On her website, Desert Equine Balance, Patti in Vail, Arizona brings up an issue that is becoming more and more common as horse owners and trainers decide that a horse is too frisky or uncooperative and decide to medicate the horse to calm it and make it more willing to comply with the owner/trainer's expectations.
Controlling the frisky horse
The drugging of horses is an issue that is becoming all too common with horses that are considered too frisky or uncooperative whether in on the trail, in the arena or the sales yard.
As Patti so well brings us the issue: "On the heels of the NY Times series on breakdown of race horses comes Sudden Death of Show Pony Clouds Image of Elite Pursuit - a look at the unwarranted drugging of show ponies and horses ridden by young Olympic hopefuls.
But it's not just the elite Young Rider being taught that it's OK to drug the friskiness out of your horse. Look at any feed and supplement supplier and you'll find a variety of nutraceuticals and herbal supplements billed as "Horse Calming Supplements" and agents
If a horse is tense, edgy and unfocused there's a reason and it's our responsibility to find it, not simply medicate or supplement to mask the problem or eliminate the behavior. It's terribly unfair to the horse if the owner or trainer hasn't explored a balanced diet and corrected deficiencies, checked for physical causes - ulcers, pain, vision problems, tack fit, etc., and reviewed training issues and suitability for the job. Then, and only then is it appropriate to target a calming supplement."
If you or your trainer is unable to help your horse be calm, quiet, and reliable in its responses to riding commands and everyday checkups, it usually means the horse has needs that are not being met. Perhaps it's a need for more turnout time so it can work off excess energy, or perhaps a hidden physical condition is causing pain or irritation.
Calm, quiet, reliable riding horses are the result of good training and drugging the horse is a bad practice, plus it is illegal in most competitions. Drugging a horse also creates a safety issues for the rider. Drugged horses don't clearly know where their bodies are in space and don't have adequate control of their muscles or mindset. A drugged horse has much the same reactions as a human driving under the influence.
For the horse, being drugged is as bad as having a trainer tell you that you should get drunk before riding or take a valium if you are feeling nervous about the way the horse acts.