Calming pheromones in horses, how does that work?

Pheromones may sound like a complicated word. If you look up start looking up the meaning you quickly come across the following:

Pheromones provide part of the communication between animals. You cannot actively see or smell pheromones. They are odorless yet they are they are perceived with the olfactory system and transmit a signal to the brain. How that works we'd like to explain to you.

So pheromones are signal molecules but contain no scent. Yet your horse picks up these substances with part of his olfactory system. In addition to the normal olfactory organ, horses have the vomeronasal organ, also called the Jacobson organ.

Your horse cannot breathe through its mouth like you can, so everything goes through its nose.
nose. When pheromones are detected, your horse pumps them as it were to Jacobson's organ. Your horse does this through mucus. Then the organ of Jacobson perceives the message and relays it to the brain. There different messages and therefore different kinds of pheromones.

Different types of pheromones Pheromones are widely used in animal communication. Pheromones can contain different messages, some examples include:

- Calming pheromones
- Alarming pheromones
- Sexual/procreative pheromones
- Aggressive pheromones
- Territorial pheromones

Depending on the species, pheromones have a certain meaning and are released in certain situations. We know that mammals use pheromones, as well as insects (bees) and various species of reptiles. And yes we humans also have pheromones, although we humans use them only to a limited extent.

Pheromones are animal-specific. This means that a horse cannot perceive the pheromones of a human, dog, cat or cow, nor vice versa. Therefore, if you want to use a pheromone in a product, you will have to use an exact copy of the signal molecule. Otherwise you will not achieve any effect.

A mare gives off pheromones for several days after the birth of the foal. She does this to create a safe and calming environment around her. This also promotes bonding with her foal. The pheromone than she gives off is the Equine Appeasing Pheromone, we also call this the maternal pheromone. It has an instinctive calming effect on the foal.

Not only foals benefit from this. Even adult horses still recognize these pheromones. It also causes an instinctive calming response in adult horses because it causes a safe and secure feeling. 

PrimeVal StressLess® Pheromone Gel contains a copy of the Equine Appeasing Pheromone. As a result, it helps horses cope with stressful situations without affecting the horse's performance. A very big advantage of this product is that the horse's reassuring pheromone has no doping effect and is not on the FEI's list of banned ingredients. Therefore, it is also very suitable for use in competitions.

Calming your horse with pheromones can be very convenient with a gel that you apply to the base of your horse's nostrils. PrimeVal StressLess® Pheromone Gel contains a copy of the mare's natural pheromones and has a calming effect. It is intended for horses of all ages exposed to new and stressful situations or activities. It can also be used for nervous or sensitive horses and in situations such as the following examples:

Transport: loading and unloading the trailer, truck, train, airplane Change of environment: stable, paddock, or owner Work situations: breaking in, learning, training, competitions Care: visit to the vet, dentist, farrier, or clipping Sound and light: thunderstorms, gunshots, fireworks, motor vehicles, crowds, flashlights

Pheromones are very common in the animal world. You can now benefit from them by making your horse feel extra comfortable. PrimeVal StressLess® Pheromone Gel is preferably administered 30 minutes before the stressful situation. One 5ml sachet works for 2-2.5 hours and can be repeated if desired. The gel is easily applied to the base of the nostrils.