Does your horse behave well at home but not at the showgrounds? He’s level-headed, focused and performing near perfect every time you’re in the saddle. Both of you are ready to compete. Then you arrive at the horse show grounds and suddenly, your quiet steed is a nervous wreck and he’s spooking at everything. In his stall, he’s walking in circles, hollering loudly and can’t seem to settle in. After tacking him up, he nervously jigs to the warm-up ring and is definitely not focused on you. What can you do?
Figure Out What Is Causing The Stress & Anxiety
Before you grab a calming product or ask your vet for a tranquilizer, first consider the reason why your horse may be acting nervous or flighty. Is this his first event, show or race? Is this his first time at this specific facility? Thoroughly evaluate his environment. Stressful situations can force even the most well-trained equines into their fight or flight instinct.
Since your horse is either stabled, under saddle or in hand, he can’t just flee to escape these new, scary surroundings. However, you can help him adjust by remaining calm, keeping your routine the same and making time for him to settle into his new surroundings. Some horses adjust quickly while others need to visit the show grounds a few times to desensitize them. Your horse may need extra time to relax before being expected to focus and perform.
Evaluate Your Horse’s Health
Before adding a calming supplement you may want to have your veterinarian check your horse’s blood work. An imbalance or nutritional deficiency can directly influence equine behavior. Once your vet has determined that your horse’s poor behavior is due to a lack of a specific vitamin or mineral, you can adjust his diet accordingly including using calming feed additives.
Effective Calming Ingredients
Once you’ve decided to add a quality equine calmer to your horse’s diet, there are a few key ingredients it should have. Look for equine calming products that contain L-Tryptophan, Magnesium and B Vitamins. Having prebiotics and probiotics on the ingredients list makes a supplement even better as it can also aid digestion, a great benefit for already stressed horses.
Taking The Edge Off Horses Legally
When choosing a calming product for your show horse, you should first verify that the ingredients are legal for use during competition. Each governing body that oversees the different breeds, disciplines or events will have their own list of banned substances. To remain in compliance, it is important to review the latest rule changes and prohibited ingredients updates so you and your horse do not violate competition policies. Keep in mind that the term ‘natural’ does not automatically make a substance show-legal.
Equine Calming Products That Are Show & Competition Approved
Despite your best efforts, some horses are just naturally high-strung and need a little help to relax. TWYDIL® C has been scientifically formulated with nutrients known to aid in calming, behavior management and stress-relief. Our show-safe horse calmer contains the following essential vitamins and minerals:
- L-tryptophan (essential amino acid)
- Magnesium
- Vitamin E
- Selenium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamins B1, B6 & B12
- Prebiotics
TWYDIL® C Equine Calming Supplement
Each batch of TWYDIL® C (Calmin) has been laboratory tested for quality and compliance with international anti-doping rules. Confidently feed our calming supplement as it is safe for all horses and can be legally used on the day of competition.