Information on feeding Magnesium?

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Ellietotz

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I have ordered a bag of magnesium powder from Progressive Earth on eBay and just wanted to know a bit more about feeding it.

Does anyone know if horses have to be weaned off of it? Can you feed it permanently or do you have to stop for certain periods?

It's 90% MgOx and says 3g per 100kg of body weight so if it works to settle my mare a little then I was thinking to just keep her on it in the foreseeable future.

I don't want to overdo it or dull her personality, just something to help with her nerves. I also don't want to 'blind' her from things she's worried about as such, I'd like to get her to have a level head and learn to get used to things. I don't know if feeding mag can teach them and then you can eventually take them off or if it has bad effects. I like to be overly sure when trying new things!

Thanks :)
 
From what I understand magnesium will only have a calming effect if a horse/pony is deficient in it. If their magnesium levels are normal then it can sometimes have the opposite affect of what you actually want to achieve.

But someone else might have alot more knowledge on this and will post. A feed nutritionist from Allen & Page did talk to someone about this a few weeks ago but I can't remember everything she said unfortunately.
 
You won't dull her personality, it isn't a sedative, it is a mineral that suppresses the over production of adrenaline. And no, no need for worrying about stopping feeding it, in an ideal world they would get sufficient from the grass or forage but most land in the UK is deficient. You should know within a week or two if that is the problem, if there is no change in her you can assume it isn't. It does help their feet though so you can carry on until you have used it up. My horse has been on it for years, it keeps him from over reacting to things he should be able to cope with (running on adrenaline)
 
Dancing_Diva said:
From what I understand magnesium will only have a calming effect if a horse/pony is deficient in it. If their magnesium levels are normal then it can sometimes have the opposite affect of what you actually want to achieve.

But someone else might have alot more knowledge on this and will post. A feed nutritionist from Allen & Page did talk to someone about this a few weeks ago but I can't remember everything she said unfortunately.
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Thank you. I read that the majority of UK grasslands are deficient in magnesium and it's also needed to aid calcium absorption which helps the communication in the brain to concentrate/not panic and think before doing things. Something like calcium helps the concentration and the magnesium helps to absorb the calcium. I could be completely wrong though!
 
JillA said:
You won't dull her personality, it isn't a sedative, it is a mineral that suppresses the over production of adrenaline. And no, no need for worrying about stopping feeding it, in an ideal world they would get sufficient from the grass or forage but most land in the UK is deficient. You should know within a week or two if that is the problem, if there is no change in her you can assume it isn't. It does help their feet though so you can carry on until you have used it up. My horse has been on it for years, it keeps him from over reacting to things he should be able to cope with (running on adrenaline)
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Thank you. That's really reassuring! Her education has started quite late to be fair on her but if it eases her fears a little so she can enjoy things without dancing around, spooking at moths or just the general surroundings and/or nearly wiping out my friend who rides with me once a week, I'll be happy. I heard about it helping feet, in what way does it help though? I didn't read into that bit. She's fully shod as the farrier said she needed backs on eventually, we do a fair bit of stony terrain or road work. I wonder if he'd ever say that she didn't actually need them anymore! Would save me £80 every 6 weeks!
She is currently having Dodson and Horrell Placid supplement which has magnesium in too but it doesn't say anywhere how much. I don't know whether to stop it all together or maybe just lessen the straight dosage?
 
If in doubt you could ring a feed company, they all usually have nutrition lines and are happy to give advice.

I use Nicola Read from Saracen Horse Feeds and Emily Brown from Allen & Page.
 
Dancing_Diva said:
If in doubt you could ring a feed company, they all usually have nutrition lines and are happy to give advice.

I use Nicola Read from Saracen Horse Feeds and Emily Brown from Allen & Page.
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Thank you, I did think about that but wasn't sure if would be biased in order to sell their own products!
 
Few feed companies offer a magnesium supplement within the feed. Although it is commonly accepted - or promulgated - that UK grass is deficient in magnesium you only have to trawl the forum to see the large numbers of folk who see no improvement at all on magnesium supplement. The simplest thing is to try a supplement and if you get no reaction in about 14 days - as indeed most folks seem not to - then the issue is not a magnesium imbalance.

Magnesium alone will not dull her personality - but our experience with magnesium based calmers (not pure magnesium) was that it definitely impaired spooky horse's competition performance. We stopped their use for that reason. It may have calmed him (although I remain to be convinced on that) but he also knocked poles all over the place - it would absolutely not have been safe XC or hunting.

If you are not competing Valerian cordial is very effective - precisely why it is banned in competition. If you need something competition safe try something like Pax (not tried it myself but friends have and are very enthusiastic) or a chamomile / hop blend. Either diffuse tension without impairing performance.
 
I've just bought some for my spooky gelding. I am going to try a few different things in isolation and try and find something that works for him. The more I read about supplementing with magnesium the less I think it's going to work, but we'll see and have others have said it has other benefits.
Failing this working I have had other supplements suggested to me including brewers yeast, hop, vervain and valarian (the latter not competition legal). There's quite a few and from what I've read they can achieve the same result but the various types suit various types of horses.
Do report back with your findings using magnesium!
 
Shay said:
Few feed companies offer a magnesium supplement within the feed. Although it is commonly accepted - or promulgated - that UK grass is deficient in magnesium you only have to trawl the forum to see the large numbers of folk who see no improvement at all on magnesium supplement. The simplest thing is to try a supplement and if you get no reaction in about 14 days - as indeed most folks seem not to - then the issue is not a magnesium imbalance.

Magnesium alone will not dull her personality - but our experience with magnesium based calmers (not pure magnesium) was that it definitely impaired spooky horse's competition performance. We stopped their use for that reason. It may have calmed him (although I remain to be convinced on that) but he also knocked poles all over the place - it would absolutely not have been safe XC or hunting.

If you are not competing Valerian cordial is very effective - precisely why it is banned in competition. If you need something competition safe try something like Pax (not tried it myself but friends have and are very enthusiastic) or a chamomile / hop blend. Either diffuse tension without impairing performance.
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I wouldn't ride a horse on valerian. I have observed it to be very sedating.
 
Shay said:
Few feed companies offer a magnesium supplement within the feed. Although it is commonly accepted - or promulgated - that UK grass is deficient in magnesium you only have to trawl the forum to see the large numbers of folk who see no improvement at all on magnesium supplement. The simplest thing is to try a supplement and if you get no reaction in about 14 days - as indeed most folks seem not to - then the issue is not a magnesium imbalance.

Magnesium alone will not dull her personality - but our experience with magnesium based calmers (not pure magnesium) was that it definitely impaired spooky horse's competition performance. We stopped their use for that reason. It may have calmed him (although I remain to be convinced on that) but he also knocked poles all over the place - it would absolutely not have been safe XC or hunting.

If you are not competing Valerian cordial is very effective - precisely why it is banned in competition. If you need something competition safe try something like Pax (not tried it myself but friends have and are very enthusiastic) or a chamomile / hop blend. Either diffuse tension without impairing performance.
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Thank you for your reply.
We don't compete so just for hacking. It is probably something that will fade in a couple years after a little more experience hacking alone but would like something to take the edge off for her. The Dodson and Horrell Placid supplement might have had some kind of effect but not completely sure. That has magnesium in but lots of other calming herbs too. I'm a little concerned about the mix of reviews, some say it's brilliant and some say it makes things a lot worse because they can't react how they naturally would have so they panic even more which I definitely don't want. I am going to introduce it gradually and if it makes a difference positively then great, if not then no harm done and I'll just stop it I suppose!
 
LHIS said:
I've just bought some for my spooky gelding. I am going to try a few different things in isolation and try and find something that works for him. The more I read about supplementing with magnesium the less I think it's going to work, but we'll see and have others have said it has other benefits.
Failing this working I have had other supplements suggested to me including brewers yeast, hop, vervain and valarian (the latter not competition legal). There's quite a few and from what I've read they can achieve the same result but the various types suit various types of horses.
Do report back with your findings using magnesium!
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I agree, I thought the same as there are so many different opinions on it. I currently feed Yeasacc which I think is the active version of brewers yeast? Don't quote me on that though! I'm 99% sure that hasn't had any effect on the spookiness. The Dodson and Horrell Placid supplement I think might have had some effect which has mag in but not really sure on that one. I don't know if it's because the training has helped a bit over time or if that had any part to play. Only thing I'm worried about is it making her worse or if it does work and we come off it in the future, that she's even worse than she was before we ever started. I always hate adding new supplements and I can deal with her spooking, I just think it might be nicer for her to enjoy things without suddenly getting frightened so often!
I will let you know how I find it! Let me know how you get on with your supplement trials!
 
Ellietotz said:
I agree, I thought the same as there are so many different opinions on it. I currently feed Yeasacc which I think is the active version of brewers yeast? Don't quote me on that though! I'm 99% sure that hasn't had any effect on the spookiness. The Dodson and Horrell Placid supplement I think might have had some effect which has mag in but not really sure on that one. I don't know if it's because the training has helped a bit over time or if that had any part to play. Only thing I'm worried about is it making her worse or if it does work and we come off it in the future, that she's even worse than she was before we ever started. I always hate adding new supplements and I can deal with her spooking, I just think it might be nicer for her to enjoy things without suddenly getting frightened so often!
I will let you know how I find it! Let me know how you get on with your supplement trials!
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I find calmers have the best results when they are fed to the rider!
 
Shay said:
Few feed companies offer a magnesium supplement within the feed. Although it is commonly accepted - or promulgated - that UK grass is deficient in magnesium you only have to trawl the forum to see the large numbers of folk who see no improvement at all on magnesium supplement. The simplest thing is to try a supplement and if you get no reaction in about 14 days - as indeed most folks seem not to - then the issue is not a magnesium imbalance.
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I see no difference in behaviour, which is handy as I am not feeding it for that. However I have grazing which does test low in magnesium and high in calcium. I also suspect that reintroducing it into my feeding regime (it was removed for other reasons and then I forgot about it :eek3:) has helped resolve the fat pad issue we had this spring.

I suspect it is possible to have a magnesium imbalance and for it not to be effecting behaviour as much as people not having that imbalance in their grazing in the first place.
 
oldjumper said:
I find calmers have the best results when they are fed to the rider!
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That's more than a bit patronising. I have bred and brought on 11 foals, broken and ridden on at least 5 of them over several decades but the horse who needed the magox just didn't respond in the way that all the others have. The most telling thing for me was once, when I got on (for the umpteenth time in his education) and reached down to put my foot in the offside stirrup. As he felt the movement he leapt sideways about 6 feet - that is not normal behaviour for a prey animal whose survival depends on learning about his environment and conserving energy. Magnesium changed his whole attitude within a very few weeks. It works if the deficiency is the problem
 
oldjumper said:
I find calmers have the best results when they are fed to the rider!
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Lol... I'm not in need of the calmer which is why I was hesitate to put her on it as I don't mind the spooking and silliness, I think it's funny because she's goofy but it might just be nice for her to not be terrified of things plus spooking could potentially cause her harm, myself and others. Even if I can stay on, she could shoot to the side and wipe someone out or jump in front of a car suddenly. There's only so much control you can have but when it happens that quickly, you can't avoid it all the time. Also, it's not good for the stomach being nervous. She's definitely not feeding from my nerves, I think she's fun!
 
Shay said:
our experience with magnesium based calmers (not pure magnesium) was that it definitely impaired spooky horse's competition performance. We stopped their use for that reason.

If you are not competing Valerian cordial is very effective - precisely why it is banned in competition. .
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I thought the reason Valarian works as a calmer is because it is high in magnesium?
 
I feed Pink powder to my highland pony. He is the calmest, easiest pony but our grass is mag deficient and at certain times of the year, spring and autumn when the grass has growth spurts, he gets quite jumpy. Although he is perfectly manageable I feel so bad for him, as this is not his normal behaviour, and is as a direct result of the pasture. Ive found that pink powder, which has some magnesium in it, not only settles his nerves but also stops him getting an upset tum from the rich grass. My previous horse was a TB, turned out in the same field and he became a nervous wreck the first spring I owned him. I fed him a pure magnesium powder and within 1 week he had settled right back to his chilled self. Our grass is definitely mag low and it really has affected both of my horses
 
Several years ago I gave mine a magnesium supplement - I tried lots, magnesium oxide, chelated magnesium and none of them worked.

What has worked is getting his forage analysed by Forageplus and feeding him a balancer which is balanced to his hay/grazing etc. This has caused him to be ever so much calmer.

Minerals don't work alone ime, we are very high in iron and manganese in UK therefore low in copper and zinc. Most high street balancers won't have the levels of minerals necessary to balance the forage apart from forageplus, pro hoof people on ebay and another whose name starts with Equi who I can't remember.

I use forageplus laminae plus and additionally I add more copper and zinc. The Laminae plus has magnesium in it already and I haven't found I need to add more of that - bear in mine that all minerals have a synergy - for example copper and zinc need to be a 1-3 ratio, magnesium and calcium another, so just adding magnesium is unlikely to be the answer.

Mine has been ever so much less spooky, calmer and just FAR nicer to be around since using the Forageplus supplement - but we have been on it now for a couple of years. Magnesium straight did nothing for us and actually the chelated liquid one ( can't remember whose it was) caused him to be an absolute physcho!! Soon dropped that!! But have been pleased to find forageplus.
 
MyBoyChe said:
I feed Pink powder to my highland pony. He is the calmest, easiest pony but our grass is mag deficient and at certain times of the year, spring and autumn when the grass has growth spurts, he gets quite jumpy. Although he is perfectly manageable I feel so bad for him, as this is not his normal behaviour, and is as a direct result of the pasture. Ive found that pink powder, which has some magnesium in it, not only settles his nerves but also stops him getting an upset tum from the rich grass. My previous horse was a TB, turned out in the same field and he became a nervous wreck the first spring I owned him. I fed him a pure magnesium powder and within 1 week he had settled right back to his chilled self. Our grass is definitely mag low and it really has affected both of my horses
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This is interesting, thank you. Do you take your tb off magnesium powder at any point in the year?
 
lol yup, he is thoroughly covered :), I was always a bit disappointed his skin never got rid of it's scabby bits as a result of the overhaul too. However at 23 he was in full gallopy work and looking amazing, he looks a little softer now semi retired at 24 so something must be right ;).
Generally he errs on lazy, and the mag has certainly never made him lazier, but he just has days/moments where he will look for trouble, he has a good sense of mischief I think and sometimes likes to make his own entertainment- but at least that usually comes with faster walking. TBH I wouldn't change him.
 
JillA said:
Yeassac is a probiotic, brewers yeast is mainly vitamin E (as also is Marmite).
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When I last researched I found that they are actually pretty much the same thing, only one has not yet been used to make beer and is alive, and the other has and is dead. Yea-sacc dose is 15g and brewer's year 50g because the live version is more effective.

Brewer's yeast is most certainly NOT vitamin E. It is high in the B vitamins, not E.
 
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I didnt take the TB off it completely, just varied the amounts according to the grass. The pasture is always deficient but when the grass has a growth spurt it makes it worse
 
I introduced Mag into my horses diet about 3 months ago. He was a spooky nightmare scared of his own shadow. I introduced the mag slowly and now he has the full amount and with a week he was so much calmer. It is true that it will only work if the horse is lacking in naturally. But I cannot recommend it enough, my boy went from jumping out of his stable, pratting about whilst being lead, spooking in the school and on the ground to a much calmer guy. Don't get me wrong he does have his spooky moments but these are genuine and not just a slight breeze or a leaf moving lol
It hasn't dulled him, if anything it has improved him he is much happier.
 
Horsekaren said:
I introduced Mag into my horses diet about 3 months ago. He was a spooky nightmare scared of his own shadow. I introduced the mag slowly and now he has the full amount and with a week he was so much calmer. It is true that it will only work if the horse is lacking in naturally. But I cannot recommend it enough, my boy went from jumping out of his stable, pratting about whilst being lead, spooking in the school and on the ground to a much calmer guy. Don't get me wrong he does have his spooky moments but these are genuine and not just a slight breeze or a leaf moving lol
It hasn't dulled him, if anything it has improved him he is much happier.
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This is so reassuring. Thank you, he sounds very much like my mare so I really hope it works for us! Do you just feed the same amount everyday all year round? Where do you get your mag from?
 
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