The competition season is in full swing and whether you are eventing, show jumping, carriage driving or competing in dressage every horse rider knows it is crucial to both performance and well-being to keep their equine’s stress levels to a minimum. In our latest blog Scientific Nutritional Products takes a look.
As riders we know our horses and ponies are incredibly sensitive and in recent years development in the field of psychology has led us to recognise symptoms of stress better in our equine friends.
Stress can be defined as a combination of responses to novel or threatening circumstances. Physical stressors to our equines could include such as; exertion on the body due to exercise or an injury creating pain and psychological stressors include things which make the animal anxious or fearful such as a change in the environment or a busy show ring with a loud tannoy.
In order to support our horses to cope with the pressure of training and competition firstly it is important for horse owners to recognise the signs of stress in your individual horse or pony.
These symptoms could include such as
- Poor ridden behaviour such as bucking or spooking or stopping at fences.
- Fascial tension visible around the eyes and muzzle.
- An increase in droppings.
- Teeth grinding.
- Signs of equine gastric ulcers such as coat dullness, reluctance to work and reactivity when putting tack on. If you suspect gastric ulcers it is important to contact your veterinarian for treatment. It can also be helpful to include a digestive supplement in the diet such as Nutri-Gut available from Scientific Nutritional Products to calm and support a healthy digestive system.
If you have identified your horse is displaying symptoms of stress the next step is thinking about how to alleviate these issues. When considering stress in the show ring an important dynamic is the travel to the competition. If you think this could be a factor consider travelling with a companion, always provide ample forage and ensure you leave with enough time to keep transit as slow as possible.
Feeding a Horse Calmer Supplement can really help your horse's nerves and anxiety when travelling to and at a Competition. Calmer Equine Plus has the purest graded Magnesium and B Vitamins to help your horse be more Manageable and thus Rideable.
When at a competition it is also very important to keep your horse hydrated and fed, and where possible parking somewhere that is quiet. As a rider’s feelings can easily transfer to the horse, give yourself plenty of time to get ready and warm up. This will allow you and your horse to be relaxed and focussed.
For more informative on our supplement range visit the website www.horsesupplementsdirect.co.uk or Tel: 0800 032 7774 to speak to a member of the team.
