After a rather disastrous regional dressage final, despite the fact that I had prepared, worked in the arena, and had worked him very hard, Hendy started prancing around like a giraffe that got startled by the flower boxes he had seen only 30 minutes earlier. I contacted my equine nutritionist about calming products. She suggested I try Cavalor Take It Easy Forte; to say I was sceptical would be an understatement. After buying the said calmer, I took him to Somerford for show jumping. I do a lot of jumping with him to keep him focused, but Somerford Arena is his nemesis. A tall hedge, with horses walking behind it that he can’t see but can only hear, large muck bins in each corner, and a rack of white poles on one side was enough to make him spin and spook before we even got to a fence. By the time I start jumping, he’s so tense that we often have unexpected run-outs and stops around the course. I gave him the recommended dose of Cavalor, waited, tacked him up, and went to the arena. He warmed up well, which he usually does, and then I took him in to jump the 1.10. I honestly couldn’t believe the difference: he was focused, didn’t spook at anything in the arena, and didn’t spook at the jumps. He jumped a lovely, clear, focused, calm, obedient round. I would never, ever have believed it. Great stuff, and I now have a stock to use whenever I need it!
Written by: Alison Jane Unwin
