Experience's with Magnesium

[ILuvCowparsely]

Anyone know how long it takes to come out a horses system?? Gelding who is sensitive to magnesium and is on mag free diet, as been in small turnout due to injury, and had large 1/4 scoop pony nuts in treat ball. Horse has got ridiculously spooky and nervous and scared and jumpy. Have message vet to check eyes but don't think it is that. Wont even take a treat from my hand without wide eyed stares and snorting and acts like I have a had buzzer in my hand or electric shock.

I stopped the nuts 3 days ago and is better as he took treat from me this morning but still not his normal self. Anyone know. please TIA

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Guess I will call the vet anyway to rule out the nasties.

 

[Elno]

Funny, I was persuaded to try NAF Magic on my horse from a good friend a while back. Not because my horse is spooky or highly strung, but to aid her concentration. She swore by it and used litres of it for all of her horses. I was extremely sceptical since she shouldn't be mag decifient (is fed analysed hay) and mag calmers are only suppose to work on mag deficient horses, and since I also had decided that she wouldn't get any supplements or balancers because of the risk of doing more harm than good (since there is no scientific evidence on how different sups and vit/mins actually are absorbed in horses, and the risk of oversupplementation causing imbalances elsewhere in the system).

Well, my horse turned into a spooky snorting psycho on it after three days ? Took about the same time off it to get back to her normal, chill self. Can also add that the hack we took while she was on it was... Interesting to say the least ?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

IME It can take up to a month for all traces of something that a horse has reacted to, to leave the body and all effects to have disappeared. However, if you have already noticed some lessening of the symptoms, it probably won't take as long as that for your horse.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

IME It can take up to a month for all traces of something that a horse has reacted to, to leave the body and all effects to have disappeared. However, if you have already noticed some lessening of the symptoms, it probably won't take as long as that for your horse.

ty, spoke to Equifeast today and they said 3 - 5 days. where a vet said up to 2 weeks. He is better but still not right and suspicious of my hands and me touching him

I am on day 5 off the nuts and found the daily multi vits also have magnesium so most likely too much mag

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Funny, I was persuaded to try NAF Magic on my horse from a good friend a while back. Not because my horse is spooky or highly strung, but to aid her concentration. She swore by it and used litres of it for all of her horses. I was extremely sceptical since she shouldn't be mag decifient (is fed analysed hay) and mag calmers are only suppose to work on mag deficient horses, and since I also had decided that she wouldn't get any supplements or balancers because of the risk of doing more harm than good (since there is no scientific evidence on how different sups and vit/mins actually are absorbed in horses, and the risk of oversupplementation causing imbalances elsewhere in the system).

Well, my horse turned into a spooky snorting psycho on it after three days ? Took about the same time off it to get back to her normal, chill self. Can also add that the hack we took while she was on it was... Interesting to say the least ?

I know what the vet said but it's hurtful when your horse looks at you with scared wide eyes, snorting and puffing. I just want him better and not to be made to feel I have done something to him, what if it does not get better? Vet said they will have to return, trouble is with 2 claims on going I cannot do another one.

Just feel so sad, that every time I go near him or in the stable he turns and watching my every move. Even down to be brushing the mane suspicious looks and tensing up away from me :'(

Just went out to the scared look came over the horse..........

 

[marmalade76]

How long have you had him?

 

[Nudibranch]

If he is on limited turnout I would wonder if that was the issue rather than anything he is eating. I had a TB who behaved like that on box rest.

 

[DabDab]

Hope he feels better soon
If feed reactive then it may be more than just magnesium that is triggering him. The mag in pony nuts is quite low, but pony nuts are quite well known as rocket fuel in general. I stick to grass nuts and/hay cobs for a nuggety-type feed when I need one.

 

[Elno]

I would honestly just strip all the feed out for a couple of weeks. A horse on limited turn out who probably has enough pent up energy as it is, doesn't really need any extra feed apart from forage.

You might just be dealing with a case of "The fizzies".

Another possibility is that someone has been mean to him?

 

[marmalade76]

I would honestly just strip all the feed out for a couple of weeks. A horse on limited turn out who probably has enough pent up energy as it is, doesn't really need any extra feed apart from forage.

You might just be dealing with a case of "The fizzies".

Another possibility is that someone has been mean to him?

My thoughts too. And I wouldn't be taking any notice of anything Equifeast have to say.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How long have you had him?

6 years coming up

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

The horse is only on 1 fibergy in each feed, with the joint supplement, and global herbs airways for the breathing condition. The turnout as virtually short grass due to previous horse on it, so horse just relies on the treat ball with grass nuts in and the scoop of timothy chop for the whole day 9 - 4pm

Horse is very calm now up there as it is coming up to the 3rd week turnout before joining the others again as per vets instructions. The horse is def mag sensitive and after speaking to Equifeast who do the calmer and to Equine America, the mag in the haylage, nuts, multi vits is over the 6 % daily requirement. When first purchased the horse was very spooky on hacks and with the help of Equifeast gradually changing the feed and supplements, came to the conclusion horse is mag sensitive. Was a much more relaxed horse of the equivite - pony nuts ect.

We have 10 days - 2 weeks too see if the is change which is what vet - Equifeast and Equine America said.

Over the last years I will not give my horses any heating feeds in any shape or form.

EA siad don't change anything else now except substitute pony nuts for grass ones. Too many changes we won't know which helped.

 

[Birker2020]

I fed my horse NAF Magic for around 6 years. Twice I took her off it. Within ten days she'd reverted back to the snorty spooky animal she was before. I put her back on it and she was fine after a week or so. A few months on thinking the first time was a co-incidence I took her off it again. With ten or so days she again became spooky, spinning on the roads, planting and being a complete fruit loop. Again she went back on it and reestablished her nerves again!

She's been off it for the past 18 months or so and I haven't noticed a difference this time I must admit.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My thoughts too. And I wouldn't be taking any notice of anything Equifeast have to say.

trouble is they have been spot on so far. With my horse Horse is sensitive to Mag last 3 years different horse, of the mag


quote: Another possibility is that someone has been mean to him?

This seems to have happened in the first 2 years of the horses life. - injury on face by blunt or hard object - head shy - dislike of certain people - and other things ( trauma )

I appreciate all the comments.


The only other thing I am thinking of is

• Change anxiety: Lastly, change anxiety occurs when a horse’s living conditions are abruptly changed. Moving a horse from a big, open pasture into a confined stable and a heavy training schedule without any transition can be stressful for him. Some horses dislike having different riders each day and aren’t well-suited to being lesson or rented-trail horses. These horses react poorly to change and exhibit the telltale signs of anxiety, such as eye-rolling, avoidance and backing, spooking and bolting.

 

[Dexter]

If your horse only gets a treat ball and a scoop of chaff all day then they could well have ulcers.

 

[Elno]

The horse is only on 1 fibergy in each feed, with the joint supplement, and global herbs airways for the breathing condition. The turnout as virtually balled due to previous horse on it, so horse just relies on the treat ball with grass nuts in and the scoop of timothy chop for the whole day 9 - 4pm

Horse is very calm now up there as it is coming up to the 3rd week turnout before joining the others again as per vets instructions. The horse is def mag sensitive and after speaking to Equifeast who do the calmer and to Equine America, the mag in the haylage, nuts, multi vits is over the 6 % daily requirement. When first purchased the horse was very spooky on hacks and with the help of Equifeast gradually changing the feed and supplements, came to the conclusion horse is mag sensitive. Was a much more relaxed horse of the equivite - pony nuts ect.

We have 10 days - 2 weeks too see if the is change which is what vet - Equifeast and Equine America said.

Over the last years I will not give my horses any heating feeds in any shape or form.

EA siad don't change anything else now except substitute pony nuts for grass ones. Too many changes we won't know which helped.

Is that the only food he recieves 9-4, or do you also feed hay/haylage?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Horse has large bucket of grass then grazes, and has haylage balls and does graze the grass even though short, and gets a hay brick, following vets instructions with feeding/grazing as the horse is over weight.

To add the horse is never standing around not eating, balled is not the right word so changed it, its short grass covering the restricted turnout

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Vets now told me to leave her 3 days no riding or grooming. Magnesium out her system now, still nervy, jumped back away from me when I put her body brush on her.
backs away when I try put lead rope on to catch her, tried to give her a polo earlier, she blowing at it eyes wide touched it and jumped back polos shatter on the floor. Horse is now out in the field with the others, I am at a loss now, vet wants to come up next week and has a few ideas, regumate etc, taking her in to surgery etc.
it is really getting me down this, she calls to me when she sees me but then changes, trainer on board pats her on neck after riding she jumps out her skin. I can't keep doing this, she is making no effort, nothing bad has happened since the first noticeable incident of personality. I am so upset to see my horse so scared of everything and everyone. Taken all supplements off except calmer and flexi joint - behaviourist is is an option. I just don't want to be near the horse when I get this reception.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I honestly would take the horse off all feed/supplements except essential medication and hay/grass. It can be very difficult to work out what they are reacting to, especially in supplements or a ready-mixed feed. I learned the hard way, I had a mare who was eventually found to be reactive to almost everything we were feeding her, including polos!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How long have you had him?

6 years coming up

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I honestly would take the horse off all feed/supplements except essential medication and hay/grass. It can be very difficult to work out what they are reacting to, especially in supplements or a ready-mixed feed. I learned the hard way, I had a mare who was eventually found to be reactive to almost everything we were feeding her, including polos!

I have to give the calmer as without it the spooking is an issue, and need the joint supplement but have stopped everything else
. This behaviour started the 19th April a week after first being turnout into restricted grazing area.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I have to give the calmer as without it the spooking is an issue, and need the joint supplement but have stopped everything else
. This behaviour started the 19th April a week after first being turnout into restricted grazing area.

Honestly I would stop riding so that the spooking is no longer causing a problem and work out what is causing the issue, you can sort out the spooking later. I might suspect ulcers if this started after moving onto restricted grazing.

 

[Lois Lame]

How have his living conditions changed? I mean, was he stabled previously? What size area did he have access to before, when he was okay, compared to now? Is it possible for him to go back to where he was?

He sounds so very uncomfortable.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I can see where your coming from but I am following the vets advice on feeding,

The horse was on box rest 6 months due to injury, following vets instructions gradual increase and scans of in hand walking and ice boots, till the riding was introduced. Turnout after the last scan was on the 10th April in a 20 meter grass restricted area which we keep for recovering injuries. The horse is now turned out with the group the horse normally goes out with. Without the calmer which is calcium base the horse acts irrational and spooky and jumpy so we have to keep on it otherwise we wont know when the behaviour improves as it might get worst without it, as 3 weeks ago |II ran out and delivery was slow, and I saw the horse without any for 5 days. The horse has always been a stress head, we think it might be situation anxiety going from one restricted situation to another. The horse is back on it's normal turnout and routine. The general spooking is worse without the calmer, even though the horse was on box rest the horse had access to food in the way of hay, bricks, ready grass through out the day, I was on continuous feeding, even turnout i had buckets grass, bricks and treat ball. The vet does not suspect ulcers due to the symptoms they have seen. They are coming back next week, and they strongly suspect it is behaviour. It is just hard watching your horse act like this.

 

[HorsesRule2009]

What is the grazing like now he has returned to the herd and how long has he been back with them?

Just wondering if the really short grazing in the paddock he was in alone was to high in sugar causing the displayed behaviour?

Very short and stressed grass is the worst for sugar.

 

[Elno]

But wait a minute...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have an over weight horse who gets "buckets of grass" , "hay bricks" , "haylage balls" and treats plus fibergy (I dont understand what you mean by 1.1 what? One scoop, one kg?) and up to recently had pony nuts, and probably also some regular hay or haylage and grass, and has come of box rest/restricted turn out and now you wonder why your horse is bat shit crazy?

I find it a bit hard to follow what you actually feed your horse. Why for example would you feed hay bricks and haylage balls? What is than even?

Strip all the feed down to 1.5-2 % of the horses body weight of hay + grass if the horse is in a field, a salt lick and access to fresh water. That's it. No bricks, balls or treats. No fibergy, no nuts and no supplements. Give it a month. I can almost guarantee that you wont need that calmer any more.

 

[marmalade76]

Agreed, I was also thinking of a salt lick also. Calcium calmers are a load of balls, would be the first thing I'd bin.

 

[criso]

The problem with both Magnesium and Calcium supplementation is ideally they should be in balance and if your horse is having any level of grass, these can vary during the year.

We've had very dry weather and mineral levels in the grass may have changed. That's assuming you know the mineral profile of your hay if your supply is consistent. If it's not then that may have changed upsetting what worked previously.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

But wait a minute...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have an over weight horse who gets "buckets of grass" , "hay bricks" , "haylage balls" and treats plus fibergy (I dont understand what you mean by 1.1 what? One scoop, one kg?) and up to recently had pony nuts, and probably also some regular hay or haylage and grass, and has come of box rest/restricted turn out and now you wonder why your horse is bat shit crazy?

I find it a bit hard to follow what you actually feed your horse. Why for example would you feed hay bricks and haylage balls? What is than even?

Strip all the feed down to 1.5-2 % of the horses body weight of hay + grass if the horse is in a field, a salt lick and access to fresh water. That's it. No bricks, balls or treats. No fibergy, no nuts and no supplements. Give it a month. I can almost guarantee that you wont need that calmer any more.

The horse is on trickle feeding, I am only giving grass sprinkled out in the paddock to give the horse something to nibble on, I could not have kept the horse out there with nothing or he would have got ulcers. All the forage wa slow calorie and the horse was exercised 6 times a week. it was only when it was in the starvation paddock which is 20meter circle it had those items. Last thing I need is for it to have hardly any grazing to graze on while it was recovering from the injury. It would have charged about hungry and put itself back on box rest.

Yes almost guarantee but not 100% I will need the calmer sorry, when I first got the horse it had no supplements at all, it was mega spooky and made hacking unpleasant. It is very sound reactive and sight reactive a typical spooky horse. We used this calmer and the spooking dropped from 85% to 10 %. The horse is now out with its group and seems much more relaxed so honestly the vet and I think it was the pony nuts and mag, along with the situation of being boxed to round pen. Vet up tomorrow so may no more.


To ad since the horse is now out, all the grass, treat ball, hay ball the lot has stopped as the horse does not need it now.