Notice: I'm whipping the first person that says wet saddle blankets.

This mare has been hauled extensively for two years and is nowhere near seasoned or dependable. Now, with that out-of-the-way, does anyone have experience with a daily prescription drug that would calm the hell out of a horse?  I use guanabenz when I take her to a show. All it does is make her less dangerous, but it really doesn't help with performance or focus.  She has all the athleticism and speed that she needs, but we can't get it together enough to even consistently make it into the 5D.

breed her

Give her something else to do. Trail rides, tracking steers, roping.... sometimes they just need to have another job or task other than barrels, not medication or calm down powders. You say she's dangerous? How so? Just curious.  

Could it be possible she hates her job? Maybe she's just not meant to be a barrel horse? Does she act this way doing other things or just at races?

You're not going to get a wet saddle blanket answer from me.  I've done this for many, many years.  Fluoxetine is a daily pill (horsey Prozac) that can make a big difference with a horse.  You get it from your vet.  People who say you shouldn't use something like this just haven't ridden enough horses.  And, it's very possible that after a month or two on the medicine, you can take them off of it. 

More details would be helpful.

How old is the mare?

What exactly is she doing during the run? (is she spooking? is she bucking? etc)

It would be helpful to know what you mean by "dangerous".

How often do you haul?

What's your normal exercise routine during the week?

etc.   Details. 

I do a fair amount of pasture riding and trail riding. She's pretty spooky then too. She doesn't hate her job. She is just a bundle of nerves. She sees everything even going fast.

She gets a fair amount of pasture riding and trail riding. She's just very spooky and high strung. She doesn't miss anything. Going faster is dangerous  when you take her to a new arena because she sees everything even going fast. And this mare  has more hinges than a tacklebox. 

You might look into Relax Pellets from Oxygen. My mare was messed up by the trainers she was with. Anxiaty  big time. Now she also had bad ulcers when I brought her home. Vet took care of ulcers & that helped her. I talked with Rosie Bradley about her & we tried the relax. It has really helped her. 

Chlorpromazine

Have you treated her for EPM?  I really like treating them with some kind of medication first and following up with the EPM Super Dewormer.  Not too familiar with all the daily stuff out there because we just use oral ace on racehorses, you would be suprised how many TBs are on ace every single time they go to the track until they have to be off of it prior to race day.

Look into positive reinforcement training. It is really effective at teaching impulse control, fear, lookiness. It is certainly not a quick fix, but is a game changer once the horse gains confidence in himself and you. 

I think sometimes diet has alot to do with a hot horse, I would feed a very simple diet of mostly hay and a little bit of feed thats really low in NSC% for starters. When they are dangerous its time to get real serious befor they hurt you are someone else. 

Edited to add: I'm with BarnMom have her checked for EPM and have her eyesight checked as well.

Yep. Treated and SDW. This is her. This is horses by this sore. Athletic but nutty.

Come on, guys. I'm not a newbie. Stick to personal experience with prescription drugs.

Chlorapromazine

I'm glad you didn't take my breed her comment seriously.  In the rope horse futurity world, some people use Ace orally.  It takes the edge off.

Have you tried Reserpine? There is a powder you can feed daily, or a shot that will last a few weeks. Some horses it works well on, some it doesn't make much of a difference. Might be worth a shot! 

I will be calling vet to ask about reserpine.

I am going to mention wet saddle blankets but don't whip me because I feel the same way.  I had a well respected trainer tell me years and years ago if you think wet saddle blankets are the answer for all things wrong under a saddle then you haven't ridden enough horses to find out differently or you have been lucky.  Fitting one up that is like that can back fire on you.  

Now to move on.  I worked for a vet that would RX ace for Sub Q injections for a gradual slow release.  I use to trail ride with a girl that had a horse that was nuts to ride.  The vet prescribed this method for her horse and he was the best horse on the trails.  We could get in miles of trails before it wore off.

Oh, I love this idea!! I have always just either gave ace IM or Orally as needed. Also IV if one was bad to shoe or something. Haven't heard of the sub Q method, something to look into. 

Go ahead & whip me if you think you're fast enough to catch me. I know you said rx but if you haven't tried at least 30 consistent days of a good magnesium supplement you're missing what could be a simple answer.  And I know it's not Rx but I had really good luck with phytosana cbd on a mare that was unpredictability schizo (she'd be good one day & a psycho the next) the phytosana really evened her out & the psycho days went away.

I'm about to do this with my 4yr mare.  Problem is, I'm afraid she'll never settle with being so hair trigger anxious.   

Wisdom!  I have a sometimes psycho mare.  She doesn't even have a job to hate.  Some days she's good as gold and some days the people at the end of our road can hear me cursing her.  Going to ask my vet about this.  Good luck CanCan!  I feel your pain!

That was a joke.  Please dont breed crazy horses.  

I also used Ace, like the others mentioned, on a horse that was anxious. I'd give it to him on a cookie. It helped. But he never did grow to tolerate the anxiety of barrel racing. I know you asked about prescription drugs but I also used ViaCalm on a horse that was nervous and that worked for her. 

She's only 4. You have lots of time for her to settle down. 

Oh, I don't have to catch you. I'll hide and ambush you. Yes on the magnesium and yes on the photo whatever CBD.  Got a free bottle at a MM clinic. Didn't make a diff. Ace doesn't help. No on Mare Magic. All the little supposed to work expensive pastes.

LOL....but just think of the fun a crazy youngster can provide 

Well I'll probably **** some people off with my comment but oh well, to bad so sad. It makes me sick to read people saying ace your horse. These people are not vets.No one has seen your horse. No one has a clue how your horse is acting, they just go by what you say. Take your horse to your vet. Discuss your horses problem with your vet & do what your vet says not what people on a barrel board say. Ace almost ruined my horse. I didn't give it & never would if I was going to run. It was given to my horse without my knowing. Ace is a seditive & should be used with other problem, not to give to a horse your running. I talked to my vet regarding my mares problems. What she suggests I do, I will do, not what people on a forum say I should do. I wish you the best with your horse. 

Doesn't she have to see the vet to GET Ace since it's a prescription drug? In my case, the vet prescribed it for him.

For future reference, how did Ace ruin your horse? May I ask what happened? 

Ace is not a sedative, it is a tranquilizer and as SmokinBandits mentioned it is an RX med so a person would have to see a vet to get it.  If the person comes by it through other means or gets it from a vet by lying about its intended use then any harm that comes to the horse or user is on them.  It sounds like your problem should be with the person that gave Ace to your horse not the drug.

Besides CanCan strikes me to be smart enough to blow off any advice that might harm her horse.

I say Ace is not for a horse you would be running.  It just wouldn't be safe.

But Chlorpromazine is ? which is almost identical to Ace and you gave it a thumbs up when it was mentioned.  Why so?

It's in the title Rx for nerves!

Of course I will obtain Rx drugs from a DVM. ?? 

This post is for reports and recommendations from barrel racers who have personal stories/experiences with  calming and focusing prescription drugs for horses. 

Every. Single. Drug. Has. Potential. Side. Effects. 

D*mn. 

Chlorpromazine and Ace are not even close to being the same drug. 

I pulled the below information below from a paper written by a CVT and her source for information was a board certified DACVB. Also I am looking at a publication on the aaep site and a peertech publication that would support the similarity of the two.  But hey what do we, they know.  You are the veterinarian on call.

Acepromazine (PromAce ®) and Chlorpromazine are two commonly used phenothiazine tranquilizers
in veterinary clinics. Their primary method of action is as a Dopamine antagonist.
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine ®) is almost identical to Acepromazine and is just as potent. 

I sent you a PM.

The Equine Edge ( Total Heath Enhancement) has a great natural product for Calming.   You can do a daily supplement and then give a calming cookie(s) a few hours prior to running.     I like it becasue it is all natural.

Ace would make my guy trip and running barrels that freaked me out!!

I would rule out pain and use xrays to make sure your horse's angles in feet are correct and if all that checked out. Since correcting the issues that presented themselves in the bone scan & xrays, he is a completely different horse and I only give him THE Calming Cookies, as they help with focus, too. I ALWAYS keep T.H.E. Calming Cookies with me in case my anxiety decides to rear its ugly head... kinda like a fig newton.

Seditive / tranquilizer same thing. It should not be used for running barrels. You'd be surprised of some vets who hand it out like candy to anyone who asks. 

I just wanted to add to this, I also have an extreme anxiety horse. He is now 9, probably only gotten worse with age. He literally trembles over things like trees, his own shadow, literally anything (half the arena is covered by trees). He's been at this barn for years, but cannot seem to get over himself with anything. I can't hardly get anything done riding. He shakes and will blow up-he can run completely sideways, I call him a sidewinder. He will also get worked into a foamy-full sweat instantly from just being freaked out.

He's been on magnesium, calming supps, consistent riding schedules, turned out to pasture, hay change, buddy horse. I've tried so many things & this horse just does not get over himself. I'm nervous myself to try & haul him anywhere.  I feel the original poster's pain & I also wish I knew how to help. 

You would love my local vet.??

Ccarp18. Have you treated him for EPM? 

No, I have not! I'll have to look into it & ask my vet

Who is the girl who sells the THE products? I need some, but I can't remember who she is. I want to buy from her because she is great at shipping fast and is so knowledgeable and nice. 

Thats Wyoming barrel racer (Krystal Peterson) GrazingbitPreformancenorses.com or 307 Quarter Horses, this is her new set up/web site.

What is your horses total diet?

He colicked and since he has had to be on a very limited diet I know he is developing ulcers, plus we ran out of their colic relief which works wonders. His diet is Timothy pellets and grass hay and pasture. However, we have a horse that has to be stalled and the other 3 horses have been taking turns babysitting every 12 hours. He had to babysit for longer though, and I think that's why he colicked. He is doing fine now.  This is horse that's not being ridden right now. 

Anyone use Guanabenz?  If so IV/IM/oral?  Did you get results.  Anyone have an alternative to it that worked well?

I do. I give .6-.8 cc at least 90 minutes out. I don't like using it, but it works. 

I agree on guanabenze. Also Chloraprozine liquid works great. 1.5 cc orally 45 min before a run. I warm him up first and then give it to him. Do 5 min or so of long trotting and loping some cirlces and then a make a run. Great for his anxiety.

This has really worrked well for my friend that literally could not ride the horse at home and best resutls with the powder especially since the horse in question hates neddles.