# potassium bromide - calmer/ hormonal horses



## seabsicuit2 (20 January 2013)

Just wondered if anyone here used KBr with their horses? It seems to have a slight sedative effect and stopped my mate squealing every time she looked at another horse. Just wondered if others had the same results? And also do you know if its safe to use long term- getting conflicting advice on this!


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## seabsicuit2 (20 January 2013)

ETs- ** mare not mate!! Ha ha blooming phone! ;-)


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## star (20 January 2013)

it is a sedative. we use it as an anti-epileptic drug in dogs.  Dont know much about its use in horses though.  Its fairly safe for long term use in dogs.


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## ofcourseyoucan (20 January 2013)

works well on riggy geldings.


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## seabsicuit2 (20 January 2013)

That's interesting - it can't be competition legal then? Am amazed that I've not heard of it before, it seems to work really well


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## TarrSteps (20 January 2013)

Isn't that saltpetre. . . ??


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## TarrSteps (20 January 2013)

No, my mistake, sorry. Saltpeter is potassium nitrate.


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## star (20 January 2013)

seabsicuit2 said:



			That's interesting - it can't be competition legal then? Am amazed that I've not heard of it before, it seems to work really well
		
Click to expand...

no, i assume it cant be legal.  anything that works reliably generally isn't legal!


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## seabsicuit2 (20 January 2013)

I agree it cant be legal- but the vets seem to freely hand it out with no warnings, but the more I read about it the more I worry about it !


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## Baggybreeches (20 January 2013)

I had a conversation with my farrier about using it on stallions its definitely not competition legal


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## Tempi (21 January 2013)

Bloss is very squealy and was very difficult when in season since having foals.  She's now on agnus cactus (I get mine from Pegasus health) and she's totally changed, no mood swings and no squealing.  I know it's that as I've experimented and taken her off it and within 7 days she was a hormonal mess again! 

Also works on riggy geldings!


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## seabsicuit2 (21 January 2013)

Thank you that sounds great- I will give it a go it sounds very effective!


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## seabsicuit2 (21 January 2013)

Ah- just twigged you said ' after having foals' have always wondered if it was because of this. Another mare on the yard is very squealy and on edge as well, and she's had a foal. Yet her breeding dictates she shouldn't be like this ( she's a Connemara) all her full brothers and sisters were extremely calm and laid back, this one isn't.her hormones seem to make her sharp.
Funny- they say that putting a mare in foal is supposed to calm them down!


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## Alec Swan (21 January 2013)

There was a time in the 1960s when Bromide was put into the tea of those gentlemen who were being detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.

It was known,  commonly then,  as "Anti-W**k".  I can only imagine the effect that it has on horses! 

Alec.


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## mandwhy (21 January 2013)

Haha what a fact Alec Swan!


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## TarrSteps (22 January 2013)

See, that's what made me think of saltpeter, that old boys' boarding school staple!   Now I'm wondering why you'd use one and not the other. . .?


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## chatter1 (22 January 2013)

My vet was horrified when a horse arrived at my yard having been prescribed this for his 'riggy' behaviour, by another local vet.  He said it would basically make him feel very groggy!  quickly took him off it and the horse was so much nicer!


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## Gamebird (22 January 2013)

Alec Swan said:



			There was a time in the 1960s when Bromide was put into the tea of those gentlemen who were being detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.

It was known,  commonly then,  as "Anti-W**k".  I can only imagine the effect that it has on horses! 

Alec. 

Click to expand...

They used it in the trenches in WW1 for the same reason!


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## seabsicuit2 (22 January 2013)

Chatter1 - oh dear that is not good!! :-(  I will def have to think twice about using it for too long..!

Alec- yes apparently it was used with soldiers in WW2 for the same sort of reason !


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