Valerian Root

[mrsbradbury]

I have searched through old threads, and couldn’t find what I was looking for, so will ask directly.

For those of you who have used Valerian root, how much did you feed? I am going to give ground valerian root to three year old filly, and my calculations tell me a 1/2 ounce?

Your feed back is appreciated.

For those of you concerned about my using a “supplement” to settle a youngin’, let me give you some base-line data.

I rescued her a starving feral a year and 1/2 ago, have gotten her to 60 rides, she has come leaps and bounds as can be anxious and a bit unpredictable under saddle. I want to create a better environment in her head for a more successful training session. I am a professional, another professional is working with me.

I also have lavender which she is very interested in, so if anyone has feed this as well, I would love your dosage.

I am not interested in using a marketed “supplement”, or ace or the like.

[deltawave]

A sedative is a sedative, whether or not it is natural, marketed as a nutraceutical, or available by prescription only. The one benefit you get with a known entity like a pharmaceutical is confidence that what you think you’re giving is probably what you ARE giving, along with the depth and breadth of experience with potential side effects and adverse effects.

I have never used valerian, being extremely leery of unpredictable effects of herbal drugs and I don’t delude myself that they are anything but.

But I have dealt with my share of fruity 3 year old fillies. :lol: My best recommendation would be to chuck her back outside for a few months. A mature animal that’s ready to be worked is not anxious and does not act unpredictably nor require sedation.

[RougeEmpire]

Things like Valerian Root are if Im not mistaken considered a “prohibited” by most organized showing rules. “natural” or not it still effects the brain just like a commercial pharm drug does. Sedating your horse is not the answer.

[SEPowell]

If you don’t know how much of the effective “drug” is in your valerian then you can’t tell how much you’re “measuring” from the plants you have. It’s actually much safer to give your animals drugs that are quantifiable, and unless you have your valerian tested it is not quantifiable. A drug’s a drug whether it’s herbal or synthetic and in the wrong quantities both can be equally harmful or noneffectual.

[stryder]

Valerian root is one of two active ingredients in Quietex. The other is Ignatia amara. I used Quietex on a previous horse who was subject to “overload,” for lack of a better term. We used about half a dose to take the edge off until she became accustomed to being handled. She was able to learn in that condition.

She was on the half-dose, and then less, for a couple of months.

I don’t know what the proper dosage would be for pure valerian root, if that’s what you’re intending.

[Bacardi1]

If you’re not experienced enough to know the dosage of an herbal “nutroceutical”, & expect to get the correct dosage from an arbitrary website, than you have no business using it.

Pull up your big girl panties & your wallet, & contact a regular or homeopathic vet. Not COTH posters.

Good grief.

WAY too many people that because something is “herbal”, it’s automatically safe. NOT TRUE. Do your horses a favor & stop playing around with natural drugs that can do more harm than good when used incorrectly.

[redhorse5]

it’s one of the ingredients in Calm and Cool. I use this all the time with my guys. I don’t show them anymore and I have two that are just bonkers if they are stalled for any reason. I have one warmblood that is 19 and still a real spooker both under saddle and on the ground. It’s a godsend! It does not make them act like they are drugged or on ace or anything, it just takes the edge off so that they act like normal.

[fourmares]

I use it in capsels… 3 - 5 capsels did the trick for my mare when I was rehabbing her for a bow (she’s an OTTB - bow is why shes OT). It worked much better than ace which made her reactive. I’d guess that 1/2 an ounce would be a good place to start. Then adjust based on how your horse reacts to it.

[deltawave]

[QUOTE=Bacardi1;6092772]
If you’re not experienced enough to know the dosage of an herbal “nutroceutical”, & expect to get the correct dosage from an arbitrary website, than you have no business using it.

Pull up your big girl panties & your wallet, & contact a regular or homeopathic vet. Not COTH posters.

Good grief.

WAY too many people that because something is “herbal”, it’s automatically safe. NOT TRUE. Do your horses a favor & stop playing around with natural drugs that can do more harm than good when used incorrectly.[/QUOTE]

While I agree with the general sentiment, you ARE aware that “herbal” and “homeopathic” are two completely, entirely and distinctly different disciplines, right? :eek: Herbal medicine involves very real doses of very real things with very real pharmaceutical-like properties. Homeopathy is a belief system. Not interchangeable.

[Charlie_Piccione]

In what classification would medicine men be?

[deltawave]

Both parts of the phrase require more precise definition. I can think of a round dozen expressions of that phrase, easily, that would be perfectly accurate in context, but not one of them would resemble one another when stood side by side.

[AKB]

We used Quietex powder (valerian and ignatia) years ago on a horse who was a headshaker. It was great at controlling the head shaking except I think each container had a different potency. Sometimes, it seemed so strong that he was a little dopey. We finally concluded that we couldn’t use it because the potency was so variable. I was afraid he would get a strong batch and fall over while being ridden.

[fourmares]

I looked on my bottle and the human dose is about 2.5 g. That is 4 capsels. I have used 4 - 5 of those on my mare. I have another variety that has 850 mg of valarian and 200 mg of valarian tincture or concentrate (I don’t recall which) It is more potent and I generally gave her 3 of those. It seriously reduced the likelyhood that I would become a lawn dart at some point during those rehab rides.

[Cruiser12]

[QUOTE=batestamalik;6093435]
What is your opinion of valerian root as a sleep aid?[/QUOTE]

I drink valerian root tea before bed, it does help relax me. Maybe it’s somewhat psychosomatic but whatever works, i have to sleep.

I have an OTTB who is VERY sweet, but in new circumstances he can get very distracted and worried. I have strongly considered using something valerian based but haven’t yet. I try to take him places as often as I can and he’s better, but when he gets in one of his “moods” it’s no fun!

[buck22]

I use valerian root powder to help jumpy horses with stressful situations, like dental visits or trailering after a prior bad experience. I notice a subtle but distinct effect in helping a horse be just a hair less edgy and more willing to at least try to learn about a situation rather than just react to it.

I use root powder and feed 1 tablespoon per day, half ounce sounds like way too much. To my understanding, more than that is a waste and can cause diarrhea.

But I also agree, you’re not terribly wise if you’re thinking of taking my advice, because I am nobody. Though I support the judicial use of calmatives, I also support talking to a vet or someone qualified to dispense advice… not a bunch of anonymous folks on the internet.

[whbar158]

I find that a small dose of ace works better than any “herbal” supplement when I really need the horse to be quiet. I know people are against using a tranq, but I don’t see it being any different than wanting to use an herb to quiet the horse. I know that the ace is going to work and in small doses (depending on the horse of course) they are not so tranqed they would fall down. At times a half cc of ace is all a horse needs to relax and take a deep breath. I would rather administer something of known effects and strength than something I am unsure of.

[mrsbradbury]

[QUOTE=Bacardi1;6092772]
If you’re not experienced enough to know the dosage of an herbal “nutroceutical”, & expect to get the correct dosage from an arbitrary website, than you have no business using it.

Pull up your big girl panties & your wallet, & contact a regular or homeopathic vet. Not COTH posters.

Good grief.

WAY too many people that because something is “herbal”, it’s automatically safe. NOT TRUE. Do your horses a favor & stop playing around with natural drugs that can do more harm than good when used incorrectly.[/QUOTE]

While I in no way meant to cause you grief, failed to realize that I am asking a question, a question pertaining to a well thought out and researched plan. You would not know whether or not I had consulted my DVM, traditional or otherwise. In regards to that note, just because they have gone to school and are more versed in certain areas, does not make them my only resort, but yet, a piece to my information gathering process. In addition, to allude that I am too cheap to PAY MY VET is flat out rude. You are not familiar with my background, education and experiences.

This is a discussion board, a place where we can go looking for information, and ask if anyone had in fact used pure valerian root in the manner I am choosing, and if they had what was the amount you gave to a particular animal. You apparently could not answer my question, but instead feel that you have the authority to tell me what kind of panties to wear.

There is a reason I want to try an herbal path for a short amount of time, rather than a pharmacuetical path. Nor does anyone here; actually work with or handle this particular filly. My panties fit my big girl hiney quite well.

In case you forgot, ace, manufactured calming supplements, other sedatives, restraints and a well thought out program can all cause more harm than good at any given time on any individual given the circumstance.
While your advice is well heard, I think your tone is snarky and inappropriate, and quite like some other COTHers. There is a reason I chose to use a pure form of the plant, and to check my calculation in comparison to someone else’s on an arbitrary website; again is information… so I will whisper in my filly’s ear that you are very concerned about her health and safety. The same way I was when I coaxed her out of a crap filled hole in the wall dragging a disgusting grab line scared out of her wits over a year ago, and prayed that her emaciated body would make the ride home.

To polite and helpful posters, thank you.:winkgrin:

[EAY]

A mare in the barn where I board gets Hilton Herbs Confidence Plus, which is valerian plus some other herbs. She gets 48 grams a day, which is about 1.7 ounces, but of course that includes the other herbs too.

The mare’s not particularly high-strung (for a red head :lol:) but just needed a little quieting, as the owner has had several really bad falls (including a broken back and a separate trip to shock trauma), so it’s probably as much for the owner’s confidence as the horse’s. She does feel that it’s helped.

The horse has now been on it for several months and I do wonder if it’s still effective. I started a thread a couple of weeks ago asking about whether horses develop a tolerance to herbs but didn’t get many replies.

[Claudius]

I have used it.

Straight Valerian from a health food store. We had a trotter that had been accidentally hit in the face with a whip by the driver beside him in a race. He made a break, and was apt to make a break thereafter whenever next to a driver that made any kind of move with his arms. I had an empty “Succeed” syringe, and gave him a syringe of Valerian when he raced. It worked and he did not test…now maybe things are more strict, but then it worked. We also used a homeopathic “Heave Powder” Called “Yoder’s Horse Powder…Heave Formula.” It also proved effective to help race horses with reactive dispositions. It seemed to help them to focus and also did not test.

[deltawave]

One of the problems with asking about “Valerian” is that there is NO consistency whatsoever in terms of strength or concentration, even if one buys the same brand all the time. Any given hunk of a plant can have hugely different levels of active chemical in it, and there is NO attempt to normalize this to any sort of standard with herbal remedies. So you are sort of taking a crapshoot, in which case trying to be even remotely precise with dosing is a largely wasted effort.