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Nutri-Calm
For daily focus and concentrated performance
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Nutri Calm Frequently Asked Questions
What types of equine calmers are available?
Calming supplements vary greatly in their ingredients, presentation and in how quickly and effectively they work. Some are designed to be fast-acting in the form of a paste or gel, which is administered via a syringe into the horse’s mouth. Others come in a liquid or powder form and are added daily to the horse’s feed. These have a cumulative effect and the benefits are usually seen within 2 weeks, although, in some horses the results can be noticeable within days.
Nutri-Calm is available in both gel and liquid formats to be used in whatever way suits the individual best.
Can I use the liquid & gel together?
In short, yes you can. However, we recommend always following feeding guidelines and if you think you need a Nutri-Calm Gel for travelling or a competition day but you have been giving the Nutri-Calm Liquid in the daily feed, it is best to halve the dose rate of the syringe given that you will have already built up a level of Nutri-Calm from the daily dose.
How do calming supplements work?
Calming supplements are made up of ingredients that are designed to play a role in regulating nervous function which allows your horse to stop worrying about the 100 different things going on in their external environment and focus on the task at hand. They are formulated to calm your horse, they are not a sedative. So, they will not make your horse lethargic, they simply help with a focused performance.
What does Nutri-Calm have in it that makes it work?
Nutri-Calm has 3 main ingredients that work together to form an effective calming supplement.
- Magnesium – helps support regulation of the nervous system and therefore can play a role in calming supplements to help control nervous or anxious behaviour.
- L-tryptophan – this is the pre-cursor to serotonin which is the hormone that inhibits fear and stress having an impact reducing stress for horses.
- B-vitamins – these have a variety of functions, one of which being part of the conversion of L-tryptophan into serotonin alongside stimulating appetite, which can be key for nervous horses.
What factors should be considered before choosing a horse calmer?
There are lots of factors that could influence your horse’s behaviour, negatively and positively. Before introducing any calmer into your horse’s daily ration it is important that you consider all elements of their management that could be affecting their behaviour. The key factors to think about are;
- Total diet i.e. is your horse getting enough fibre or too much starch?
- Turnout i.e. is your horse cooped up in a stable with limited foraging time?
- Exercise i.e. does your horse have a varied daily routine?
These factors may influence your horse’s behaviour from increasing reactivity to the development of stereotypies e.g. box walking and therefore they warrant significant consideration.
Can Foran Equine Nutri-Calm be used for competition horses?
Yes – Nutri-Calm has our ‘S.A.F.E’ logo marked on it and all Foran Equine products with the S.A.F.E. mark have been rigorously tested and are safe for use in racing and competing horses.
Will Nutri-Calm make my horse sluggish?
No – the ingredients within Nutri-Calm will help reduce stress for your horse to minimise nervous/anxious behaviour. This will allow your horse to focus on the task at hand. So, instead of not standing still at a show and misbehaving in front of the judges because there’s a new green leaf floating around, your horse will be able to ignore the scary leaf and concentrate on standing still in the arena.
How should Foran Equine Nutri-Calm be administered?
Nutri-Calm liquid is designed to be fed daily and we usually recommend adding this to their hard feed. It is a palatable liquid which shouldn’t put any horses off their feed. However, if you have a particularly fussy eater, you could also put the liquid into a syringe and administer directly into their mouth. Nutri-Calm gel is already in a syringe format and therefore should be administered into their mouth like any other syringe.
How long can I feed calmers to my horse?
If you think you need to control your horse’s behaviour on a daily basis, then Nutri-Calm liquid is your new best friend. It can be added to the horse’s feed and used at the recommended dose rate for as long as you feel you need it for. There is no threshold on using it for a certain number of weeks and then having to stop. If you feel you only need Nutri-Calm for specific times (e.g competition / travelling) then the gel is probably more suitable. This can be used as a once-off or can be used for every competition – one of the key benefits of the product is its convenience.
My horse sweats a lot due to stress, can I use an electrolyte alongside Nutri-Calm?
Yes! Sweating is often associated with stress however, it needs to be given separate attention. Horses lose electrolytes in their sweat and therefore, this has to be replaced with an electrolyte supplement. If your horse is sweating because it’s nervous, you won’t replace electrolytes by giving him/her Nutri-Calm even though the sweating may then be reduced. The easiest way to correctly deal with this is to also provide a Re-Fuel Gel alongside your Nutri-Calm if you have a nervous, sweaty horse.
Do they come in Triple packs?
Yes! Keep a triple pack of Nutri-Calm syringes in your lorry or horse box for days away from home and know that you have them to fall back on if needed.
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