Otello is a young, five-year-old Pinto pony who was meant to be the perfect companion for a 10-year-old rider. Unfortunately, reality turned out to be very different.
Instead of calm training sessions, there were nerves, pulling, bolting, and a complete lack of control.
Groundwork, changing stables to a more behavior-friendly environment, consultations with a bit fitter and saddle fitter – all brought only partial results. Otello couldn’t handle his emotions, and riding him became simply unsafe.

The turning point came with the introduction of Hempqualizer+, which opened the door to real work and a relationship based on calmness, trust, and safety.
What changed in Otello’s behavior, and why is he such a strong example of how natural support can impact a horse’s mental comfort? Read the full case study below.

Name: Otello
Age: 5
Sex: Gelding
Breed: Pinto

Otello is a young pony with a character far from angelic. He was purchased last autumn for a 10-year-old girl as the ideal children’s pony.
He refused the bit and would throw his head or resist violently when it was introduced. Any contact with the reins triggered bolting. Even on a loose rein, he would race off, and after a gallop there was no chance of transitioning to trot, let alone walk.
He nervously chewed on the bit or clamped down hard. He was stressed and tense – running as fast as possible was his only coping mechanism.

We could only ride him in a round pen or longe him on the arena. Larger open spaces overwhelmed him and caused panic despite consistent groundwork and saddle sessions. After galloping, it was impossible to slow down.
More experienced riders tried as well – but Otello responded even worse. He even reared a few times. His mental discomfort was clear – so we started looking for a solution.

He received calming herbs, we moved him to a more natural turnout-based stable, had his body checked by specialists.
We adjusted the bit and saddle with expert help. We rewarded every small sign of calm, walked him next to other riders – but even then, he’d get agitated and start jigging in place.
The only thing that worked briefly was dismounting right after a gallop – but that wasn’t a long-term solution.
We even tried bitless riding for a while – initially great, but he started resisting again, so we went back to the fitted bit.

Then we found Hempqualizer+. We’ve now used up the full bottle.
Today, we can walk, trot, and gallop on the arena with contact (gallop was practiced on the lunge only, but we managed to walk calmly afterward – under saddle!).
Problems with rein contact are 90% gone – the rest will come with training, but it wouldn’t be possible without Hempqualizer.
We use 2 ml per day.

We’re riding over poles, practicing transitions, extensions, and shortenings. The nervous bit chewing has stopped.
He now happily takes the bit, and giving him the paste is his favorite part of the day.
The arena is next to the paddock, and even when the herd moves, the rider can halt and calmly return to work. He gets distracted for a moment but settles after one circle.
No more bolting.
Sometimes he still tries to rush, but he’s now 100% manageable – and he’s on the path to becoming a safe riding partner.

Without Hempqualizer, which helped calm his hot mind, it would have been incredibly difficult.
We saw results after the second dose, and the desired effect came after about five doses – once the body was saturated.

Highly recommended for anyone with a hot horse!