Tag Archives: calming supplements

The Ultimate Supplement Buying Guide

Have you ever wondered what supplement to choose for your horse? With so many options available, it may be overwhelming to know where to start. Thankfully, Big Dee’s has come to the rescue with a list of our top supplement picks for a variety of conditions. In addition to a proper nutrition, veterinarian, and exercise regiment, help enhance your horse’s well-being with these products below!

Best All-Around Supplement:

Equinety Horse XL Powder: $24.99 – $99.99

Equinety | #1 Best Selling Supplement

Don’t just ask us – ask the ELEVEN THOUSAND happy customers who choose Equinety for their horses! This revolutionary supplement, known as the “Miracle Worker,” is specifically designed to enhance the entire life of your horse with it’s 100% pure Amino Acid formula. Not only does it help support muscle strength and recovery; healthier, strong hooves and a glossy coat; and a focused, calm attitude, its patented formula is known to repair and regenerate damaged cells throughout the entire body.

How Equinety XL Works

Ulcer & Gut Health

UlcerGard (Omeprazole) for Horses Merial - Ulcer Control ...
Merial UlcerGard: $35.00

UlcerGard | Tish C. – Senior Buyer, Cindy M. – Showroom Associate, Grant R. – Showroom Manager

FDA-approved, this highly recommended and proven agent is the ONLY non-prescription product of its kind used in the treatment and prevention of ulcers and gastric distress in horses. Research has shown that 2 out of 3 performance horses suffer from ulcers, with flare ups occurring due to shows, racing, hauling, season changes, or other periods of stress. Easy to use and provides up to 4 doses for treatment or preventative use, UlcerGard is something that should always be in your medicine cabinet at the barn.

Omega Alpha Gastra FX | Lisa G. – Sport Horse Specialist

Omega Alpha Gastra-FX: $17.95 – $112.50

From racehorses to show horses to any horses in between, Gastra FX is ideal for horses that are prone to ulcers, experience GI upset due to stress, or sensitive to changes in their environment. Lisa loves it for her senior Dressage mount, Indy, and has noticed major improvements in his overall well-being.

“I found the Omega Alpha [Gastra FX] when searching for a better product to address periodic “irritated gut syndrome”. My horse is very sensitive to environmental changes: big temperature swings, a different hay supplier, bad allergy conditions, etc. Any one of these can turn his usual normal manure balls into wet cow patties – messy to clean up and groom off. I’ve tried many remedies from basic probiotics to major gut bacteria re-population therapies. The Gastra works the best… in just one or two doses he is comfortable and back to normal.”

Joint

Whether it be age, performance level, arthritis, or prevention, all horses can benefit from adding a joint supplement in their feeding regiment. Not only will certain ingredients like Hyluronic Acid and Glucosamine help keep joints moving comfortably, you can trust the recommendations of Big Dee’s staff that what they use for their horse makes a difference!

Spectra Mega-FLX+ HA | Cassie H. – Marketing Associate

Spectra Mega-FLX + HA: $28.95 – $84.95

“I give this to both of my horses to maintain healthy muscle and joint support. I can see (and hear) the difference in them while taking this supplement. They move easier, with longer strides and don’t “click” their joints like you can sometimes hear in older horses. Both of them still take off in the pasture like young horses and never come up lame or sore. I absolutely recommend this!”

Equithrive Complete Joint | Lisa G. – Sport Horse Specialist

Equithrive Complete Joint Pellets $139 – $387

“Equithrive Joint is my product of choice for the joint health for my horse. I have tried many, but this one was particularly recommended by my lameness specialist Veterinarian for the long term maintenance of my FEI level dressage partner. Still in a regular work program at age 27, he of course suffers some wear and tear arthritis, but his xrays could easily be presumed to be of a horse half his age!”

Even at 27, Indy has no problem performing upper-level dressage movements like a horse half his age!

Calming

Riding and showing are supposed to be fun for both you and your horse, however if your horse is too nervous, stressed out, anxious, or distracted it can be difficult to manage. On top of trying to keep yourself calm and collected, it can be virtually impossible to focus on if your horse is having a meltdown, too. When choosing a calming supplement, it’s important to consider if it is an herbal or non-herbal and if you want a daily feed through or a pre-event paste. Whatever you select, it’s important to check your organization’s rulebook if you show, as some governing bodies ban the use of certain ingredients, like Valerian Root, Lavender, Chamomile, Vervain, and others. After trying virtually every calmer on the market, Ramard’s Total Calm & Focus and Perfect Product’s Training Day has continued to provide the most consistent, safe, show-ready results to help manage Rotti’s anxiety and attention.

Perfect Prep Training Day Powder | Colleen C. – Purchasing Associate

Perfect Prep EQ Training Day: $106.20

The Training Day is my secret weapon at home when schooling, trail riding, or taking a lesson – I swear by this stuff! Rotti can be extremely herd bound, and prior to using this we would always experience some sort of meltdown once he realized he was separated from his barn buddies, screaming, bucking, and carrying on – a literal temper tantrum! My trainer recommended the Perfect Prep Training Day, and within 2 days, I noticed a difference. Not only does it smell like Fruit Loops, it’s really easy to mix into his morning breakfast mash and still keeps him level-headed by the time I get to ride later in the day. It’s perfect for those that want to have a fast-acting show prep regiment or are looking for a daily feed-through calmer.

Rotti is now super confident and way easier to tap into his brain when working. Having the right calming regiment makes me able to enjoy a whole different side of him!

Ramard Total Calm & Focus | Colleen C. – Purchasing Associate

Ramard Total Calm & Focus: $10.75 – $309.95

I love this paste because it’s relatively fast-acting and I can feed it the morning of a show with plenty of time for it to work into his system and provide lasting results. It doesn’t dull Rotti out and helps manage his Cortisol levels to keep him from becoming irritable and stressed to create a positive situation for the both of us.

Weight & Conditioning

dac Oil | Cassie H. – Marketing Associate

dac Oil: $39.95 – $129.95

A multi-purpose supplement, dac Oil is beloved by many classes of horse owners. The 98% fat supplement’s unique blend of vegetable and fish oils helps to improve skin and coat condition, promoting healthy weight gain without making horses “hot.”

“I give both of my seniors a pump of dac Oil in the summer for maintenance and two pumps in the colder months to maintain a nice overall body condition. They absolutely glow! Their skin feels soft, they have a healthy shine and keep weight on easy. Plus, they love the taste!”

Electrolytes & Salt

Redmond Rock Mineral Salts & Rock | Colleen C. – Purchasing Associate

Redmond Rock Loose Mineral Salts and Rock: $11.95 – $42.95

When temperatures heat up, the first thing I worry about is if my horse is drinking enough water. On really hot, humid days where the life is sucked out of the both of us, I tried things like adding Gatorade to his water and put a salt block in his stall, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. A friend of mine recommended I try the Redmond Rock products. As soon as I hung up the rock in Rotti’s stall, he immediately started licking and couldn’t seem to get enough! The top-dressing minerals are super easy to use and takes the worry out of wondering if he is getting the essential minerals in his daily feed. I’m now obsessed with all of the Redmond products and is the ONLY rock salt I will ever use. In fact, my barnmates switched from their previous blocks to Redmond after seeing the difference in my horse’s water drinking habits!

Redmond Rock on a Rope: $9.99

Finish Line Apple-A-Day | Jen A. – Purchasing Associate

Finish Line Apple-A-Day Electrolyte: $12.55-$49.45

“I feed electrolytes all year round to make sure that my horses are always drinking enough water.  Especially when we have large temperature swings, Apple A Day keeps my horses hydrated.  They like the taste, it’s a small scoop compared to other brands  and the 5lb pail is economical.  Finish Line makes supplements with no added sugars or fillers so I know that my horse is getting the right nutrients that they need.”

Jen understands the importance of keeping her horses properly hydrated as an active 3-Day Event Rider!

Body Condition & Muscle Development

Progressive Top-Line Advanced Support | Kayla M. – Showroom Associate

Progressive Top-Line Advanced: $45.95

When Kayla started using Top-Line Advanced in summer 2019, she wanted to find a solution for Merlin, her Thoroughbred gelding, who suffered from chronic back pain and inability to sustain muscle throughout his back. In addition to testing at 100% on the back pain threshold, Merlin also was dealing with a case of Scoliosis (curvature) in his spine.

“I was blown away with the results [of Progressive Top-Line Advanced.] Within 30 days, not only did his body condition massively improve, but within 2 months, his back pain went down to 30%. The combination of acupuncture and chiropractic helped, but I definitely think the biggest difference came from using Top-Line Advanced. Merlin is so much more comfortable now and happy to work – even when I didn’t ride him much over the spring and he was mostly on turnout, by the time I started riding him again he looked better than ever and I owe that completely to the Top-Line.”

For horses that are rehabbing or need help in muscle development and overall condition, the Progressive Top-Line products are a fantastic choice with an optimum balance of essential amino acids for muscle growth, development, and performance.
Image may contain: horse, sky, cloud, outdoor and nature
Merlin the OTTB thrives on Top-Line Advanced, helping him to build a consistent, well-developed topline from head to tail!

dac E Natural | Cassie H. – Marketing Associate

dac E Natural $64.95

“My lean built Quarter Horse is given E natural to help with his topline and overall comfort as he ages. I can see a big difference between how he looked last summer without dac’s E Natural, and now!”

Image may contain: horse, tree, outdoor and nature
Cherokee, the senior AQHA, doesn’t let age slow him down and has benefited from the antioxidant and Amino Acid support provided by dac E Natural!

For any horse to succeed, it’s important to work with the proper professionals to suggest and guide the routines, nutrition, fitness regiment, and care-taking habits for your horse to thrive. Let us know your favorite supplements in the comments below!

Enjoy the ride,
Colleen, Purchasing Associate

Simplify Supplementation All-in-one Horse Supplements

Is it time to consider an all-in-one multi-system supplement?

Do you find yourself adding scoop after scoop of specialty nutritional supplements to your horses daily feed rations? Is your feed room storage solution bursting at the seams? If you are using 3 or more supplements, perhaps it is time to consider a multi-system supplement for your horse.

All in one horse supplements
Are the number of supplements in your feed room growing? Is there a better way?

Not to be confused with multi-vitamins or ration balancers. All-in-one supplements are nutritional supplements that are formulated to cover more than one of your horses specialty needs. The greatest benefit is being able to feed a single supplement that contains all of the ingredients for joint support, gastric health, strong hooves, a shining coat and more! No matter if you keep horses for business or pleasure, any change in your supplementation routine should be met with facts and figures. Will the change be of benefit to your horse, your wallet or both? Let’s take a look at how to evaluate a change in supplements with some choices available at Big Dee’s Tack.

Can and all-in one supplement work for my horse?

My horse is in full work and eats a well balanced feed that provides optimal levels of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. He is on grass turnout a minimum of 14 hours per day. Due to his unique needs his vet recommended Continue reading Simplify Supplementation All-in-one Horse Supplements

How Horse Calming Supplements Can Help

Horse Calming Supplements | Big Dee's Horse Tack & SuppliesDo you have a horse that is tense, on-edge or unfocused? Perhaps a calming supplement would be the right choice to bring out the best behavior in your horse without sacrificing performance.

Typically, there are two types of horse calming supplements. The first is a top dressing for feed that will help with everyday handling, work and training – this usually comes in the form of a powder or pellets. Second are “day of” supplements given before an event – these most likely come in the form of a paste. Calming supplements can be given anywhere from 1 hour to 5 days before the event – each supplement has its own specific time frame.

While the types of calming supplements greatly vary, there are a few common ingredients that can be found in products on the market today:

  • Vitamin B1/Thiamine: This is a water-soluble vitamin that is not stored in the horse’s body – as a result, it must be supplied by the horse’s diet. This vitamin is used in metabolizing carbohydrates and fat. Horses with a deficiency of this vitamin often appear stressed and nervous – the reason for its inclusion in a lot of calming supplements.
  • Magnesium: Magnesium deficiency in a horse is characterized by nervousness, irritability, muscle tremors and incoordination. This mineral plays a role in over 300 enzyme reactions – including cellular energy generation and genetic information decoding. It also works in part with calcium in nerve transmission and muscle contraction.
  • Vitamin B12: This vitamin aids in nervous system regulation, metabolism and red blood cell production. The recommended usage of this vitamin is for a horse in a stressful situation or to help increase appetite. A calming supplement with this ingredient would be ideal for situations such as long trailer rides or moving to a new location.
  • Tryptophan: This is an essential amino acid from which the horse is unable to product itself. This is used to increase levels of serotonin in the brain, which in turn creates a calming effect in horses. This includes increased sleepiness, reduced aggression and reduced fearfulness.
  • Valerian Root: This natural herb is used to reduce anxiety and excitability without reducing the horse’s mental function. Valerian can also be used as an antispasmodic in cases of colic or muscle spasms. This calming supplement would be recommended in stress-inducing events as opposed to competitive events.

If competing, it’s important to make sure that your association or registry accepts the use of the calming supplements you are using. This can usually be done by taking a look at the rule book or calling the office of the association or registry. If the supplement is not approved, be sure to give it time to leave the horse’s system before competition.

Other considerations for an edgy horse would be the horse’s diet. If the horse is being fed a grain that is high in sugar – they will react the same way as a human who has had too much sugar (hyper & unfocused). Consider switching to a grain lower in sugar or consult with a nutritionist or veterinarian to find the best way to reduce sugar in the horse’s diet. Another thing that can affect the horse’s attitude would be an overabundance of calcium. Like we mentioned earlier, calcium and magnesium work together – too much calcium means too little magnesium. Rich grass and alfalfa hay are often the culprits when it comes to a surplus of calcium. More exercise and turn out time can also reduce the amount of excitability and anxiety within a horse.

Do you have a go-to calming supplement? Let us know your favorites!