OPTIMAPLUS PROGRAMME *A structured, whole-horse, foundations-first programme for horses needing a deeper full-body reset

Sometimes there isn’t one obvious issue.

Instead, the whole horse just feels a bit “off”, probably for a while: energy lower than normal, recovery slower, coat duller, resilience reduced, digestion unsettled, or a general sense the system isn’t coping as well as it once did.

This often happens after periods of accumulated stress on the body: illness, medication, restricted movement, poor forage, metabolic strain, chronic inflammation, repeated interventions, or simply long periods where the system has been under pressure.

Over time, the body can become less resilient and less efficient at regulating itself smoothly.

That’s where the OptimaPLUS Programme fits in.

Rather than targeting one symptom, it follows a structured sequence designed to:
→ settle the system
→ support the body’s natural internal housekeeping pathways
→ restore nutritional foundations
→ and help the horse regain steadiness, vitality, and resilience over time.

For many owners, this becomes the “starting again properly” programme.

The OptimaPLUS Reset Programme is a good fit when your horse has been through the mill – and just isn’t bouncing back the way you’d expect. As a client recently said to us, " I feel like I'd like to take us both on a retreat somewhere quiet and restful just to get well again. "

✔ Your horse has had illness, medication, stress, or time off, and never quite returned to themselves
✔ They feel flat, dull, or lacking energy, despite being fine on paper
✔ You notice general imbalance – coat, weight, mood, or resilience not quite right
✔ There’s a sense the system is under pressure or overloaded, rather than one clear issue
✔ You’ve tried supporting individual areas, but nothing seems to fully reset things
✔ Your horse feels like they need a proper reset and rebuild, not another add-on

To summarise - if your horse feels run down, out of balance, or not fully recovering, this programme provides a structured way to settle, clear, and rebuild from the ground up.

Which approach? Individual support vs. the OptimaPLUS Programme

→ Individual products (DuoBute, StressTonic, OptimaCARE, minerals)

Designed for targeted support – useful when you’re addressing a specific issue or short-term need.

→ OptimaPLUS Reset Programme

Designed as a whole-system reset – guiding you through a clear sequence to settle the system, support internal housekeeping, and restore nutritional foundations.

In short?

If you’re dealing with one clear issue, stay targeted. If your horse feels run down, out of sync, or not bouncing back, this is where you follow the programme.

Optima-Plus is a nutritional, functional food programme and not veterinary medicine. For more insights, see Dr Kellon's Horse Sense - Nutrition is not 'Alternative' Therapy .

Phase 1 – Settle & Stabilise

- DuoBute & StressTonic *Tincture form for swift absorption

We begin by taking the edge off.

• Feed the DuoBute to help settle discomfort and inflammatory pressure, creating a calmer internal environment before deeper support begins.
• The StressTonic can be introduced alongside to support a calmer nervous system.
• Feed for 2–3 days before moving to Phase 2, continuing both until the course is complete.

Phase 2 – Clear & Reset

- OptimaCARE 3-stage detox programme *Dried ground herb blend

Once the system has stabilised, we move into the reset phase.

Feed OptimaCARE for one full month, following its three-stage sequence:

→ gut stabilisation
→ filtration organs (liver and kidneys)
→ circulatory systems (blood and lymph)

This phase supports the body’s natural filtration and clearance pathways, helping normal function begin to re-establish.

Phase 3 – Rebuild & Fortify

- A 1Kg Trial Bag of either EquiVita (summer), or VitaComplete (winter) mineral balancer, depending on the season

With the system clearer and functioning more freely, we shift focus to rebuilding.

Introduce a balanced mineral supplement to support cellular function, metabolic stability, and long-term resilience.

This is where the system begins to hold on to the gains made during the reset.

Footnotes

The OptimaPLUS Reset Programme is structured as a phased, whole-system recovery sequence, designed to help the body settle, clear accumulated pressure, and rebuild from a stronger nutritional foundation.

When a horse has been through stress, illness, medication, or prolonged imbalance, the system often becomes overloaded rather than simply “deficient.” In this state, adding more support without first creating space can slow progress rather than support it.

This programme follows a clear, functional order - not just what to feed, but when and why it’s fed in that sequence.

Think of it as a guided reset: settling the system first, clearing internal pressure second, and rebuilding from the ground up third.

Functional intent

OptimaPLUS is designed for horses who feel run down, out of balance, or slow to recover - where the system is under general pressure rather than showing one clear issue.

It works across three core phases:

→ Settle & stabilise
→ Clear & reset
→ Rebuild & fortify

This phased approach allows the body to move from overload → clearance → restoration, supporting a smoother and more complete return to balance.

The reset sequence – recovery support in action

Phase 1 – settle & stabilise | DuoBute + StressTonic

The first step is to take the edge off.

Before deeper work begins, the system needs to feel safe and stable. When discomfort, inflammation, or stress signals are present, they can interfere with digestion, absorption, and recovery.

This phase helps settle inflammatory pressure, support a calmer internal environment, and create the conditions needed for the reset phase to follow.

Phase 2 – clear & reset | OptimaCARE (3-stage programme)

Once the system has stabilised, the focus shifts to clearing accumulated metabolic pressure.

OptimaCARE follows the body’s natural sequence:

→ gut first
→ filtration organs (liver, kidneys)
→ circulatory systems (blood and lymph)

This staged approach supports the movement and processing of metabolic waste, helping reduce internal congestion and allowing normal function to begin re-establishing itself.

Rather than forcing clearance, this phase works with the body’s own pathways, supporting a smoother, more balanced reset.

Phase 3 – rebuild & fortify | EquiVita / VitaComplete

With the system cleared and functioning more freely, the final phase focuses on rebuilding.

At this stage, the body is more receptive to nutrition. Providing the correct mineral balance supports cellular function, metabolic stability, and long-term resilience.

This is where the system shifts from recovery into maintenance - helping the horse hold on to the gains made during the reset.

Big Picture

OptimaPLUS is not about doing more - it’s about doing things in the right order.

By following a structured sequence, it helps move horses from:

→ overloaded → sluggish → not themselves

toward:

→ settled → functioning → naturally resilient

It provides a clear starting point for horses who need a full-system reset, allowing the body to regain its rhythm before moving into longer-term support.

Once the system has settled and recovered, the focus shifts from resetting, to maintaining steady long-term balance.

For many horses, this becomes surprisingly simple:
good forage, balanced minerals, consistent nutrition, natural movement, and seasonal support where needed.

Many owners choose to continue with:

• daily mineral support
• forage-first feeding
• periodic OptimaCARE courses
• additional hindgut support where appropriate

BiomeTonic may be useful for horses needing additional intestinal stability, while WildFed can help increase forage diversity and natural prebiotic intake.

The goal is to create a system resilient enough to maintain balance more easily over time, where your horse simply becomes brighter, steadier, and more like themselves again.

Advisories

• Introduce gradually in sensitive horses.
• Ensure access to quality forage, hydration, salt, and natural movement throughout the programme.
• Temporary fluctuations in droppings, comfort, or skin patterns may occasionally occur as the system adjusts.
• Best introduced once acute illness or active laminitis episodes have stabilised.
• Spirulina is an excellent gut-mycotoxin binder and deacidifier. It's recommended to feed a tablespoon/day for 2-weeks to help deacidify the hindgut, especially useful if you've been feeding haylage .

Contraindications

• Not suitable for pregnant or nursing mares.
• Seek veterinary guidance if your horse is receiving prescription medication, or has significant metabolic instability.