Calming & Behavior Supplements
Calming Supplements For Horses
Equine calming supplements can help promote quiet behavior in spooky or anxious horses that have difficulty adjusting to change or stressful situations. However, the numerous brands, fancy labels, and confusing ingredients in many calming supplements can be overwhelming for owners looking for effective calming support for their horse.
It’s essential to understand which calming supplement is the best fit for you, your horse, and your goals. So we put together a list of our Top 10 calming supplements to help you and your horse worry less. Keep reading to learn more about the best equine calming supplements and how your horse can benefit from calming support.
What Are Equine Calming Supplements?
Horse calming supplements are nutraceutical formulas that use specific nutrients or herbs to support a healthy nervous system and manage cortisol levels. Common minerals, vitamins, and amino acids found in nutrient-based calming supplements include magnesium, B-vitamins, and tryptophan.
Herbal formulas use botanical ingredients like chamomile or valerian. If you compete in licensed shows, you may want to opt for nutrient-based supplements instead of herbal products. Some herbs are banned by competitive organizations, while nutrient-based products generally do not contain prohibited substances.
When To Use A Calming Supplement For Your Horse
Calming supplements can support confidence, focus, and ease in anxious horses with no underlying management, medical, or training issues. Just like people, horses have different personalities. Some horses are naturally more excitable than others. At the same time, certain horses may become nervous in specific situations.
Calming supplements may help manage nervous behavior if your horse struggles with stress during:
- Trail riding
- Stall rest
- Trailering
- Showing/Competing
- Farrier visits
- Environmental changes
Corro's Most Popular Calming Supplements
Here are Corro’s top 10 calming supplements to support your horse’s nervous system. If you plan on using a supplement during competition, remember to compare the ingredients with relevant regulations and prohibited substance lists to ensure compliance.
1. Synchill
At the top of our list, we have SynChill, an easy-to-use palatable oral gel conveniently administered through a single-dose syringe. SynChill supports a balanced attitude and manages anxiety through a non-sedative approach.
This formula includes the key ingredients 5-HTP (Oxitriptan) and L-theanine. 5-HTP is a naturally occurring amino acid that promotes the production of serotonin, a mood-stabilizing hormone in your horse. L-theanine, also an amino acid, aids in anxiety control.
Synchill is best used daily and ideally 1-2 hours before a stressful event. SynChill also comes as a daily pellet supplement called SynNutra SynChill Daily.
Ingredients
Oxitriptan, Melatonin, Vitamin B6, Glycerin, Methylparaben, Polyparaben, Propylene Glycol
SynNutra SynChill Daily
SynNutra SynChill Daily is a synergistic daily pellet supplement that increases brain serotonin and reduces anxiety to help your performance horse deal with stressful situations. Use this natural, Veterinarian developed pellet with feed or as a tasty treat to safely and easily help your horse stay calm and focused.
SynNutra SynChill Gel
SynNutra SynChill Calming Gel is a synergistic gel supplement that increases brain serotonin and reduces anxiety to help your performance horse deal with stressful situations. This natural, Veterinarian developed gel comes in a handy, single-dose syringe for easy administration prior to events to safely and easily help your horse stay calm and focused.
2. Perfect Prep EQ Gold
Next up, we have Perfect Prep EQ Gold, another calming paste administered through a syringe. This supplement promotes focus, manages stress, and supports digestive comfort through key ingredients like amino acids and Licorice. Calming ingredients such as Magnesium, Thiamine, and Inositol are also found in this comprehensive formula.
Perfect Prep EQ Gold is best administered with a half tube or a whole tube the morning of the performance. Calming support will reach a maximum effect 4-6 hours after initial administration and can last 18 hours, but you should not exceed two tubes within 12 hours.
Ingredients
Magnesium, Inositol, Thiamine, Metaphan, Vitamin "BeHave"
Perfect Products Perfect Prep EQ Gold Pellets
Perfect Prep EQ Gold Pellets are a powerful and ethical calming supplement meant to ease your horse's pre-performance nerves without slowing them down. Now in easy-to-feed pellet form, EQ Gold is made with a comprehensive formula of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that are already found naturally in your horse's body. These pellets also help to ease pain and soothe digestive discomfort, and since they are guaranteed free of prohibited substances, EQ Gold pellets are safe to use before and during competitions for sustained relaxation and focus.
Perfect Products Perfect Prep EQ Gold Paste
Perfect Prep EQ Gold Paste is a long-lasting, targeted calming supplement for increased focus during stressful situations. Use the handy syringe to administer this supplement paste orally to your horse the morning of an event. After four to six hours, EQ Gold will reach its maximum effect, which lasts up to 18 hours for increased focus and calm. EQ Gold contains amino acids and Licorice that help to soothe digestive discomfort, a major factor contributing to equine anxiety.
3. Perfect Prep Sane & Sound
With effects beginning immediately, Perfect Prep Sane and Sound is an easily administered pellet formula meant to be mixed in with your horse’s feed. This comprehensive nutrient-based formula provides long-term support for horses that struggle with overstimulation and gastric distress. Calming ingredients include Magnesium, Taurine, Thiamine, Inositol, and B vitamins.
Perfect Prep Sane and Sound’s maximum benefits peak after 4-6 feedings and work best for competition if fed two scoops 4 hours before the performance. If your horse needs short-term anxiety support, this formula is also available in the EQ Sane and Sound Max paste.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Magnesium, Inositol, Glycine, Taurine, Thiamine, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6), PP1 ( a proprietary blend of DL-Phenylalanine and L-Leucine), Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin
Perfect Products Perfect Prep EQ Sane & Sound Pellets
Perfect Prep EQ Sane & Sound Pellets are the most complete solution for your horse's pre-performance anxiety. This pelleted supplement addresses overstimulation, pain, and gastric distress with a comprehensive formula of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that already occur naturally in your horse's body. Since EQ Sane & Sound pellets are guaranteed free of prohibited substances, they are safe to use before and during competitions for complete calming support.
4. Ramard Total Calm & Focus
Ramard Total Calm & Focus can be used for showing, sales prep, racing, hauling, and training. A non-drowsy formula, Ramard Total Calm and Focus does not use herbs or any banned substances. Instead, it uses calming ingredients such as Ramisol, Magnesium, and B Vitamins to support your horse’s nervous system naturally.
Ramard Total Calm and Focus will keep your horse alert while promoting relaxation with ingredients that help manage cortisol levels during stressful events. This formula is available in powder form or as a paste in Ramard Total Calm and Focus Show Safe Syringe.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Thiamine B1, Magnesium, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Pyridoxine B6, Riboflavin B2, Ramisol, Pantothenic Acid, Niacin B3
Ramard Total Calm & Focus Show Safe Supplement
Keep your horse alert and relaxed with Ramard Total Calm & Focus Show Safe Supplement. Active ingredients Ramisol and Magnesium help to control the naturally occurring Cortisol hormone in your horse during high-stress events which can cause anxiety and nervousness. Benefit your horse's overall nervous system without making your horse drowsy.
Ramard Total Calm & Focus Show Safe Syringe
Keep your horse alert and relaxed after a show or high-intensity workout with Ramard Total Calm & Focus Show Safe Syringe. All the benefits of the original in an easy to administer, concentrated Syringe. Active ingredients Ramisol and Magnesium help to control the naturally occurring Cortisol hormone after high-stress events and benefit your horse's overall nervous system without making your horse drowsy.
5. Farnam Quietex
A versatile supplement, Farnam Quietex is ideal for traveling, competition, heavy training, or farrier visits. Using critical ingredients like Magnesium, B vitamins, and L- Tryptophan, Farnam Quietex ensures calming and quieting effects without any drowsiness that may impede performance.
Available in pellet form, Farnam Quietex works best if given 1 hour before the competition and 2 hours before traveling. Farnam Quietex is also available as a paste in an easy-to-administer syringe.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: L-Tryptophan, Thiamine, Inositol, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Valerian Root Extract
Inactive Ingredients: Alfalfa Meal, Distillers Dried Grains, Mineral Oil, Wheat Middlings
Farnam Quietex II Focusing and Calming Pellets
Calm your horse's nerves with Farnam Quietex II Pellets. This trusted formulation of stress-relieving ingredients calms and quiets without using drugs or medications. Convenient pellets make application a breeze! Simply use the enclosed scoop to add to your horse's daily supplement regimen.
Farnam Quietex II Focusing and Calming Paste
Calm your horse's nerves with Farnam Quietex II Paste. This trusted formulation of stress-relieving ingredients calms and quiets without using drugs or medications. Convenient paste makes application a breeze! Simply use the enclosed scoop to add to your horse's daily supplement regimen.
6. Grand Calm Paste and Pellets
Grand Calm uses non-herbal ingredients in paste or pellet form to minimize your horse’s stress while maximizing performance. This formula contains multiple sources of Magnesium for maximum bioavailability and calming effects. Grand Calm is ideal for tense, spooky, or inattentive horses and also includes additional supportive ingredients such as the amino acid theanine.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Magnesium (Magnesium oxide), Magnesium Carbonate, Thiamine, Magnesium (Magnesium Chelate), Organic Magnesium
Inactive Ingredients: Ground Soybean Meal, Magnesium Oxide, Rice Bran, Magnesium Carbonate, Magnesium Chelate, L- Theanine, Thiamine, Apple Flavoring
Grand Meadows Grand Calm Calming Support Supplement Paste
Help manage your horse's behavioral problems with Grand Meadows Grand Calm Horse Calming Supplement Paste. This drug-free, non-herbal equine supplement helps to safely control nervousness in tense, spooky, and inattentive horses.
Grand Meadows Grand Calm Calming Support Supplement Pellets
Minimize your horse's stress while maximizing its performance with Grand Meadows Grand Calm Horse Calming Supplement Pellets. This drug-free, non-herbal magnesium supplement for horses helps to safely control nervousness in tense, spooky and inattentive horses.
7. Nupafeed Magnesium Paste and Liquid
Available in paste and liquid form, Nupafeed Magnesium doesn’t just use ordinary Magnesium in its formula. Instead, this supplement includes MAH, a refined source of Magnesium that offers exceptionally high absorption rates and increased bioavailability. Nupafeed also avoids using ingredients like herbs and L-Tryptophan that can act as mild sedatives.
Nupafeed is an excellent solution for managing daily stress and promoting hormonal balance to limit adrenaline rushes, muscle tension, and spooky behavior. For best results, use the loading dose when introducing this supplement to your horse.
Ingredients
Magnesium - Aspartate - Hydrochloride (MAH®), Water, Potassium Sorbate (preservative).
Nupafeed MAH Magnesium Daily Liquid
Supplementing horses with magnesium to manage stress, erratic behavior, anxiety, and also to relax tight muscles is not a new concept. Nupafeed Magnesium Calming Supplement Raises the bar with MAH. MAH is a refined source of magnesium that offers exceptionally high absorption rates and increased bioavailability. This daily liquid is a great solution to help your horse manage stress and anxiety on a daily basis.
Nupafeed Magnesium Horse Calming Concentrated Paste
Supplementing your horse's diet with magnesium helps to manage stress, erratic behavior, anxiety, and also helps to relax tight muscles. Prepare your horse for an event with Nupafeed Magnesium Horse Calming Concentrated Paste with MAH. MAH is a refined source of magnesium that offers exceptionally high absorption rates and increased bioavailability. This concentrated paste is a great solution to help your horse manage stress and anxiety prior to a stress-inducing event.
8. Cavalor SoZen
An all-natural supplement, Cavalor SoZen helps balance cortisol levels in stressed horses with an herbal mixture of Ginseng, Garlic, Oats Milky Seed, Common Rue, St. John’s Wort, Common Hops, European Goldenrod, Common Nettle, Birch, and Licorice. This gentle formula helps to calm horses without causing drowsiness. It is recommended to begin with the 10-day loading dose, ideally at a time of low stress, before following up with a daily dose.
Ingredients
L- Tryptophan, Magnesium Citrate, Synergistic Herbal Blend Containing: Ginseng, Garlic, Oats Milky Seed, Common Rue, St. John'S Wort, Common Hops, European Goldenrod, Common Nettle, Birch, Licorice
Cavalor SoZen
Help calm “hot”, nervous or anxious horses with CAVALOR Sozen powdered supplement. This natural equine supplement targets the adrenal-cortisol balance in horses to reduce the impact of prolonged tension on their hormonal systems.
9. Cavalor Calm & Take it Easy
Conveniently administered as a handy oral paste, Cavalor Calm & Take it Easy promotes ease in horses facing stressful events such as transport, competition, and veterinary visits. A high dose of L- Tryptophan helps stimulate serotonin, an anti-stress hormone. In addition, other nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, and Magnesium support the adrenal glands and reduce muscle tension. Cavalor Calm & Take it Easy is best utilized by administering 20 g the evening before, the morning of, and one hour before a stressful competition.
Ingredients
L-Tryptophan, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Sodium Chloride, Dextrose
Cavalor Take It Easy
Help ease your horse's stress with CAVALOR Take it Easy calming paste. The relatively high dose of tryptophan in this oral paste quickly and easily calms horses facing such stressful situations such as transport, competition, and veterinary visits. It promotes focus and relaxation during temporary stressful situations without sedating the horse.
10. Cavalor Calm
A powdered supplement, Cavalor Calm is a convenient option for minimizing the impacts of environmental stress caused by transport, competition, and other unusual situations. The formula contains Magnesium, Tryptophan, and vitamins B1, B6, B12, and a synergistic herbal mixture to help soothe the horse’s nerves without impairing memory or motor skills. To administer, simply add the recommended amount to your horse’s feed as needed.
Ingredients
Magnesium Oxide, Magnesium Acetate, Tryptophan, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12
Cavalor Calm
Help your horse perform to its full potential by minimizing its stress with CAVALOR Calm. This powdered calming supplement is a convenient option for reducing the impacts of environmental stress caused by transport, competition, or other unusual situations.
Using Calming Supplements In Competition
The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) strongly advise horse owners to use caution when feeding supplements to their competition horses. Some herbal products may result in a positive test, even if no prohibited substances are on the ingredient list.
Always consult the current rules and regulations regarding the use of supplements and banned substances in competition before selecting a calming supplement for your horse. You can find resources on prohibited substances and herbal ingredients to avoid below.
Resources: