Some horse calmers are fast-acting or instant-acting and typically come in the form of a paste that is syringed into the horse’s mouth. Other supplements are in a liquid or powder form and take longer to build up in the horse’s system. However, no matter which form they take, these supplements have the same goal: to reduce the anxiety and stress that the horse is feeling.
When introducing your horse to new situations, you should be aware that these situations might be stressful for the horse, and the horse may need help relaxing. Having a calmer horse allows you to handle them and the situation more safely.
It can be difficult to decide which calming supplement is best for your horse. For this reason, we will go through the top five horse calmers on the market right now.
Best Horse Calmers Review
1. Formula 707 Calming Equine Supplement
The Formula 707 Calming Equine Supplement is a complete feed that can help your horse feel focused, collected, and calm. It contains ingredients that are important to maintaining a relaxed horse.
If you want to keep the calm demeanor of your horse long-term, this supplement is ideal since it offers support for the whole nervous system. This is a product that is easy to administer and is amazingly convenient.
Pros
- Includes L-tryptophan, which is known for decreasing anxiety
- Contains magnesium that helps L-tryptophan spread across the body
- Convenient to consume with pre-measured packets
Cons
- Might be unpalatable due to the apple flavor, as some horses don’t like artificial flavoring
2. AniMed Via Calm
Via Calm by AniMed combines calcium, magnesium, thiamine, and l-tryptophan to promote a relaxing effect and aids in maintaining the emotional balance of your horse. In addition, it also includes Yea-Sacc® 1026, which provides a source of naturally occurring and live beneficial microorganisms that encourage gut stability and healthy digestion, help stabilize cecal and colon PH, and promote digestion. This supplement is highly beneficial if your horse is in a stressful situation, such as a competition or training.
Pros
- Developed for horses of all classes
- Can be used to calm and quiet horses before big events
- Includes a convenient measuring scoop so you can easily feed your horse
Cons
- No obvious drawbacks
3. MagnaGard – Gastric Support Supplement
The MagnaGard Gastric Support Supplement provides essential trace minerals, removes damaging toxins, and buffers excess, which helps treat and prevent ulcers in horses. In addition, this supplement also contains magnesium that aids in relieving stress and anxiety. Unlike other gastric support supplements, this one can be constantly fed to your horse since all ingredients are completely natural and unharmful.
Pros
- Effective at addressing and preventing diarrhea, ulcers, and other digestive issues
- Excellent source of magnesium and other trace minerals
- Made out of all-natural ingredients
Cons
- Only sold in one size, making it impossible to buy the product in bulk
4. Farnam Quietx II
If your horse is stressed out or nervous, Farnam Quietx II is the perfect solution. It’s great for horses that have to visit the dentist, vet, have competition, or are traveling. This supplement helps your horse stay more aware, focused, and calm.
The supplement contains ingredients that calm your horse and relieve stress without drugs. The packaging it comes in is very convenient since you can administer the paste to your horse through a syringe.
Pros
- Helps horses stay more relaxed
- Great value for money
- Convenient packaging
Cons
- No obvious drawbacks
5. Ramard Total Calm and Focus Prime and Nutritional Powder
When your horse is going through a high-intensity exercise or other stressful situation, this supplement will aid in decreasing the stress hormone cortisol to its normal levels. If you have a hyper or nervous horse, the ingredients in this supplement, such as vitamin B and magnesium, will do wonders. This supplement’s formula contains only natural ingredients, and Ramard offers a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with the product.
Pros
- Has a natural formula
- Helps lower levels of cortisol, as high levels of cortisol can result in mood changes, fatigue, and depression
- Promotes mental alertness
Cons
- Pricier than other products, but it’s an investment worth making
Why Should You Use Horse Calmers?
We recommend using a calming supplement for your horse if they feel stressed, nervous, or anxious regularly. Calming supplements can help your horse with these feelings by keeping them collected and calm. Other circumstances where it is suitable to give your horse calming supplements are when they are in a certain situation, such as traveling or going to the vet, and they feel particularly nervous about it. Calming supplements can be used in the following cases:
- The house is nervous daily, and the feeling of nervousness overwhelms them.
- The horse suffers from anxiety or stress regularly.
- You have a horse that is excitable and needs to relax.
- The horse finds competitions troublesome and stressful.
- The horse is struggling to handle the change from new surroundings.
- Traveling in the trailer or horsebox makes the horse feel anxious or nervous.
You must detect the problem before you start supplementation for your horse. For instance, if your horse is having a hard time accepting new circumstances and situations, you can try working with a trainer that is experienced in the field. Horse trainers can give you recommendations for management and training and help your horse overcome their nervousness problems.
There are also medical reasons that could be the reason for your horse’s anxiety. In some cases, having a gastric ulcer can cause behavior issues. In addition, if your horse is acting out, it might be caused by an injury or pain they’ve experienced.
It is also crucial to evaluate your horse’s diet before adding a calming supplement, as a few factors can affect your horse’s behavior and temperament. If your horse is deficient in specific nutrients, behavior disorders can occur. What will help in these situations is horse supplements that have these nutrients.
Ingredients in Horse Calmers
When giving your horse calming supplements, you need to consider the ingredients used in these supplements. This section will cover the most commonly used ingredients in horse calmers.
L-Tryptophan
L-tryptophan is often on the top list of ingredients used in horse calmers. The creation of serotonin, a hormone in the central nervous system that creates feelings of satisfaction and relaxation, involves L-tryptophan. It is also possible that by compounding L-tryptophan with other ingredients, like magnesium, the calming effect on your horse can be enhanced.
Vitamin B
A few B vitamins working together can promote the nervous system’s health. If your horse has healthy microbial populations, they will have sufficient B vitamins in their body. However, administration of antibiotics, stress, and high-starch diets can decrease the microbial population, which reduces B vitamins in the horse’s body.
Niacin and thiamine are among the most important components you should add to your horse’s diet. These two B vitamins can often be found together in formulas since they work best when combined, which gives the product a maximum effect.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most commonly used ingredients in horse calming supplements. Magnesium is crucial for nervous signal transmission and proper contraction of the muscles. The nervous system can be affected by irritation, anxiety, or sensitivity that your horse might feel. This is especially true if your horse is put into a new situation.
Your horse’s diet needs to be evaluated by a qualified nutritionist to do the task, and if it’s needed, you can add magnesium to the diet. You will notice a change in behavior if your horse was deficient in magnesium and starts taking supplements that contain magnesium.
Vitamin E
Usually, the primary source of vitamin E for your horse is fresh pasture. However, your horse might not be able to always eat fresh pasture, and the second-best option is giving them hay. In this case, your horse will lack some nutrients, as the levels of vitamin E decrease when the pasture is cut. Your horse’s body will handle illness, stress, and medical conditions more efficiently, thanks to the antioxidant properties of vitamin E.
Valerian Root
Calming products often contain valerian root. When humans consume valerian root, it can help them with sleeping issues, reduce their anxiety, and calm the edginess they’re feeling. It is also one of the most widely used herbal ingredients for calming horses. When properly dosed and applied, it can relieve the excitability and anxiety of the horse without reducing its physical ability to perform or its mental capabilities.
However, you need to remember that some horse associations ban this ingredient, so it might not be the best option for them if your horse participates in competitions. In addition, the effect of tranquilizers or synthetic sedatives can be enhanced by valerian root. So, if your horse needs a tranquilizer for synthetic sedatives for procedures like body-clipping or dental work, make sure that you avoid valerian root.
Chamomile
When talking about remedies that come from herbs, it is also important that we mention chamomile. Apigenin, which appears in big amounts of chamomile, brings sedative and calming effects. Chamomile is used to treat anxiety and insomnia in humans.
If your horse is nervous, chamomile’s antidiarrheal and anti-inflammatory effects may be beneficial. However, many horse associations prohibit sedatives, including natural sedatives like chamomile.
Ashwagandha
Withania somnifera, or Ashwagandha, is an herb that has been used in both animals and humans as a natural antidepressant. By offering Ashwagandha to your horse, you might be able to ease its distress as well as improve recovery time from a surgery or injury. Ashwagandha is an excellent addition to your horse’s menu. This herb is adaptogenic, meaning it will awaken you if you are catatonic or calm you if you are overly anxious.
Alpha-Casozepine
When it comes to horse calmers, an ingredient that has shown promise is alpha-casozepine. In humans, alpha-casozepine reduces signs of extreme emotion and stress, lowers fear emotions, and regulates sleep. Several studies on animals, including dogs, cats, and rats, have shown positive alpha-casozepine effects on anxiety and stress. Alpha-casozepine does not seem to cause any negative side effects such as incoordination or agitation.
Final Thoughts
Horses are animals with reactions, emotions, and personalities, so situations such as playing, traveling, or moving can make them feel anxious or stressed. Under these circumstances, you might need a calming supplement to help your horse relax.
If your horse is under stress, you might have difficulty riding, training, and handling. Therefore, we hope that the calming supplements we recommended in this article will help when you’re trying to calm your horse down.