With so many horse calmers to choose from it’s hard to know which one to go for, especially when stressful situations such as fireworks on bonfire night. The ingredients all differ, as do the price and effectiveness of each.
Often, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, as what will work for one horse, won’t for another. It’s a trial-and-error process for many horse owners, so once you find one that works, keeping a tub in spare is good practice.
If you choose a powder over a syringe, it’ll take a little time to get into the horse’s system and take effect. However, when it comes to overall effectiveness, we opt to feed a powder over a period before any stressful situation.
Magnesium is becoming increasingly popular, with results pointing towards calmers with the ingredient in being beneficial to horses with behavioural or anxious behaviour.
Let’s look at some of the best horse calming supplements on the market today and how these might help you manage your horse’s temperament.
COOL IT! from Equine Products UK Ltd
Equine Products UK Cool It is one of the best and fastest-acting horse calming supplements available over the counter. No official dosage amount is recommended, it can be given at a rate of up to one heaped scoop per day, which is provided with the product. Many racehorse owners and trainers choose to use Cool It, which is widely accepted as an effective calmer. It is also available in syringe form.
It is recommended to keep the horse on a maintenance dose and use more or less depending on requirements or expected events i.e fireworks, travel, and competition. Effects can be seen after only a few days of use. Read our Cool It review here.
Ingredients of Equine Products UK Cool It 900g
- Magnesium Oxide in chelated form
- Calcium Carbonate, Maize Starch, Dextrose, Mannan-oligosaccharides
- L-Trytophan 2,000mg
- Vitamin B1 60mg
Cool It from Equine Products UK
Fast-acting powder, available in syringe form.
No More Nerves from Equinutritive
EquiNutritive – A calmer suitable for horses and ponies with or prone to ulcers, laminitis, Cushings and EMS
The power of plants underpins everything that the Equinutritive brand stands for. All products are formulated using 100% natural, plant ingredients. Equinutritive uses premium, human-grade ingredients to assist with a particular issue and consider how they work in conjunction together so that all products are the very best in terms of efficacy and your horse receives the maximum benefits.
‘No More Nerves’ expertly combines 7 calming herbs for horses, to keep horses calm, focused and easier to ride. It’s non-sedating, so your horse won’t lose their sparkle. The product even comes with a cardboard scoop, fitting perfectly in line with the brand’s sustainability promise.
Ingredients in No More Nerves
- Vervain
- Lemon Balm
- Chamomile
- Raspberry Leaf
- Passionflower
- Marshmallow Root
- Peppermint
No More Nerves from EquiNutritive
Formulated using natural ingredients.
TopSpec Calmer
Top Spec is a brand that is trusted by many in the equestrian community. Our TopSpec Calmer review includes some good information you may wish to know before purchase. The mixture of ingredients combined are known for their calming properties for different reasons. This calmer for horses is also known to take effect within a few days and conforms to BETA UFAS NOPS code for HRA/competition use.
Ingredients in Top Spec Calmer
- MOS
- Magnesium
- Tryptophan
- Niacin
- Thiamine
- B Vitamins
TopSpec Calmer
Effective within a few days.
Horse First RelaxMe Calmer
The Horse First RelaxMe Calmer has a huge following and many owners love using this product to help calm their horse and relieve stress and anxiety. Many choose to use this product when their horse is in particularly stressful situations such as going out to a show or new surroundings. It is a fast-acting formula which can also be bought in syringe form. This is particularly helpful for horses that tend to chuck their feed around the stable and will ensure they get the full dose orally.
It is noted that this supplement works on both gut function and the nervous system.
Ingredients in Horse First RelaxMe Calmer
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium Sulphate
- Thiamine Hydrochloride
- Riboflavin
- Folic Acid
Horse First RelaxMe
Available in a syringe or powder form.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.