Excitable or Nervous Horses - How to Calm Them With Herbs

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Rive]Jackie Rive
Excitable or nervous horses can be quite problematic and finding the cause can go along way to helping this issue. Herbs can provide wonderful help and relief with excitable or nervous horses and can reduce a lot of stress. Some of the most likely reasons for this sort of behaviour in horses are lack of confidence, fear or pain, lack of exercise and too much high-energy food.
Excitement at meeting other horses at pony club or on horse treks, poor discipline and general adrenaline rush caused by competition atmosphere can also add to the problem. Old habits and historical memories of scary things can cause nervousness and knowing what is causing the problem is very important to understanding how to treat your horse.
If the problem is caused by an overly high energy diet then your solution will be rather simple, change the diet. If, however your horse becomes anxious and nervous during times of competition or travel then herbs can be a very effective means of reducing some of the stress your horse is experiencing.
Herbs such as chamomile, skullcap, lemon balm, vervain, hops and valerian work on relaxing the nerves. These herbs reduce the anxiety or excitability your horse may be experiencing without causing the horse to become drowsy.
Some of these herbs also work on relaxing the muscles and the gut and therefore cause the whole body to relax without causing the drowsy state that conventional sedatives can induce. The horses gut is readily affected by their mental state so any nervous tension can affect the digestive system also. This is another reson for trying to reduce any tension or stress your horse may be experiencing and I have certainly found herbs to be a gentle and enjoyable way of doing this.
Chamomile is part of the Asteraceae plant family and is commonly used in the horse world. It is used for calming and soothing anxious nerves and can be used as a preventative against colic which is an extremely dangerous condition for any horse.
Chamomile is categorised as a nervine sedative. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic so can be useful to use when there are aches and pains as well. It is often used in wound healing creams as a topical and as a soothing balm.
Valerian is another commonly used herb for anxious or overly active horses. It is particularly effective in horses that tend to hold tension in the muscles. Unfortunately it has a rather nasty smell and if you ever spill some of this herb into your horses float you will definitely know about it. In ancient times it was called 'phu' or 'fu' which also reflects this condition.
As long as you feed this herb in the correct dosage it will help calm an excitable horse without causing drowsiness or affecting their performance. It is ideal for relieving nervousness, stress and anxiety.
Vervain is another popular herb for soothing an anxious or excitable horse. It is particularly useful for horses that are sensitive to the touch opposed to holding the tension in their muscles. It can be combined nicely with chamomile on a daily basis to soothe an anxious horse.
Therefore if you have a nervous or even an overly excited horse it is definitely worth considering the benefits of using calming herbs. They can be easily added to your horses feed in either a dried or liquid form and will give you the satisfaction of knowing you are feeding a natural remedy.
For further information on herbs for horses and to download your free herbal guide "37 herbs & remedies for fabulously healthy animals" visit http://www.brookbyherbs.co.nz
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Excitable-or-Nervous-Horses---How-to-Calm-Them-With-Herbs&id=6607862] Excitable or Nervous Horses - How to Calm Them With Herbs