Help with horse herbs...?

Question

My horse has a few problems with his energy use and his behavior. Is there any herbs that I can use to help him settle down and become calmer? And does anyone know about Parelli? Does it really help?

Answer 1

Any of the common sense things likeParelli works. Herbs to calm - chamomile is said to do that. Training would probably be better. There *are* calming herbs - I haven't used them

Answer 2

There are plenty of herbs you can use to settle your horse. Start with some b-vitamins. DON'T FEED CALMERS IF YOU SHOW!!!!! In all types of showing I know, large quantities of b-vitamins and many other calming products are ILLEGAL!!!

I find that in order to best calm a horse, you begin by taking away, not adding. Does your horse go out 12 to 16 hours a day at minimum? If not, try upping your turnout. How much grain is your horse getting? Don't feed concentrates. Grains and corn are very high in calories per pound. Grains usually have 50-60% more digestible energy per pound than hay. Take that into consideration. What kind of work is your horse in? Light work? Lessen the feed. If your horse has trouble keeping weight on, cut back on carbohydrates and feed more protein. Don't immediately jump to supplements. For one thing, they are expensive (I speak from experience here) and they don't always work.

Parelli does actually work. However, that is NOT going to change your horse's energy level. Some horses are just more energetic. Some of that comes from the breed. Is your horse a "hot" breed, like an Arabian? Is it an off-the-track Thoroughbred? These factors can add up and create an energetic animal that is hard to control. What Parelli will help with is control. Whether your horse is energetic or not, a solid Parelli base will put you on firm footing.

I have lots of experience around exciteable horses. All of my upper-level horses were racing Thoroughbreds. Retraining them and dealing with their energy were very hard at first. If you need more help, please email me.

Answer 3

I hear that Parelli works and I read one of his books but the book was hard to understand