Feeding mag ox - stopping/adjusting dose

[Clare85]

After a few posts I've seen on here and doing my own research, we decided to try Esme on magnesium oxide as we were struggling with her weight. We started feeding it about 3 weeks ago and it's made such a difference. Vet has seen her and is happy with her weight, as are we.

For those who have fed mag ox for weight loss, do you reduce the dose once they're at an acceptable weight? Obviously we don't want her to go too far the other way and then have the opposite issue. We've upped her overnight hay slightly.

 

[supsup]

First - well done you for getting the weight off!
But to be honest, I doubt that the magnesium is responsible for the weight loss. Magnesium can help break up stubborn fat pads, but the only way you will lose weight overall is if the calorie intake is less than the calorie use. You must have done something right reducing her overall intake, or working her more! If the magnesium has helped in some way, it is likely because your horse was deficient in the first place, so I would continue to feed the magox. If she continues to drop weight, I would increase forage. Though this time of year, we are right at the cusp of spring grass, and starting out a bit on the lean side is not a bad thing. If she's been such a good doer so far, I doubt you'll find yourself in a position where you struggle to put weight on her. Rather, I expect before long it will be all about how to keep the weight off again.

 

[Clare85]

Thanks for the reply supsup

We've struggled with her weight all winter. We had to start bringing her in at night to be able to monitor how much hay she was eating. She's unbroken atm and her companion can't be left alone, so we've been very limited with the exercise she can do over the winter. The mag ox seems to have just helped us to shift that last bit of weight that we couldn't quite get a handle on.

We're moving her soon to a yard with a school and excellent hacking so we shall be cracking on with her training and getting her backed. I don't want her to drop too much once she's backed and in work.

I've started giving her a bit more hay overnight. She tends to leave a bit in her trickle net as I think she's not hungry enough to bother making the effort to get it out. So now she's getting a small amount in a big holed net plus the normal trickle net, and she's leaving the same amount in the trickle net as before, so think she appreciates easy access to the smaller amount.

I'm certainly relieved we've got her to a good weight before spring hits us