Feeding a supplement to a horse with no hard feed

[LHIS]

I want to try my spooky gelding on a magnesium oxide supplement to see if it makes any difference. He jumps out of his skin at the slightest little thing and it's chipping away at my confidence with him. He is not on any hard feed and hasn't been whilst I have owned him, so I want to know what I can give him that won't be rocket fuel to a horse that is already full of it. The spookiness has been worse since we moved to the yard we are currently on, but are about to move to our own place where I hope he will settle again. In the meantime I want to try the mag of supplement.
Having done a bit of research I think something like a sugar free chop is the answer, but to be honest I don't know enough to make this decision confidently myself. I asked at my local feed shop but they'll do anything to sell you something so left empty handed. Can anyone recommend anything that will just act as a vehicle to give him this supplement with no additional effects?

 

[ester]

Straw chaff, or fast fibre is he won't eat that.

 

[LHIS]

Any particular brands?
Is top chop zero suitable? He has had this once before to administer a wormer and he woofed it with delight.

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to use baileys light chaff for my cushings mare,,,

 

[ester]

the only issue with the top chop is the added limestone flour. This is because with regards to feeding mag it is the calcium:maghosphorous ratio that matters so increasing the calcium would mean you need more mag
Honey chop is just straw

 

[LHIS]

i used to use baileys light chaff for my cushings mare,,,

Thank you - just had a look at the nutrional info and it has a tiny bit of sugar in, I'm not sure I want to give him anything that might give him a bit more energy -i'm weary of sugar!

 

[LHIS]

the only issue with the top chop is the added limestone flour. This is because with regards to feeding mag it is the calcium:maghosphorous ratio that matters so increasing the calcium would mean you need more mag
Honey chop is just straw

Interesting thank you - I'll have a look at honey chop. To be honest he will probably be so thrilled to have something to eat in a bucket in quite sure he will eat anything! I just want to make sure my experiment is a fair test as it were!

 

[Auslander]

He only needs a handful of feed, right? You could give him anything you liked, and it wouldn't make the slightest difference, fed in the quantity that you'd give to carry a supplement.

My horse s sensitive to molasses, but it takes a large amount of molassed mix and chaff to send him off his rocker. A small handful of chop isn't going to send your horse over to the wild side

 

[PorkChop]

I use a handful of soaked grass nuts, much easier to mix supplements into without needing quantity.

 

[LHIS]

Thanks everyone - I have gone with Honeychop - the oat straw free from everything version and we will see how he goes. If that isn't to his liking (I suspect we won't have a problem though as he will be so grateful for some bucket feed) I will try grass cubes.

I tried him again yesterday evening and still being silly and jumping out of his skin - verging on dangerous when he shot forward stopping just between where I was standing at the gate. I've got to do something so hopefully exploring this route will have some positive effect.

It is one particular area of the arena that he is particularly bad, however if I am by his side on the ground it's no longer scary. It was another session of just learning to stand quietly and calm down as nothing else was going to be a productive and positive experience for him.

I'll report back in a few weeks on if I've seen any change, though during that time we are also moving and he will be at home with me - I am expecting the usual welshie snorting for a day or two but I think he will much happier there.

 

[Theocat]

He only needs a handful of feed, right? You could give him anything you liked, and it wouldn't make the slightest difference, fed in the quantity that you'd give to carry a supplement.

My horse s sensitive to molasses, but it takes a large amount of molassed mix and chaff to send him off his rocker. A small handful of chop isn't going to send your horse over to the wild side

This.

You feed such a tiny amount of magnesium you could hide it in about a golf ball of grated apple. I wouldn't worry about what you use as a carrier because you need so little.

 

[Supertrooper]

I feed mine in a half Stubbs scoop of Healthy hooves molasses free

 

[lauraea]

Please let us know if the supplement you use works for you, and which brand you've decided on. I'm genuinely interested as the general feedback with regards to magnesium used to calm a horse seems to be negative, however my young and green rescue pony is a completely different boy since starting on his! I swear by it. I even took him off after a long period of time to see if it was having an effect and within a week he was completely loopy again. I use the equine america magnitude as it is easily sourced in Portugal AND lasts him forever!

 

[Casey76]

Thank you - just had a look at the nutrional info and it has a tiny bit of sugar in, I'm not sure I want to give him anything that might give him a bit more energy -i'm weary of sugar!

Baileys Light Chaff is contains 2.25% sugar (plus 2.5% starch): It's ingredients are: Oat Straw, Alfalfa, Soya Oil, Mint. You aren't going to a find any feed which is completely sugar free. Even the Honeychop 100% oat straw is 2% sugar.

 

[Casey76]

Please let us know if the supplement you use works for you, and which brand you've decided on. I'm genuinely interested as the general feedback with regards to magnesium used to calm a horse seems to be negative, however my young and green rescue pony is a completely different boy since starting on his! I swear by it. I even took him off after a long period of time to see if it was having an effect and within a week he was completely loopy again. I use the equine america magnitude as it is easily sourced in Portugal AND lasts him forever!

Magnesium based calmers will only work if the horse is deficient in magnesium to start with. Once the body reaches an optimum level it is excreted