Feeding magnesium to the overweight horse

[tallyho!]

epsom salts - laxative - runs off and hides

You are absolutely right! Too much does have an effect on the digestive system ultimately a laxative. Its really useful actually, because you cannot make a horse toxic on an overdose of epsom salts so it is useful in colic. It doesn't matter if it is Magnesium Sulphate or Oxide or calcined magnesite, whichever, will be useful in the case of colic.

 

[canteron]

Does a lack of magnesium in people make them a little bit over sensitive (spooky) like horses. If so, I am wondering if you can get a human magnesium supplement as some of HHO members/threads might benefit - no names mentioned!!

 

[tallyho!]

Does a lack of magnesium in people make them a little bit over sensitive (spooky) like horses. If so, I am wondering if you can get a human magnesium supplement as some of HHO members/threads might benefit - no names mentioned!!

It's possible! Some say a lack of magnesium causes personality changes!

Wikipedia (the online encyclopedia) says.

Magnesium deficiency causes these symptoms: Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: hyperexcitability, dizziness, muscle cramps, muscle weakness and fatigue.[1] Severe magnesium deficiency can cause hypocalcemia, low serum potassium levels (hypokalemia), retention of sodium, low circulating levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), neurological and muscular symptoms (tremor, muscle spasms, tetany), loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, personality changes [2] and death from heart failure.[3] Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and its deficiency may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance.[4] Deficiency can cause irregular heart beat.

 

[tallyho!]

Now I'm betting you know enough to know that you just strung a bunch of scientific sounding sentences together that make little sense. There is work being done on magnesium and it's role in insulin resistance, but this isn't it. Also it has minute relevance in comparison to loosing weight and exercising. Also original poster was talking about obesity, which does not always equate to insulin resistance.

If you say so.

 

[canteron]

It's possible! Some say a lack of magnesium causes personality changes!

Wikipedia (the online encyclopedia) says.

Magnesium deficiency causes these symptoms: Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: hyperexcitability, dizziness, muscle cramps, muscle weakness and fatigue.[1] Severe magnesium deficiency can cause hypocalcemia, low serum potassium levels (hypokalemia), retention of sodium, low circulating levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), neurological and muscular symptoms (tremor, muscle spasms, tetany), loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, personality changes [2] and death from heart failure.[3] Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and its deficiency may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance.[4] Deficiency can cause irregular heart beat.

(whispers very quietly) thought Paulag could do with a dose?

On a serious note, I think that the problems magnesium shortage causes is so well documented, that the OP would be sensible to use it as advised even if only for a limited period - as it appears to impact on metabolism. There seem lots of positives and very few negatives (as mentioned here, the horse poo goes soft you really don't need it?).

 

[TigerTail]

Why do you have such a problem with this? No one is saying that feeding magnesium is an alternative to controlled diet and exercise, just discussing its use alongside these things. You asked for a more scientific explanation and you got it but don't accept it. If you don't agree with the use of it don't use it, simple. I feel that it helps so I feed it, end of.

Paula is a nutritionist, and as such - from other threads on this topic - seems to think she is more highly qualified than equine/bovine specialists to comment on this topic - despite human and animal physiologies being very different

If anyone has access to the horse journal, Dr Kellon did an interesting field trial into magnesium on horses with lami and cresty necks.

There are very few areas of uk pasture that are not deficient in magnesium, partially due to our weather patterns and then some down to the agricultural use of sprays/fertilisers etc. So even if you are not balancing the deficiency in your pasture back to normal based on grazing analysis, you will be helping up that balance a little feeding a magnesium supplement.

 

[Tnavas]

A tablespoon of Epsom Salts daily will definately deal with the Spooky Behaviour often seen during strong flushes of grass growth.

Excess is excreted in the urine and may make dung a bit runny - but then again that is most likely the effect of fast growing grass, full of extra water and insufficient magnesium.

REMEDY - Supply horse with free access to a multi mineral block that also contains Magnesium.

For best results the Magnesium if fed as a feed supplement needs to be fed around 1hour prior to riding - then you will feel the calming effect. It is metabolised fast so if you fed it in last nights feed and 22 hours later you plan to ride you won't notice a difference - your horse will still be seeing ghosts and bogey men! Here in NZ this spring and autumn excitability is refered to as Grass Tetany, as the symptoms - spooky, highly reactive to sudden sounds and touch - mimic the early stages of Tetenus. Vets advice - 1 taplespoon twice daily in a bran mash until the grass has settled down. Works brillently.

An old Kiwi farmers recipe for Grass Tetany and the endophyte caused Grass Staggers
1 dessertspoon each
Baking Soda, Epsom Salts, Yeast and Dried Thyme
Feed three times daily while symptoms persist - feed once daily to help prevent

 

[tallyho!]

Paula is a nutritionist

Good to know