Article on magnesium and eventing accidents

[soloequestrian]

Popped up on Facebook this morning: http://equifeast-shop.com/is-magnesium-contributing-to-eventing-deaths/
Thoughts?
I use the NRC guidelines of 7.5mg per day, adding the bulk of that as a supplement in feed. The article talks about adding a maximum of 1.2 grams per day. I think lots of people add substantially more. I've never looked at the research - has anyone else?

 

[FfionWinnie]

I think it's a disgrace they are using the deaths of these people to promote their product. It's not an article it's an advert.

"This is clearly an area where more research is required. ***We have no idea if any of the recent eventing deaths have magnesium as a contributory factor***. It is my hope that the governing bodies of the sport will take this issue serious and commission some proper research that will determine what is being fed to event horses around the world and attempt to determine whether diets contribute to increased risk or not"

I've already emailed them to complain and hope others do. This is completely unsubstantiated and likely based on the practice by some of IV mag, not feed supplementation. They are cashing in on the deaths of young riders to push their product.

 

[Regandal]

Shocking practice. Similar scenario, manufacturer of magnetic wraps/bands for horses was inferring that they helped navicular disease. I emailed them and asked for the research that demonstrated this. Still waiting.

 

[Palindrome]

There is obviously a big difference in effect of injectable magnesium and dietary supply of magnesium or else why one would be forbidden and not the other? Yet the author considers they have the same effect without any proof. Not clear as to where the magnesium is injected? Digestibility of magox is also probably very low so you would need to know exactly what form of magnesium is fed to know how much the horse is getting.
The ACP vs. magnesium study also seems very flimsy. Testing for a week? That does not seem long enough to give horse the time to get used to new feed/supplement so how would they know it's not digestive upset that caused the difference? Did they have a control group and how many horses were tested? Why compare to ACP when I am guessing the effects of ACP are well known/documented? It sounds like a study with an agenda.

 

[wingedhorse]

I agree I think is shocking capitalisation of the accidents. I think Equifeast are without scientific evidence or scruples, and will stoop low to promote their product and discredit feeding magnesium at higher levels!

 

[Follysmum]

Disgusting he uses these peoples deaths to bring up this article. I think he has not done himself any favours for his company at all. It would put people off if anything, I certainly would not buy his products now due to his manner and insensitivity.

 

[almostthere]

Good to see the Event Riders Association of Great Britain have formally requested a retraction and will be complaining to Trading Standards and Advertising Standards.

 

[LCH611]

Good to see the Event Riders Association of Great Britain have formally requested a retraction and will be complaining to Trading Standards and Advertising Standards.

Good to know, I was utterly appalled that anyone would use tragic accidents to scaremonger and to try to sell more products. Nothing would possess me to look at his products now!

 

[almostthere]

Good to know, I was utterly appalled that anyone would use tragic accidents to scaremonger and to try to sell more products. Nothing would possess me to look at his products now!

I agree but was surprised at how many people were commenting on fb earlier along the lines of..."yes I have always thought calmers should be banned etc". I am neither pro nor anti calmers and know nothing about the science but the timing is ill-judged at best and horrifically insensitive at worst. Those poor families have enough to cope with...

 

[ester]

It is a appalling sensationalist use of bad science when he has no bloomin idea what the horses involved were being fed and the majority of nutritionists disagree with his theories anyway. It has made me very cross and having had a few discussions with him in the past trying to unravel his science a bit he has now lost any shred of credibility he may have once had with me.
1) there is no evidence that excess magnesium impairs brain function
2)increased Mg in the diet does not increase levels in the body (and adding calcium as the author likes to actually increases absorption of mg)

 

[ester]

I have David Marlin's permission to post his summary of the situation which just has me nodding throughout!
https://www.facebook.com/davidmarli...notif_t=share_reply&notif_id=1463481638380506

DISAPPOINTING ATTEMPT TO CAPITALISE ON THE RECENT TRAGIC SPATE OF DEATHS IN EVENTING BY BLAMING MAGNESIUM AND PROMOTING CALCIUM CALMERS!
I do try to bite my tongue but sometimes the misuse of science and misleading of people has to be addressed. I certainly don't profess to know everything about nutrition or physiology but with 30 years experience in research and the practical and commercial side of the horse industry I do have some confidence in what I write.
HOW ABOUT SOME ACCURATE FACTS ON MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM?
These are the points made in the article and my responses!
"1. EXCESS magnesium impairs brain function"
DAVID MARLIN > Where is the evidence? There is none! One study which fed VERY high amounts of magnesium showed a statistically significant but very small reduction in reaction time.
"2. EXCESS Magnesium from the diet builds up in the body over time"
DAVID MARLIN > Magnesium absorption in horses varies from around 5 to 60%. There is a linear increase between magnesium intake and magnesium excretion in faeces. The more you feed the more gets excreted in faeces. Increased magnesium intake also results in increased magnesium excretion in urine! The body carefully controls blood bone and muscle magnesium concentrations. High magnesium intake increases calcium absorption and vice versa. So strangely if you feed a calcium based calmer you are also INCREASING MAGNESIUM INTAKE! Blood magnesium levels are very tightly regulated. Increased intake does NOT equal increased build up in the body.
"3. This build up can reach levels that impair brain function""
DAVID MARLIN > Actaully, it is ONLY deficiency in magnesium that has been shown to impair brain function. There is no evidence that excess magnesium intake in horses impairs or improves brain function!
"4. Impaired brain function may lead to a sedated controllable horse but it may also lead to increased anxiety and poor decision making and judgement"
DAVID MARLIN > Yes. sedatives such as acepromazine lead to ataxia and are not indicated for horses that have to gallop and jump but are banned. But there is no evidence that high magnesium has this effect.
"5. How do we determine “too much magnesium”?"
DAVID MARLIN > by conducting total balance studies looking at all sources of intake (water, forage, feed, supplements) and by looking at all forms of excretion (faeces, urine, sweat, breath). NOT by measuring plasma (blood) concentrations! A simpler approach is to conduct a urinary creatinine clearance test (paired measurements of magnesium and other electrolytes in plasma and urine).
I will happily defend this position and I would be surprised if there is a single qualified equine nutritionist or experienced scientist that will disagree substantially with this position.

And the ERA have asked for the post be taken down and an apology to the families of the deceased to be issued, quite rightly IMO!

 

[TGM]

I think it's a disgrace they are using the deaths of these people to promote their product.

Agree - I was horrified when I saw that come up on my newsfeed and can't believe Equifeast could be so callous as to use these tragic deaths as a vehicle to promote their product. Dodgy science is one thing, but exploiting riders' deaths for commercial gain is totally immoral in my book. Must be horrible for the families concerned if they have seen it, as it implies the riders died due to using calmers on their horses.

 

[ester]

Even with my bluntness there are some things that if you think think them/even if you believe your own interpretation of your science you keep it to yourself, you do not post it after a weekend of tragic deaths.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Agree - I was horrified when I saw that come up on my newsfeed and can't believe Equifeast could be so callous as to use these tragic deaths as a vehicle to promote their product. Dodgy science is one thing, but exploiting riders' deaths for commercial gain is totally immoral in my book. Must be horrible for the families concerned if they have seen it, as it implies the riders died due to using calmers on their horses.

I hope it backfires and some of them were being fed Equifeast. Let's see them back track then!!

 

[ihatework]

Disgusting actions. Who is their advertising campaign manager, Point 2?!

 

[stencilface]

I have David Marlin's permission to post his summary of the situation which just has me nodding throughout!
https://www.facebook.com/davidmarli...17189¬if_t=share_reply¬if_id=1463481638380506



And the ERA have asked for the post be taken down and an apology to the families of the deceased to be issued, quite rightly IMO!

Can I repost this on a friends FB?

 

[Fiona]

lol ihate work - just what I was thinking

Fiona

 

[TGM]

I can't believe that article is still up on their website - I would have thought they would have pulled it by now, given the reaction, or at least amended it to remove the reference to eventing deaths.

 

[BBP]

The article makes me really cross. Where oh where is the evidence that any of those three horses, or any fallers, were even supplemented with magnesium?! I've been feeding his product for a month or so as I thought it was worth a try but have to admit this makes me dubious about purchasing further from them.

 

[Sleipnir]

I saw the article on my newsfeed and was appalled to understand they're using the tragic deaths to promote their product. Shameful. Hopefully, it is soon pulled.

 

[ester]

Can I repost this on a friends FB?

SF I asked if he were happy for it to be distributed on forums etc before I posted it and he said totally . It is all scientifically correct info that people should have access to IMO.

 

[ester]

Disgusting actions. Who is their advertising campaign manager, Point 2?!

Well they probably have the same number of ASA actions against them!

 

[eahotson]

To be honest I think we need to investigate anything and everything involved in these deaths without fear or favour to try to avoid more.Perhaps asking people like Mary King for instance,who has had a long eventing history at many levels on man y horses

 

[ester]

Maybe, but accidents will still happen and to pull up something so scientifically incorrect that it would laughable if it weren't so callously done is not the way to go about it.

 

[eahotson]

To finish,on many horses why they think these things are happening without fear of a backlash if they say things we don't want to hear we may learn something because I bet people like Mary King do have opinions some of which they may not like to voice in public.

 

[eahotson]

Yes accidents will always happen but there are too many in eventing and these are very young lives.

 

[Dizzle]

The man has form: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...Calmer-company-suggests-Kauto-Star-was-on-ACP

 

[soloequestrian]

Thanks everyone, I have posted a link to this thread on my FB page.

 

[TGM]

To be honest I think we need to investigate anything and everything involved in these deaths without fear or favour to try to avoid more.

But that should be done properly by the official bodies of the sport, and if any individual or company feels there are factors that need to be investigated they are at liberty to send any evidence or research to the official bodies to form part of the investigation. Totally different from a company publically inferring that there might be a link between the deaths and excess magnesium in the diet of the horses concerned, without any evidence. Think how distressing that would be to read the article if you were friend or family of one of the riders that died.

 

[Booboos]

I am shocked at this as I thought Equifeast was a science based manufacturer. The article is pure rubbish and the headline link to the eventing deaths is despicable.

For what it's worth I was magnesium deficient through both pregnancies and was told to take as much magnesium as I wanted, I would just pee the excess. If there is a group that is treated with the greatest caution by doctors it's pregnant women so for them to be so relaxed about this it really means it's fine.