Stress describes a negative condition that can have an impact on one’s mental and physical well being, it is unclear as to what exactly defines stress and whether or not is a cause, an effect, or the process connecting the two. Horses, like people, suffer from stress and can become ill if they suffer too much of it. One should try to avoid or minimize the amount of stress our horses experience.
There are three main types of stress:
Constant stress is a stress in which a horse is under repeatedly; often it is caused by a part of its daily routine. An example could be a horse that is being bullied by other horses in its pasture on a daily basis. This kind of stress can affect the horse’s behavior, making it nervous and difficult to handle. It can also affect its health resulting in the development of ulcers and reduction in the efficiency of its immune system.
Occasional stress is a stress which occurs from time to time, but not daily. The stress of transporting a horse to the occasional competition is an example of this kind of stress. Such stress, unless it is extreme normally has little effect on the horse once the event has passed. There are exceptions, if the stress conditions are repetitive such as an unpleasant experience every time it is taken to competition the horse may eventually develop an aversion to competitions.
Traumatic stress is a high stress event, such as a painful injury. These events can result in mental and behavioral issues. If a horse is injured while being transported it may develop a fear of trailers and refuse to enter them, this is an example of traumatic stress. It can also be caused by extreme fear, a horse that is very frightened, even if it suffers no injury, may develop the same mental and behavioral problems.
Horses can suffer from several other types of stress as well such as isolation stress, social stress, boredom, change and uncertainty, training, noises and surprises, confinement and dark, and pain. The best treatment for stress is simply to remove the cause of stress. One should also provide a horse with an environment with lots of mental stimulation, in an environment which it feels safe and is treated in a consistent way. In some cases, stress may result in or contribute to the development of behavioral issues. In this case the required treatment depends on the type of behavioral issue and the individual horse.
However when one cannot simply remove the stress there are other options out there to assist in calming your horse before a show or competition. They come in the form of pastes with the essential amino acid L-tryptophan, this nutrient aids in relaxing nervous horses before racing, showing or shipping. B-Kalm is highly recommended when it comes to these pastes, it contains no drugs and will not test positive. Many people have stated that it works extremely well and does not make the horse drowsy or hinder its performance.
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