Nervous system horse | Anxiety and stress

Since horses are flight animals, they are naturally very alert and are prone to anxiety and stress relatively quickly. Additionally, high performance demands from the horse owner and intense training can contribute to elevated stress levels. Stress can lead to various health problems, including gastric ulcers. Pharmacy4pets helps your horse relax.

Causes of Stress in Horses

There are several causes of stress in horses. Horses that are "hot-blooded" tend to get stressed more easily. Boredom, such as spending a large part of the day alone in a stall or on a bare paddock, can lead to frustration and stress. Horses are herd animals, so social isolation, meaning spending a significant part of the day or even their entire life without contact with conspecifics, causes stress and even depression. Tensions between horses, changes in environment, transportation, insufficient roughage, competitions, loud noises (such as thunderstorms or fireworks), and intense training can also induce stress.

Consequences of Stress

Stress can lead to flight behavior, which can have dangerous consequences for both the horse and the caretaker or rider. Moreover, stress can have serious effects on the well-being and health of the horse. There is a clear link between the occurrence of gastric ulcers and stress. Stress also reduces the immune resistance of horses, making them more susceptible to various health issues. Stressed horses may experience diarrhea or weight loss. Prolonged stress can lead to depression.

Symptoms of Stress

There are many ways in which a horse can manifest stress. Chronic stress often shows different symptoms than acute stress. Some examples of signs of stress include:

• Increased heart rate and rapid breathing.
• Behavioral changes (such as lethargy, aggression, quick irritability, withdrawing).
• Stereotypies/stable vices such as cribbing, weaving, and stall walking.
• Teeth grinding.
• Vague ailments.
• Visible sclera.
• Trembling.
• Sweating.
• Frequent yawning.
• Raised upper lip, flared nostrils, blowing.
• Tense or rigid muscles.
• Frequent small urinations.

Preventing Stress

When signs of stress appear, it's important to first identify possible contributing factors causing the tension your horse feels.

• Horses thrive on routine: try to keep their feeding and training schedule as consistent as possible, even during travel.
• Adjust ration according to your horse's needs: ensure adequate high-quality roughage and multiple feeding times per day. Always provide clean drinking water.
• Horses need exercise: daily turnout is a must. Adjust the training program when stressed. A stressed horse may not perform well; lighten the training load if it seems too heavy for your horse.
• Assess social interactions between your horse and other horses: the group may not be suitable for your horse. Keeping a horse alone, however, is undesirable.
• Try to make your horse's transportation as smooth as possible. Bring enough hay and water, and practice loading. Support with calming supplements such as Zylkene Equine can help make transportation more relaxed.

Once you've identified the conditions causing stress in your horse, you can take measures. Magnesium has a beneficial effect on concentration and the nervous system. Sectolin Magnesium Citrate and Sectolin Nervo support your horse's nervous system. Natural remedies such as Phytonics Strezz and PUUR Nervo help relax your horse. If you have any questions about our products or about stress in your horse, please contact us.