Feeding magnesium?

[cloverleaf1985]

A friend at my yard feeds straight magnesium to her barefoot arab, as suggested by her barefoot trimmer to promote good hoof growth. Apparently it's a good calmer aswell and as my mare is quite highly strung im considering starting her on it.
By feeding straight i mean a level 15ml scoop of powdered mg once a day.
Any thoughts?

 

[hellybelly6]

I would go for a calmer such as Magic, one which is specifically made for horses. I always thought it was Biotin which was helpful for hoof growth, perhaps I am wrong.

Products containing Magnesium are good for calming esp in diets/pasture deficient in magnesium.

Stick to the horse products, there is a real risk of over dosing and poisoning, colic and over use of a particularly vit/min can lead to deficiencies in other vits/mins as a way of eliminating the excess from the body.

 

[ajn1610]

Magnesium is an ingredient in calmers - I think it is supposed to have an effect on hormones but I can't remember how. SOmeone else will know.
I'm a bit confused do you mean she is feeding powdered Mg as in the chemical element on it's own? Or a Mg containing supplement?

 

[cloverleaf1985]

She has a sack of magnesium powder not specifically designed for horses. Just wondered whether it is safe to feed it that way.

 

[ruscara]

I feed Magnesium Oxide tablets (from the health food shop) - two 250 mg tablets a day. I use them for weight loss (they help shift a cresty neck) for my laminitic, but they also act as a calmer. It's very often hard to assess how much good these things do, but my horse is calmer than one would expect, given his box rest and limited grazing over the past few weeks, and he is losing his weight very well. So I will carry on feeding the pills.

 

[ajn1610]

From what you describe I think she may be feeding a field dressing?
I don't think I'd do that for a couple of reasons; as hellybelly said you could cause harm by giving the horse an overdose which could poison the horse, cause toxicity, colic or just a mineral imbalance. I don't know the effects of Magnesium toxicity but I'm sure they wouldn't be pleasant.Selenium poisoning actually causes the hoof wall to fall off!)
The product isn't designed for consumption so the effects both in the short and long term would be unpredictable. Also there wouldn't be the quality control measures in place as there are with feed manufacturing so it would be difficult to feed consistently. It might not even be in a form the horse can easily absorb in which case you are just wasting money.
If anything bad does happen because you are not using a product as intended you would have no come back.
I reckon stick to a manufactured supplement that way you know exactly what you horse is getting and you have some protection and piece of mind.

 

[cloverleaf1985]

Thanks i did wonder whether it would be a bad idea to feed it as i think it's from a builder's merchant!
The tablets sound like a goosd idea, shall go hunting in local health food shop this weekend! Thanks guys!

 

[kellyeaton]

what is the magnesium for? there are four different types for lammi. And yes magnesium is on of the things put in a calmer.

 

[fleabitten]

I am that friend (hello cloverleaf!)
It's an agricultural magnesium fed as a supplement to cattle and sheep. My barefoot trimmer reccomended it to promote hoof growth but it has a nice side effect of being a mild calmer.
Magox and Magic are all just magnesium based supplements that happen to come in pretty packaging and are coloured white rather than Mg in it's basic mineral form. It's all about the marketing and magneisum straight doesn't look as attractive in a big brown sack, but has much the same effect!
Feel free for anyone who knows more about this though to chip in. I read a report on another forum about the use of magnesium. The thing is that lots of U.K pasture is deficient in it as an element (hence farmers feeding it to their cattle) -what happens is the long term use of fertiliser on the land depletes MG levels.Therefore many horses are deficient in it.

IF the horse is not deficient in it then it simply passes through the system and is not absorbed.

That's as I understand it.But this thread on another forum may help you to make up your mind.

http://ihdg.proboards91.com/index.cgi?board=talk2&action=display&thread=83594&page=1

 

[PurplePickle]

I think the fact magnesium itself is used for a calmer is a bit iffy, but I do use it pure for my laminitic and it works wonders

 

[LeneHorse]

I have also been giving 2 'health shop' magnesium oxide tablets per day this summer and have noticed a difference in my horse's attitude, she has been so laid back compared to her usual self. Can't say I've noticed any benefits in terms of weight loss though unfortunately!