Epsom Salts

[aldato_daz]

hey all...i read somewhere on the net about somebody using epsom salts as a calmer/magnesium supplement instead of buying the likes of nupafeed etc.

has anyone else used just epsom salts in their horses diet and if so, did it make any difference to their horses fizzy, spooky etc. temperament?

my own 5yo is very tense when out hacking and will spook at anything and is also very easily distracted, very strong and nappy. when riding with other horses he completely ignores me and instead prefers to act like and think hes still a stallion!! when hes like this hes very unpredicatble, excitable and quite scary!!

would a calmer work for him or is it just naughtiness? i know loads of people have asked about calmers etc so sorry!!! from reading other peoples posts i feel that if i used a calmer on him id be able to ride him better, more confidently and actually get a bit of work done!!

sorry for asking this!!
thanks. carrie

 

[siennamiller]

hiya

The trouble with epsom salts is that the magnesium needs to have calcium in the diet as well to work. Mag on its own can apparently stimulate the adrenaline response and make them worse. Should be ok if you add the calcium but it is probably easier to give a calmer

 

[vicijp]

Epsom Salts is magneisium sulphate and acts as a slight diuretic. I know quite a few people who use it as a calmer with success, but its not a long term solution. More night before a show sort of thing.
What do you feed? Spillers horse and pony cubes are very good. They have added Magnesium and changing to them may be worth a try before forking out for supplements.

 

[lordflynn]

what are you feeding him on, if anything atm? what sort of turnout does he get?
I have a 4yo thats very reactive to certain feed, including molasses and alfalfa-he's now on chaff, a small handful of spillers pony nuts plus some sunflower seeds (high in magnesium as well as other things). He's a different horse on them.
also, it really helps to have a good on the ground relationship wrt spooking-do you long rein etc as well?

 

[H's mum]

What breed is he? What's his background and what do you feed him?
Kate x

 

[aldato_daz]

well he was broken round august time last year so i was advised to turn him out for the summer as he seemed to be going a bit sour. so hes been out from like may/june time. i was told he should come back like a different horse but i dunno.

wen hes stabled hes usually fed spillers cool mix. through time tho i had it cut down to like a handful in the morning and evening wth conditioning cubes and loads and loads of good haylage. i did so cuz he was always as high as a kite! he worked ok on that ration but then again, i wasnt feeding him like that for long till he was turned out so cant really tell.

hes bred by aldato and his mother is apparently the great grand daughter of northern dancer. it says that in his green passport so im assuming they are telling the truth about his mum. hes def an aldato, built like him and acts like him, exact same.

he was long reined for a bit last year before he was broken. our relationship is quite good on the ground, dreading it however when he comes back in as he hasnt been touched!

can anyone suggest a good diet for him??

thanks for reading, sorry its so long!!

 

[lordflynn]

will he be turned out and have good grass still? If he's OK condition wise and not in hard work I might be tempted to just have him on something like Hi Fi Lite/Feel Good Forage and see how he gets on.

Some horses heat up on haylage/alfalfa/molasses/any type of mix etc (well, mine does!)

The reason I asked about longreining is that its a good way to help 'bombproof' them by introducing him to stuff he finds spooky on the ground in a controlled environment. It helps to build up your relationship with them

Mine is on chaff and pony nuts but is a good doer and in light work so I appreciate this might not work for yours-personally I want mine nice and quiet for now, added umph can come later!

 

[aldato_daz]

when hes stabled hes not turned out to grass at all...if possible id turn him out in the arena for a while then ride him. but thats only when i can, it wouldnt be routine!

i really dont know what i should be feeding him!

 

[lordflynn]

well personally I would try something similar to what I suggested and see how he goes.

 

[eohippus]

I would start him on something that is just forage. as mentioned above and it sounds to me that he is very green and untrained and this is leading him to this juvenile behaviour. At this time in his training you only need food for maintenence really as this is the time to build trust and obedience and not muscle and fitness, that will come later, it would be unadvisable working on getting him too muscled and fit before the control aspect is dealt with.
It sounds like you need to take him back to the beginning of his training to reinforce what is expected and help you identify exactly what the problems is. i.e in what area is he unresponsive to the rider.
Although he was slightly trained before he was turned away, it was not nearly enough for it to be retained by him or for him to be expected to manage his behaviour or things around him like a more trained horse.
Long reining, as mentioned is a valuable tool, back this up with voice control, also spook training to help him acclimatise to different environmental aspects, listen to you as the trainer/rider and build a trusting relationship that will last.
How does he work in the school, either by himself or with others?
I think this needs to be addressed before hand to allow you to set goals, keep him attentive and improve obedience to the rider. If he is that exited maybe some valerium added to his forage will help. But I think you will find that once he is doing more work that will help him think and improve his behaviour and obedience to the aids ect, he will quieten down.
hope this helps
Dawn

 

[aldato_daz]

when other horses come into the arena hes a nightmare. he gets all excited, doesnt want to do his work, his tail goes vertical lol and prances around like a stallion! it takes him quite a while to settle down, but even when he has hes not the same to ride as when we are on our own. hes very unpredictable when hes like this!

sounds like good advice to just feed him on plenty of forage, however how will i give him the vitamins and minerals that he needs that wont be provided by the haylage? maybe i picked up your advice wrong actually..do you mean to just feed him haylage or somehing like that dengie hi-fi like along with extra vits and mins???

thanks for your help!!

 

[eohippus]

it may be getting him checked to see if he is a bit riggy? does he get turned out with others?

on the feed front, At present, unless he is actually deficient in something specific, the forage based feeds, grass and haylage should provide him with what he needs, but if you are concerned a good vit/min supplement or lick can be given, or a good herbal additive, which may provide him with nutrients that are missing from not being able to eat natural herbage from the feild, ie feilds with one type grass only, no trees or freindly weeds/plants available.
I find that unless they are specifically deficient in Vit or min then they are a waste of money, but that is my opinion and by no way aimed at pooing off others who use some supplements as a matter of course.
hope this helps
Dawn