“One of the most frequent requests we get is for supplements that help reduce horses’ anxiety levels allowing them to relax and focus while also maintaining their competitive edge,” says Elizabeth Ehrlich, founder of Equine Elixirs. “Positude and Calmakazi were formulated to compliment one another by working on different systems,” says Ehrlich.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POSITUDE AND CALMAKAZI? 
Positude helps regulate progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone while Calmakazi helps reduce cortisol and increase serotonin. “Positude is a great fit for horses that are hormonal, temperamental, unpredictable, opinionated, and snarky,” she continues. “Calmakazi is best for horses with a pleasant demeanor, but who tend to be worried, nervous, anxious, stressed, high energy, or spooky.”  

Prior to the ban on medroxyprogesterone in 2019, Elizabeth Ehrlich, was already working on an all-natural alternative that would mimic progesterone therapy. “I had used ‘Depo’ for several years and was pleased with the results, but I dreaded giving weekly injections. I didn’t want to use Regumate or other chemicals and I knew there were many riders and trainers who felt the same way,” Ehrlich recalls. “There is a lot of research on the benefits of certain root and berry extracts when it comes to controlling hormonal fluctuations, and this research formed the basis for Positude,” she said.

ALL ABOUT POSITUDE
Positude is made from highly concentrated extracts that act upon the pituitary to maintain even hormone levels in mares, geldings and stallions. Mimicking the effects of progesterone therapy, Positude is safe to handle, easy to feed, and its daily delivery system eliminates peaks and troughs of hormonal fluctuations. 

Caitlin Shiels of True North Stables has several horses on Positude. “I find that with our busy travel schedule it really affects the horses’ attitudes always being on the go. Positude helps them adjust quicker to the changes around them and they feel more settled,” says Shiels. “The Positude eliminates those horse show jitters when arriving at a new environment and keeps the horses more relaxed and show ring ready.”

Even with the success of Positude, Ehrlich felt that there were horses that required a different kind of product to provide additional nervous system support. “There are some horses whose behavior is not the result of a progesterone imbalance,” says Ehrlich. “These horses often have very pleasant personalities, but suffer from extreme anxiety, nervousness, and stress.” In those cases Ehrlich felt a need to create a product that adequately addressed the source of their trouble.

ENTER CALMAKAZI
Calmakazi is different from your traditional magnesium based calming products. Calmakazi’s forage based nervous system support is a two pronged approach to calming. Whole food ingredients high in tryptophan, magnesium and B vitamins support optimal nervous system function while adaptogenic extracts help reduce cortisol and increase serotonin. Calmakazi is applicable to a wide range of horses because of its broad spectrum approach to reducing anxiety, and is more effective than traditional magnesium based products alone.

Gina Economu was going to retire her 4* eventer after several years of failed attempts to improve his rideability.  “His tension was high, he had a wicked spin, charged fences, and I could only ride him in ⅔ of the dressage arena because of his fear of the back end,” she recalls.  “I tried pastes, injectables, and feed throughs with no luck,” says Gina. As a last resort she tried Calmakazi after consulting with Ehrlich about her options. “Five days after starting Linus on Calmakazi I realized he was using the end of the area, he wasn’t spinning or spooking, and I was able to actually train him rather than just survive the ride.”

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT THIS MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN?
David Dasilva, DVM recommends Positude and Calmakazi to his clients across various disciplines, including dressage, hunters, and jumpers. “I find that the supplements work consistently on all horses; mares, geldings and stallions,” says Dr. Dasilva. “One of the hardest things for horses to adjust to is the external chaos around them at horse shows and when in new situations. The Positude and Calmakazi allow the horses to take a breath and relax in stressful situations, which helps keep their bodies loose and their minds focused.” 

Mark Kinsella uses Positude and Calmakazi on his string of jumpers and hunters. “Life on the road is often stressful for horses, and while competing at Spruce Meadows this summer, I relied on both products to keep my horses relaxed and focused,” says Kinsella. “I noticed the change immediately,” he continued.  “All my horses became more sound minded and relaxed. The attitudes of my stallions, mares and geldings all improved inside and outside the ring. Some of my more opinionated horses who could become distracted and sour became so much more agreeable. They are noticeably happier,” says Kinsella.

Jennifer Gehrisch Taylor of Challenger Farms has found success using Positude and Calmakazi on her ponies that “get a little nervous at the ring and back away from the in-gate. I had an equitation horse that was sour at the ring. Hormone injections didn’t help. After switching him to Positude and Calmakazi he walks right through and around the in-gate for even the smallest child rider,” recalls Taylor.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Equine Elixirs product development team already has several new innovative, all-natural solutions poised to launch at the end of 2022. Keep an eye out for “Symbiotic”, a combined prebiotic and probiotic, “Hulk”, a supplement to support muscular development, and “Pro Bono”, a supplement to help increase bone density.

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