the buddy leaves) and build on this as much as the “end on a good note” positive experiences will allow.

The idea is the Confidence EQ will giver her a moment to calm down and take a deep breath and you will build on that by stacking good experiences on top of it.

But she has 15 years of reinforced behavior, chances are this is going to be a long haul to reverse it. My guess is unless you are willing to invest in the considerable amount of time it takes, your next best bet is probably just a small amount of ace. And my thought is there is probably nothing wrong with that approach either. She’s not living a bad life if you do nothing but ace her for the occasional ride. There are worse things for a horse than living in a pasture with some buddies, getting quality food and shelter and little bit of ace when she gets ridden at home. It’s not an approach I would take if you planned to ride her regularly at home, but that doesn’t quite sound like your plan if I read your post correctly.

[Doctor_sOrders]

I swear by Medroxy (depo). I know a lot of people feel very negatively about it, but it turned my anxious, skinny, reactive, and admittedly, dangerous TB into a calm, cool, fat, pleasant horse. We’ve only done one shot (4 weeks in) and it doesn’t have to be a long term situation. My trainer has seen plenty of horses that are stuck in their anxiety. Depo for a couple months and get them in the program you want them in. Then slowly take away the depo.

That’s our plan anyways. Hopefully once he’s ‘reprogrammed’, the medroxy will be unnecessary and as long as he stays in the exact same schedule, I think he will be fine. Horses like this thrive on routine.

Also, I’m looking at working through some mounted police training for some desensitizing. Obviously while on medroxy

I also agree a double dose of MagRestore is fantastic, if not for the calming, then to ease that tension that these high strung horses have. Mine goes: anxious --> tense --> body sore --> reactive to any aids because he’s so body sore --> time off --> excess energy --> anxious. Never ending circle we are trying to break right now and after 7 years with this horse I have to say IT’S WORKING.

Other things I’ve tried that didn’t work:
Oral calming supplements, 24/7 turn out, half day turn out, free choice turnout, no alfalfa, all alfalfa, no concentrates, grain free, soy free, corn free, RB, 'anxiety buddy (goat), riding twice a day, pro rides 5x per week, light work mostly consisting of trail rides, boarding at a busy stable, boarding at a brood mare farm, boarding at a retirement farm, boarding with cows, showing a lot, not showing at all, any equipment change combo you could ever imagine, riding only in open fields, riding only in a round pen, chiro, body work, stretches, massage. Any combo of these you can imagine.

Sometimes you meet a horse that completely changes your way of thinking. This horse has been the most constantly humbling experience in my life.

[RugBug]

[QUOTE=DMK;8722836]
Honestly, if there is something about “home” that makes her unsettled and anxious, you may need to think about “reprogramming” that experience.

Maybe try Confidence EQ for a few months or so and try very short rides that end before she gets unsettled. That could mean something as limited as tack her up and then lead her around or lunge her for about 5 minutes in such a way that reinforces that she needs to pay attention to you (not just twirling her around), whatever it is that ends on a good note. Maybe ride with one of her buddies and then just periodically walk away and then come back (it’s better if you leave vs the buddy leaves) and build on this as much as the “end on a good note” positive experiences will allow.[/QUOTE]

I’m starting down this route with my gelding. He has it in his mind that he comes in to eat and then goes back out with his buddies. I think he’s forgotten there is a whole lot more to his life…or at least was.

I am starting with bringing him to the crossties to groom and possible tack up and/or do ground work. He’s already calmer in the crossties (we went from 3 poops of stress and sweating just walking around on the first day to no stress poops and one minor sweat spot the second).

We were trying this with the riding, but I think it was too much for his brain and he would just stress out. We are now approaching like we are re-programming him and, fingers crossed, we will have good results.

[BLBSTBLS]

I did not take the time to read every post, But I agree with those saying start Regumate. Her hormones might be making her a little nutso. We have a racebred QH, never raced on the track but bred for it. Chesnut Mare - enough said.

She is constantly Mare-ish and high strung. Regumate has calmed her down and helps her focus more on her work instead of being a Chesnut Mare

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=KandC;8721222]
Probably not the answer you are looking for, but put her in a consistent, rigid program. Consistent, firm work can often be the answer for a hot horse- whether it’s you riding her or someone else. Make yourself a stronger rider- especially with mares, if they can get your number, they’ll take advantage of you. Work with a trainer to figure out how to better ride her. I have a hot mare, and a firm riding program, cross training (running and pilates) and consistent lessons have made a world of difference.

Barring that, if you really just want to feed her something, looking into feeding Mare Magic- she may be hormonal.

What does she do specifically that annoys you? If you two are simply not a good match, no shame in leasing her out or selling her.[/QUOTE]

Totally cured my high strung TB.

[Ready_To_Riot]

She doesn’t exactly scream barn sour or buddy sour to me. She is fine in the barn alone as long as she can’t see anyone moving around. If that makes sense. For example, she is in the barn completely alone and content and a horse passes through the barn or pass anywhere in here eye sight, she flips out until horse is completely removed or put in a stall. On trail rides (the only Time she ridden with another horse), she doesn’t mind riding ahead or behind. And barn sour doesn’t make sense to me because she is the same going to or from the barn. My ring is actually attached to the barn, so when we are in the ring, she doesn’t just explode by the gate like a typical barn sour horse. But of course, I haven’t worked with every type of barn sour horse, so she could be? Just not sure where
She would have gotten this from since the barn had no real meaning to her up until a few weeks ago. In fact I haven’t had a barn the entire time I owned her and this behavior has been there since before the barn was built. See why that theory doesn’t make sense to me? But I’ve been wrong before. Lol

[vxf111]

[QUOTE=Ready To Riot;8723081]
She doesn’t exactly scream barn sour or buddy sour to me. She is fine in the barn alone as long as she can’t see anyone moving around. If that makes sense. For example, she is in the barn completely alone and content and a horse passes through the barn or pass anywhere in here eye sight, she flips out until horse is completely removed or put in a stall. On trail rides (the only Time she ridden with another horse), she doesn’t mind riding ahead or behind. And barn sour doesn’t make sense to me because she is the same going to or from the barn. My ring is actually attached to the barn, so when we are in the ring, she doesn’t just explode by the gate like a typical barn sour horse. But of course, I haven’t worked with every type of barn sour horse, so she could be? Just not sure where
She would have gotten this from since the barn had no real meaning to her up until a few weeks ago. In fact I haven’t had a barn the entire time I owned her and this behavior has been there since before the barn was built. See why that theory doesn’t make sense to me? But I’ve been wrong before. Lol[/QUOTE]

I am not understanding the history/setup really well but I am happy to brainstorm if that’s what you want.

[RugBug]

I would say herdbound over barn sour…although they can be related. It’s not really the barn but what the barn means that makes them sour. A barn sour horse may be that way because the barn/pasture/pen means rest, food, and friends. That is obviously related to being herdbound…which is more what I think your horse is.