#smartcalm

My latest discovery: we both have problems controlling our anxiety. I’ve noticed that when I do certain things with her, especially going into the canter, her attitude changes completely and she becomes combative and angry. She then goes into a jiggy “I can’t stop feet gotta move” head space for several minutes after cantering until she finally comes back down and can walk and trot normally.

We both have issues coming down from anxiety spikes and I think we both need help with it.

I’ve made an appointment to see a doctor about being prescribed anxiety medication. She feeds heavily off of my seat so if nothing else, this should help me keep myself from getting worked up while riding and then having her feed off of me.

I’m also looking into calming supplements for her. I was looking at getting two separate supplements, a magnesium supplement and a B1 supplement because I know those two ingredients work well and magnesium is important, regardless. But I found that SmartCalm Ultra Pellets contain high contents of both magnesium and B1, as well as l-tryptophan which I’ve heard is helpful in calming. It also contains inositol which I do not know much about. I also like that SmartCalm is a smartpak which makes easy feeding.

Lennox ate his SmartCalm! I think if I put the pellets in his beet pulp before I soak it, he doesn't notice they're in there because they sort of disintegrate. I also mixed half the peppermint tea into the beet pulp before soaking then sprinkled the other half on top right before I fed it to him.

He was really calm tonight, but I'm not sure whether it was because he actually ate his supplement or because the farm was quiet. We were the only ones in the arena, and I just hand walked him around because I didn't have time to ride. There were a couple jump standards set up so I trotted with him over a small crossrail. At first he stopped and just stumbled over it at a walk, but after he caught on he seemed to be having fun. He's been over jumps under saddle before, but I doubt he's had anyone trot him over them in hand.

Nothing exciting has been going on at the barn(s) lately. I've just been turning Lennox out and feeding him his SmartCalm and beet pulp concoction daily. The farrier should be out tomorrow, so Lennox should have shoes and pads on all four hooves by the time I get off work. I'm excited for him to be fixed up and ready to be ridden!