Transporting a horse can be stressful, for both the horse and owner, even though the majority of horses are exposed to travelling from a young age.
Horses have a survival instinct called “fight or flight”. In their natural environment the horse’s first reaction to a threat is often to flee, although in some instances the horse will stand its ground and defend itself. They usually don’t respond well to being in a confined space, especially without an escape route, making travelling a common cause of stress in horses.
Stress triggers the release of cortisol within the horse’s brain, this increases the release of adrenaline, which in turn leads to the feeling of anxiety for the horse.
Some horses will internalize their stress, whilst others will act out and are often classified as “problematic horses”.
Many of the signs of stress are subtle, often going unnoticed by the horse owners. Typically, the signs of stress have been classified as; biting, kicking, rearing, weaving, or flattening of the ears, however it is far more complicated than this. Each horse is unique in the way that they respond to stress, with some symptoms seeming trivial, such as an increase in heart rate, sweating or alertness which can indicate stress in a horse.
Fortunately, domesticated horses eventually adapt to the challenges of modern day life, with a caring owner and regular training, the majority of horses learn to cope with their stress. Calming supplements have been known to help many horses cope during stressful times and can be administered by the owner, at home prior to the stressful event.
Cipla Vet recently launched an all- natural calming supplement for horses, Calmeze Eq. It was specifically designed to help calm excitable horses by reducing the feelings of stress and anxiety.
Calmeze Eq contains a unique blend of Bioactive Decapeptide CM2. This blend is a combination of two ingredients; Alpha – Casozpine and PC 60, with the key ingredient being Alpha- Casozpine. Alpha – Casozpine has been proven to have a calming effect on people as well as horses and has been shown to be responsible for the relaxed feeling new-borns experience whilst nursing.
Calmeze Eq is an oral paste in a 60ml tube, containing 3 doses for a 500kg horse. It can be given to the horse the night before, and then again 1 to 2 hours prior to the stressful event, if needed the dosage can be repeated after 5 hours.
It contains no prohibited substances and can be used for competition.
Calmeze Eq is sold at all leading tack shops or available from a veterinarian.