Magnesium - effects? Spookiness

Kati*89

Kati*89

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I recently started adding Magnesium to my newly barefoot horse after recommendations that it can affect the quality of hoof, obviously if they are deficient...so previously I was aware of it as a calmer...since feeding it, well this could be coincidence but he has been more spooky and somewhat lively than ever, he is almost a bit jumpy in the stable too - he seems to have alot more nervous energy than ever before...
He has always been an easygoing horse..obviously the weather hasn't helped as havent been able to ride as much, but this last week I have been getting on to a bit more and it is now, that the sillyness is starting...I have always been able to leave him a week and get on and hack on a weekend...so it is quite a change...even on the lunge last night he was racing around not really listening, when he is normally an angel.
The only other thing that has changed is we have been giving them some readi-grass, he has had this as an addition to his normal feed before, but now he is getting the readi-grass as his feed(one scoop) with a handful of Re-leve and carrots and micro-linseed in each.

So after all that, I suppose my question is, if he isn't deficient in Magnesium could that be making him more spooky....or could his behaviour be put down to something else??

Hopeful of dry weather I will be riding and lunging more, so I hope he settles back to his normal self, but I want to be sure I am not exacerbating the problem with unecessary stuff!
 
I doubt it is the magnesium. Our grass is coming through now so it could be that? I've also known a couple of people whose horses go a bit loopy when given linseed. Have you always fed that? Readi-grass is just dried grass isn't it? I think it could be more likely to be a combination of that with possibly the grass coming through, and you said you aren't working him much. too much hard feed and not enough work, maybe? Mine goes nuts if he isn't worked 6 days per week, I can't give him more than a handful of feed if I can't work him.
 
I doubt it is the magnesium too - had the opposite effect on my horse. Magnesium only acts as a calmer (blocks the action of adrenaline) if they are deficient or failing to utilise it properly, such as when there is an excess of calcium (the balance is important). It also acts to relieve muscle cramps as well as helping feet - maybe he is more comfortable and feeling well?
 
Hmm, ok so I think it might be safe to say it isn't the magnesium...he has had he linseed for about 4 mths now - it is only last month at most I have noticed a change so not sure it is that...the field they are in, is just mud...so if it is grass, it is miniscule amounts! they never really get grass even in summer..I think i will just move to handful of readigrass and perhaps split his haylage half and half with hay..
It could well just be that he is feeling well, which is obviously good...just not very pro-active! :) just thought I might be missing something that could affect him in that way..and worrying about him!
 
Magnesium made mine more of an idiot while on box rest instead of calming him... Take him off it and see if he is the same?
 
Additional Mg turned my TB into a lunatic. It was the height of summer and the grass was good. The nice chaps at Equifeast told me this could happen if there was no Mg deficiency. He stopped being quite so highly strung within a couple of days of coming off it. I think the switch in behaviour was more than a little coincidental - I wasn't doing anything else differently at the time.
 
leflynn said:
Magnesium made mine more of an idiot while on box rest instead of calming him... Take him off it and see if he is the same?
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HeresHoping said:
Additional Mg turned my TB into a lunatic. It was the height of summer and the grass was good. The nice chaps at Equifeast told me this could happen if there was no Mg deficiency. He stopped being quite so highly strung within a couple of days of coming off it. I think the switch in behaviour was more than a little coincidental - I wasn't doing anything else differently at the time.
Click to expand...

Ahhh ok, it is good to hear people have also felt the same...I have stopped it last night so I will take it off completely and hope he turns back to his lovelyness..preferably by tomorrow when we are out stressaging!:)
 
I too had a horse more silly on magnesium - I know equifeast say that they have too much it can the wrong way......but others will say an excess just gets flushed out of their systems.

I had a mare on livery with us that would go silly on 'readi-grass'.........

Hope you find the solution!
 
According to my vet, horses do not retain more mg than they need. If you over feed it they pee it out so would be doubtful if this would be the cause of your horse's spookiness. A deficiency would be more likely. I say this having had a horse seriously deficient that was climbing the walls.
 
Hmm, well I have taken him off the magnesium for the time being so I will see if that affects him...he has had the readi grass before so wouldn't have thought it was that, but that will be next to try without!!
Any more ideas welcome :)
 
Magnesium turns my normally calm boy into a bit of a psycho so I think it's definitely possible that magnesium is doing the same to yours.
 
My three have a small amiunt every day as do my friends two but I have heard if they aren't deficient in it though the theory is they just excrete it the anecdotal evidence seems to suggest it has the opposite effect.

If you remove the mg but leave everything else the same you'll soon see if it is Mg that is causing you problems
 
Well, we went out competing today and he was calm to get ready and perfectly behaved whilst out, so I have hoping he is over his funny turn, leaving out the Mg moving forward as even though it has only been 3 days off of it, his behaviour is better so not convinced he needs it. In fact he coped very well over the stony ground in parking area today so perhaps now it is drier his feet will improve from that too..!
 
Magnesium is known to send tb types loopy. This is why Global Herbs make two different calmers: Supercalm and Thoroughbred calmer - the latter does not contain magnesium. Tbs are notoriously difficult when it comes to finding calmers that don't have the opposite effect!
 
You also have to bear in mind that calcium and magnesium go hand in hand. Just feeding magnesium will lessen calcium and both are required
 
It could do if he was already getting enough.

However if he has been on it for 4 months and has been OK for 3 of those of those but has been spooky for the last month then I would be looking for another culprit possibly grass given the time of year.

BTW my tb gets unmanageable if he has too much calcium in his diet and not enough magnesium e.g. speedibeet.
 
Excess and deficiency all cause issues when you are adding something to a horses diet you are trying to correct a deficiency. So many people add things without thinking about the big picture and interactions.

A lot of the time if people feed sufficient salt they wouldn't need magnesium.

This is a good read: http://www.greenpet.com.au/pages/Grass-Tetany-and-Colic-in-Horses.html
 
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