Horse ownership is not without challenges. We’re often confronted with new issues—behavioral or health-related—and it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause and find the solution. Oftentimes, a horse’s actions are a direct result of physiological matters causing discomfort. These are the circumstances under which Equine Elixirs came to be. When founder Elizabeth Ehrlich couldn’t find an effective, all-natural gastric support supplement to help her horse, Bella, combat the side effects of ulcers, she created her own, and Ulceraser was born.

In this series, we speak directly with our customers about their horses’ experiences with Equine Elixirs to help shed light on how Equine Elixirs could work for your horse. In this installment, we speak with two individuals who have found long-term success with hormone-support supplement, Positude. Enjoy!

Maria B. 

In 2019, Ari, a then 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Maria B. of Bedminster, New Jersey, was a lucky survivor of a deadly barn fire that took the lives of three horses in Wellington, Florida. Though Ari escaped without bodily injury, the experience proved traumatic. “

Ari is a sensitive—yet sensible—horse to begin with,” shared Maria, “and in this situation, [because he was spooked by the commotion of the rescue effort], the barn staff wasn’t able to get a halter on him and he had to be chased out of his stall.”

At the time of the fire, Maria, a USEF and FEI steward, was based in Wellington to work at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Once WEF concluded, Maria relocated Ari to her home state of New Jersey. As Ari began his emotional recovery in a new state, though it had only been three weeks since the fire, Maria observed that he was not able to stay comfortable in his stall. In particular, when she or the staff would muck his stall while he was in it, he was noticeably nervous.

“My heart broke for Ari and what he went through,” said Maria. “I wanted to find a way to help him, and that’s when I saw McLain Ward’s testimonial video about Positude.” Attracted to McLain’s comments about the product’s positive effects on his horses’ overall well-being, Maria reached out to McLain’s longtime groom, Lee McKeever, to inquire further about the product. With encouragement from Lee, Maria decided to give Positude a shot. “

Almost immediately, I noticed that Ari seemed a little more at ease, more content, and less anxious,” Maria said. Initially, Maria intended to use Positude on a short-term basis to get Ari “over the hump” and help him recognize he could relax in his stall and around other people. However, because she was so pleased with how it helped,

Maria decided to keep Ari on it, and he’s remained on it for the last two years. Maria, who purchased Ari from Germany as a coming four-year-old, notes that they’ve been through a lot together over the years and have a special bond. Maria initially intended for Ari to be a sales prospect, but she fell in love immediately and knew she wanted him to be part of her family for life. With Ari’s comfort and happiness her top priority, Maria plans to keep Ari on the all-natural hormone support supplement and has become a true believer in the power of Positude.

Sandy M.

Sandy M. of Portland, Oregon, has been partnered with Abi, a 17-year-old Westphalian mare that towers just shy of 17 hands, for three years. Though the two do not compete, Sandy rides Abi frequently and considers her very forward and a horse that tends to be anxious. Even as life-long rider, Sandy notes that she becomes more cautious with age and as a result, was looking for ways to help reduce Abi’s anxiety and improve her focus to ensure both their safety during rides.

Sandy’s first introduction to Equine Elixirs was in January 2021 with nervous system support supplement, Calmakazi, after a hunter/jumper trainer helping Sandy and Abi with their flatwork recommended the line of products. “When I started her on it,” Sandy said of putting Abi on Calmakazi, “I noticed immediate results—within 24 hours—it was amazing!” Given the efficacy of Calmakazi, about one month later, Sandy turned to Positude to support Abi while she was in season.

“Every March, I try to put Abi on some type of hormone support,” shared Sandy. “With Positude, although I can still tell she is in season, I have a much stronger work ethic from her. She’s willing to pay attention and focus, and I’ve never had that with her before.”

After being on Positude for a couple of months, Abi proved to be so content that Sandy, who has done search and rescue work with mounted units in the past, decided to participate with her in an eight-hour mounted police clinic focused on desensitization. In the clinic, horse and rider pairs are asked to complete unusual tasks such as walking through walls of smoke and alongside flashing police sirens.

Knowing that Abi had never been exposed to anything like this before, Sandy went into the clinic with no expectations. However, throughout the course of the day, Abi surprised Sandy with her willingness to participate and calm demeanor. “I guarantee that had I not had her on Equine Elixirs, I probably would not have been able to complete the clinic,” stated Sandy. “That’s how strongly I feel about the products.

“She did amazing,” Sandy continued. “I was so proud of her. Had I not had her on the good supplements and her other good food, I believe we wouldn’t have been able to finish.”

Being ridden five to six times per week, Abi remains very fit. According to Sandy, however, the fitter Abi gets, the more horse she is. An ever-attentive horse parent, Sandy watches Abi’s caloric intake closely, maintaining a spreadsheet to ensure Abi receives the proper feed and supplements.

“I take a lot of pride in how she looks and feels, and I’ve noticed a huge change with both products,” Sandy noted. “Abi just seems so much happier in her body. Before, she was so concerned with what was going on around her. Now, she is super content, and I have her attention all of the time.”

If you have an Equine Elixirs’ success story, please reach out to us at [email protected].