Magnesium - Do you feed it?

Persephone

Persephone

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 August 2007
Messages
19,992
Location
Down South
Visit site
After taking advice from several respectable posters on here I have started feeding my filly Magnesium, because I figure it certainly can't do any harm.

I am just interested in how many others have done the same thing?

I do find the list of things it is supposed to help with very interesting! Those of you that have fed for a while, do you see any real difference in your neds?

Sooooo Nosey :p
 
I give Bob the "nota" cob magnesium in the spring if he starts to go completely insane. (by insane ,I dont mean lively, I mean that if I offer him a carrot, he thinks I am going to try to kill him with it:eek:)
 
I feed it because it's recommended for unshod horses (both are unshod ATM) and fatties. I've been feeding it for a year now and I can't say I've noticed any difference. There's certainly no ill effects.
 
It's a load of pants!!

Sorry - unless your horse is known deficient in mag then don't waste your money.

I have been giving my mare magnesium for a few weeks now and she is no different whatsoever in her behaviour. I will continue using it because I have it not because I believe it does anything.
 
We had our grazing annalysed and we are very low in magnesium and copper. I've fed magnesiium for two years now, not for a calmer but for Bens feet, I really notice the difference when I left it out for a few days, he was a footy over stones. So yes I feed it for their feet!
 
You will only notice differences if you have grazing/forage that is deficient. The only way to know that is to have the stuff analysed.

There are other signs to watch out for in a mag deficient horse i.e. nervousness, over-excitability, low tolerance to work and even muscle tremors.

I am feeding it right now because spring grass notoriously loses its mag content therefore needs supplementing as there are a few lami prones out there and crests are getting rock hard.

I give very little, only about 1.5mg if in hard feed but I supply it in a block form as free choice and have done for last three years. Too much is a waste.

Interestingly, they can demolish a block between 6 of them in the spring but when I put out a second one in July, it's hardly ever touched. I also put out a five-star block which has a lot of copper and that goes very quickly all year round.

I have noticed a big difference in feet, attitude and coat condition since providing mag & copper. They don't get fed anything else from March onwards until bitter winter comes. All my linseed and vits etc get stored somewhere cool until then.
 
Yes I do for there feet I use magnesium oxide however when it noticeable that with one of mine it does act as a calmer any he's been much easier and more trainable so that's a great bonus too.
 
yes our pony has NAF Magic, which is magnesium based amongst other calming things, brought it mainly because he is new and wanted to help him settle in, cant say that it has done miracles because when he was shod for the first time at home he literally dragged me and the farrier around the yard bouncing on three feet! but will keep going for a while!
 
I started feeding Magox for my boy's feet. He has always been a worrier and he has lost the anxious eye and is much more relaxed.
 
Here's one for people to think about!
I use mag for a pony who I believe has problems even though his blood test was clear but had laminitis and wouldn't lose his coat and I believed although the blood tests were clear something was amiss! He's been clipped for the last to summers asche don't moult at all and started him on mag around 7 months ago ( after Reading trials being done on diabetic humans) anyway this year he's moulting so much it's unreal and I can't believe it, nothing else has changed. Anybody any thoughts on this? Seems weird
 
tallyho! said:
You will only notice differences if you have grazing/forage that is deficient. The only way to know that is to have the stuff analysed.

There are other signs to watch out for in a mag deficient horse i.e. nervousness, over-excitability, low tolerance to work and even muscle tremors.

I am feeding it right now because spring grass notoriously loses its mag content therefore needs supplementing as there are a few lami prones out there and crests are getting rock hard.

I give very little, only about 1.5mg if in hard feed but I supply it in a block form as free choice and have done for last three years. Too much is a waste.

Interestingly, they can demolish a block between 6 of them in the spring but when I put out a second one in July, it's hardly ever touched. I also put out a five-star block which has a lot of copper and that goes very quickly all year round.

I have noticed a big difference in feet, attitude and coat condition since providing mag & copper. They don't get fed anything else from March onwards until bitter winter comes. All my linseed and vits etc get stored somewhere cool until then.
Click to expand...

Oh that's interesting Tallyho! I think I might change to a block when I have finished this batch!
 
I feed magnesium, copper, zinc and lysine.

I had my forage analysed and feed the above in response to this.

The results of feeding balanced minerals were detailed below

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=498827&highlight=minerals

To update, over the whole winter he did succumb to mud fever (he was spending 10 hours a day in a bog) as he usually does....but he shook it off without any treatment.

He received many compliments as to how well he looked - more so than in previous years.

His rider reports he feels fabulous and full of energy - without being silly.

He has not had a single infection (touch wood) like he had in previous years (cellulitis, hoof abscess, salivary gland infection).

He looks less great now - but that is because we found out yesterday his ACTH is over 200
shocked.gif
.
I believe the diet has given him the added health to fight off the worst of the symptoms so far.
 
tallyho! said:
You will only notice differences if you have grazing/forage that is deficient. The only way to know that is to have the stuff analysed.

There are other signs to watch out for in a mag deficient horse i.e. nervousness, over-excitability, low tolerance to work and even muscle tremors.

I am feeding it right now because spring grass notoriously loses its mag content therefore needs supplementing as there are a few lami prones out there and crests are getting rock hard.

I give very little, only about 1.5mg if in hard feed but I supply it in a block form as free choice and have done for last three years. Too much is a waste.

Interestingly, they can demolish a block between 6 of them in the spring but when I put out a second one in July, it's hardly ever touched. I also put out a five-star block which has a lot of copper and that goes very quickly all year round.

I have noticed a big difference in feet, attitude and coat condition since providing mag & copper. They don't get fed anything else from March onwards until bitter winter comes. All my linseed and vits etc get stored somewhere cool until then.
Click to expand...


Hi Tallyho,

Where do you buy your block from?

Thanks C xx
 
I order my blocks from valley animal supplies (the only one who seems to supply Laminshield at a reasonabe price!).

I use Rockies as I believe they do the best balance of minerals for equines. They do ruminant block too and seem to understand well the differences each animal needs.

The laminshield is expensive but provides a different forms of mag making it more bioavailable to the digestive system. I buy in 5kg blocks. Delivered 2 at a time.

I have found that cal-mag is unpalatable having tasted it's bitter burn myself! Yukkety yuk!!!!

Even though it IS cheaper to buy powder... I have not yet found a good way of turning it into a block that does not disintergrate in the rain... suggestions welcomed :)
 
Last edited:
I feed my rising two yr old it purely as it forms part of his bespoke feeding plan from Sarah at Forage Plus. I've owned him since he was a baby and he's suffered with a huge amount of abscesses to the point he was nearly put to sleep!

Sarah has been amazing and basically gave him a future. I had my hay analysed and asked Sarah to produce a feed plan especially for him. Mag ox is only part of his diet now but the difference in him after 6 months is simply astonishing! He looks a picture and his coat is so shiny and silky I doubt any tack will stay on him when it comes time to back him! LOL

Good luck!
 
After endless research, I felt theres wasn't a good reason not to and plenty of good reasons why I should, so I add it to micronised linseed, unmolassed beet and a bit of chaff.

She is fully shod, her shoes stay on and her feet have improved 100%! She's also turned from a stress head into a lamb and looks fantastic.

I've also gone over to a well known barefoot suppliment to add in the copper and zinc etc. She must of needed it.

It works for her, so it works for me:)
 
When I first got my barefoot mare her feet were c**p so added magox after reading reports on here. Ordered some more but it has been delayed at their end so Ruby has been without for ten days and is becoming very nervous - so is definately lacking at the moment.
 
You can get MagOx from Ebay.

I buy Cal Mag for mine (also from Ebay). Its cheaper but isn't as palatable for some horses. My horse will eat anything though, so I've never had a problem with it. I'm sure I've noticed a difference in his excitable, silly behaviour when I've run out for a few days. Have used it for years now as a calmer, but he also has good solid feet, especially for a T/B X. He's barefoot behind. And he always looks like he's blooming :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top