Mare Magic (and or calming supplements for mares)? Please help!

*THIS IS A VERY LONG STORY, SO I APOLIGIZE * Help is so greatly appreciated. Advice, anything. Please help!

Hi All! I have had my horse Jezebel for about three months. She is a 5 YO Thoroughbred who was never raced but bred to be (she was taken from a Lexington stable as payment for her nurse mare. There had been a tragedy at the stable she was from, so they could not pay for hers and the other foals nurse mares.)

She is a rescue and was very unhealthy upon my getting her. She was very underweight, she had rain rot, her coat was dull and a lifeless color, and her hooves were dreadful.


She had a bite on her back which prevented me from riding her after the initial trial rides and a ride at the barn where she is currently at. During the time I was not riding her, she started to get healthy and get some weight on her. Once the bite healed, I was able to ride again. She was good for the first bit. (I suppose I should add that I became a bit nervous about her within the first week of bringing her home as her solution to not wanting to cross a puddle was rearing, but I pushed it aside as her being merely afraid.)


She had an adopter before me that could not keep her due to her health. I am lucky to have contact with her. She was very healthy when she was with her, so what happened at the rescue I don't know. Neglect perhaps. Either way, she had two or three months of Parelli training and was rideable and very good under saddle. In fact, she's a dream.


After about a month to a month and a half of owning her, she began to get extremely excited in the barn. I still rode her, though after a couple of rides she did something strange--she hopped a bit with me from standing. The next ride or the next, I am not sure--she reared with me and bunny hopped for about 20 feet. She didn't get me off, but I was still extremely shaken though I followed through with our ride and she was a doll the rest of the time.

During this time she had begun to become a butthole (pardon my language) when in the barn. She would go from being a bit ancy to just full out bucking and or rearing.

I was going to ride her again when I finally snapped and she behaved her worst in the barn. She went from standing to bucking. Luckily there was no one else inside. I pushed it into the back of my mind as her feeling better to be healthy. However, when I went to walk her out, she walked find for a bit before slamming on the breaks and flinging herself into the air. I couldn't help it--I had been on the verge since she originally freaked in the barn--I just broke down and handed her off to the barn owner who has been so helpful. I agreed that I was not going to be scared off and requested he put his western saddle on for more security.

When he did this, she was fine until he tightened the girth (He's a cowboy, so he TIGHTENED that girth). She reared up and fell over. She didn't get up as I guess she had knocked the breath out of herself with the stirrup. I was in hysterics. I thought my girl was hurt as well as I was panicked to ride her.

The barn owner got her up and calmed both of us. We walked down to the ring, he did a bit of ground work with her, and then got on her back. She was fine for him. When it came my turn, I just couldn't do it. I was too afraid.

*ADDITIONALLY...this might be important...*

When she bucks or rears is in the initial minute or two after mounting. She does NOT like to be held back and gets extremely impatient while I'm getting settled. I do not know if she is excited and that is how she shows it or what...but once she gets moving she is such a gem and I adore her. I just want the sweet horse back that I know she is.

I got a lesson with the barn trainer and she did groundwork with her--she ran in circles bucking without the saddle, and once she was tacked she did so again. My trainer then bravely rode her, and she was fine. Still, I am just so nervous. She has started me on groundwork and we have been doing it for a month. I think I am now finally ready to ride her and she has really calmed down. I will be having another lesson and they will be in weekly increments once I do get the confidence to ride--which should be this weekend.

GETTING TO THE POINT...I am afraid of her unpredictability and her still ancy and somewhat dangerous behavior in the barn. I cannot take her in with other horses as I fear for their safety. I am just overall nervous about my baby. I considered Mare Magic or a supplement, though the wife of the barn owner said she wouldn't. We are a very small barn with maybe five boarders that are regularly present and the barn is right next to their house, so we've all gotten very close. I cherish her input, and do not want to upset her by doing so anyway--though opinions are like...you know...everyone has them and different things work for different horses and even if it would not do much, at least it would placebo effect me into feeling like it was. Are there any negatives of Mare Magic specifically or other supplements?
Would supplements help my precious girl be herself again? Or is time and training all she needs?

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. <3

Ok... so the history on this horse, from what i've read here, isn't all that clear training wise. Her health has gone for a bit of a roller coaster ride in her 5 short years as well.

Can you tell us what she's is being fed now?
How is she housed (stall, pasture, turnout, etc.)?
Have you had a saddle fitter out?
What are her teeth like?
What are her feet like?

ITA with Crimson - as lengthy as your history above is, the answers to these few questions will be far more helpful in offering any sort of advice as to what possible changes/actions might be beneficial to your horse. I suspect Mare Magic/calming supplement is not going to be the answer.

Yes, have a vet come out and give her a check over. Hooves, teeth, back, everything. Check her saddle fit and evaluate if she is getting enough turnout for a energetic horse. See if she is getting the correct amount of feed for her work load.

She is being fed about 4-5 lbs of Purina Strategy daily and lives on a 10 acre grass pasture.

She does not have a stall, but she does have access to a run in barn.

I have not had a saddle fitter out, though I have very knowledgeable people at the barn who have helped me with that and say mine looks fine. I do trust them on that--but maybe I should have a professional!

Her teeth are fine, though I will have the barn owner take a look at them just to be sure.

Her feet too are fine, it's about time for a trim though.

I know that mare magic is not going to be the one and only answer, though she truly is a precious horse that is just moody, anxious and ancy. I was just wondering if this could help calm her down so that working with her on these issues could be easier. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Subbing

We have a tb/qh heavy on the TB trait cross mare who made huge improvements on MM. But also Consistant Firm work is what I put more credit with . We got her early this year and my 14 yo is doing great on her now.. she still gets "moody" but ground work and good direction have shown her to respect us and also trust us

Has she been seen by a vet since you got her? Pre-purchase exam, etc.? If not, that's the first place I'd start with an exam for potential health/pain issues.

If you can't find any physical cause, I'd start looking for a good trainer who would be willing to take on a horse that bucks/rears.

Good training and care are the most important aspects of managing a hot, antsy horse... but Mare Magic doesn't hurt anything either.

Mare Magic is pure dried raspberry leaves, so I buy mine in bulk from an online organic herb supplier (and save a ton of money doing so). I also feed my hot mare chamomile, which theoretically has some calming effects (though in her case the anti-inflammatory effect is also important because she's an older gal with some arthritis setting in).

Honestly, I suspect that to some extent that this mare has "got your number". I think she's figured out that some bucking and rearing here and there will rattle you up enough not to make her work too hard. She may also feel that you aren't a leader she can trust to let her know when something is wrong, so she takes whatever action she feels necessary to "protect" herself from anything she perceives as frightening or "dangerous". I know that this was a challenge with our hot and spooky mare. We had to prove to her that we could determine when and if there was something that needed to be worried over.

So she has been good for the last month? I think she was testing to see what she could get away with. Being that she has been doing ground work and has shown improvement, its probably what she needed. I would continue with the ground work and you will get to know her better and she will get to know you. From what I read is that she is learning that the bad behavior isn't going to work and has settled down. Don't rush your self to get back on. When you are feeling more confident with handling her, I think it will come and you will know when it's time to ride.