The Hype on Calming Supplements

Apr 6

4/6/20

“Extra energy anyone? This post is all about calming supplements!”

Does your horse ever throw a party with you on his back but forget to invite you?

Or maybe that cool breeze in the air made running and bucking extra exciting for the day? Or you showed up to the show ready to perform and an explosion ensued. If you're a rider, you've probably been there at some point!

Our first instinct is to blame the grain – “It must be all that starch!” Maybe, maybe not… I ask you first to consider a few other things. Your horse’s natural demeanor – are you riding a thoroughbred that naturally has a bit more spring in his step? Is the tack fitting properly and there aren’t any pressure points causing agitation? Has the environment, weather or scenery abruptly changed from the norm? Did a goose fly out of the trees? (So frustrating… deer like to do this too!) Gastric ulcers anyone? Also consider that your horse, while big and mighty, is a prey animal. Your horse’s innate instinct is to run away when things get scary, uncomfortable or unfamiliar. In the wild, their survival depends on this instinct. Luckily, through good training, experience and repetition, we can desensitize our horses to many otherwise uncomfortable situations and make them less stressful.

Yet, there are still many reasons why your horse may have extra energy. While you may not be able to pinpoint the exact reason why, many wonder – is there anything I can do about it? Even further, is there anything that can be fed to calm my horse down?

Let me introduce you to calming supplements. These products are marketed to promote the quiet, tranquil, zen-like demeanor that so many of us want our horses to have. (Important to note, these calming supplements are different from drugs and sedatives often called upon for veterinary work.) These supplements are often marketed with big promises of calming your horse. . . but do they actually work? Read below to find out what the science says about common calming supplements.

Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium is involved in muscular contraction and nervous signal transmission, among a number of other functions. The daily recommendation for a horse is 20mg/kg bodyweight. Ex. an 1,100 lb. horse will need 10 g Mg per day. A horse that is deficient in magnesium (very uncommon) may display increased sensitivity and irritability that can be corrected with supplementation.

Magnesium supplementation has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety in species other than horses and has long been fed (anecdotally) as a calming supplement to horses. After a long time with very little scientific evidence supporting a calming effect in horses, a group of researchers in Australia recently found that supplementing with 10 g of Mg aspartate resulted in the same flight responses as administration of Acepromazine (sedative). There’s more to the story than I have room for here, but that is pretty interesting!

In summary, Mg aspartate at 10 g over the normal requirement may promote a calming effect in the horse. Note – There are different forms of Mg which is why aspartate is underlined, also supplementing beyond this amount could be detrimental and interfere with other nutrient absorption. Work with a nutritionist or veterinarian to find the optimal feeding rate.

B-vitamins

Several B vitamins work together in supporting functions of the nervous system. Horses will meet (and can exceed) their Vit. B requirements by producing it in their hindgut. The microbes are able to produce a supply for the body – pretty cool! Vitamin B1 in particular (thiamine) is involved in carbohydrate metabolism and anxiousness may be a symptom of thiamine deficiency. Supplementation of B1 could* mitigate this behavior in deficiency situations. However, deficiency is extremely rare. Without knowing your horse, I can say with pretty good certainty they are not thiamine deficient. With regards to B vitamins in general, there is not sufficient data to support that B vitamins have a calming effect on the horse.

Herbs

Valerian root, chamomile and ashwagandha are a few examples of herbs taken to reduce stress, anxiety and nervousness in humans – with limited scientific data supporting these benefits. In the horse, supplement dose inconsistencies and limited scientific studies create challenges in understanding any benefits. Valerian is also banned by many competitive organizations. The data on herbal supplements as calming agents is far too limited to confirm efficacy.

Essential oils

A research team in Arizona found significant stress reduction in horses as they inhaled lavender from a diffuser, using heart rate as a marker of stress. Relaxation behaviors including neck lowering and chewing/licking were also observed in horses inhaling the lavender scent. Researchers noted that the calming effects were only seen when the horses were actually sniffing the lavender and the effect went away when they were removed from the scient. Other than this mention, there is lacking scientific data supporting or refuting the use of essential oils as a calming aid for horses.

L-tryptophan

The basis behind this as a calming supplement is that L-tryptophan is involved in serotonin production. Serotonin may be referred to as the ‘feel good’ hormone and its release can create feelings of relaxation. Experiments in species other than horses have shown decreases in aggression and fearfulness in response to supplementation, although data in species on behavioral responses due to supplementation is lacking. No scientific studies have verified tryptophan as having a calming effect in horses. Further, there have been studies performed that demonstrate L-tryptophan performs the same as a control (non-calming) substance in exerting calming effects.

Alpha-casozepine

This milk derived protein is made up of several amino acids that contribute to a calming effect seen in young animals as they nurse. With a structure similar to the sedative benzodiazepine, it may also promote some of the same effects. One study noticed improvements in horse stress levels during normal farm management handling and veterinary treatment procedures with supplementation. Although there is a need for further research to test this outcome during exercise and other stimulation, this study indicates that alpha-casozepine supplementation can calm a horse during normal barn management activities.

Any surprises here?

What you may have noticed is that the science is greatly limited with regards to the most common calming supplements for horses. You may also be thinking that you’ve tried one of these that isn’t proven and it’s worked for your horse. I will say this is definitely possible! What the science says and what we feel, see and experience can be different things. You know your horse and if you feel your calming supplement is helping, the good news is you are unlikely to do any harm as long as you’re feeding the supplement as instructed and purchasing it from a reputable supplier. On the flip side, if you’ve tried one of these for months and see no changes, your horse is likely not a responder. In this case, spend that money on some new tack because heaven knows, there is always a need for new tack!