Magnesium! Is there any actual science??

[Caol Ila]

How much magnesium should your horse have? My pony is on Progressive Earth Pro Balancer, which has some MagOx, and he gets a teaspoon of MagOx in addition to that. I'd read -- on here and elsewhere -- that lots of magnesium is helpful for barefoot horses. I'm also pretty sure that there's mag deficiencies in the soil around here, because everything I've owned is a little bit more settled when they are on some of it.

I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, as you do, and stumbled across an article arguing that you shouldn't give your horse much MagOx at all. It was on a feed company website, so I'm not sure how reliable the data or their assertions are. They were plainly trying to promote their own supplement. But it got me thinking.... what's the data supporting feeding more or less MagOx? Does anyone know? Or is it all sort of anecdotal?

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I was always sceptical but read, probably on this forum, that a lady's horse reverted when she stopped it. So I tried it with one of mine who has a history of erratic behaviour. It hasn't cured him but it has definitely helped and is cheap to buy. I feed a heaped teaspoon morning and evening.

 

[[153312]]

Oral magnesium supplementation and its effects on magnesium balance in horses — Charles Sturt University Research Output (csu.edu.au)

Investigating the impact of oral magnesium aspartate on behaviour, flight reactivity and mineral metabolism in horses. — Charles Sturt University Research Output (csu.edu.au)

A pilot study to determine if a dietary mineral supplement can affect reactivity to stimuli by horses in training | Comparative Exercise Physiology (wageningenacademic.com)

basically, it gets a lot of commercial hype but there's quite limited studies been done so far and mostly on its effects as a calmer, from a scientific perspective (not a feed company!) the jury seems to be still out and the 'correct' amount seems to vary hugely from animal to animal, though I couldn't find anything specifically on magnesium oxide.

 

[Zuzan]

It's well understood as a requirement for metabolism and that high Fe can block uptake / absorption (not specifically equine but pretty universally). The basis for feeding to horses in the UK is that we tend to have quite a lot of Fe in soil / forage.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Im not sure of the science, but we feed Mag licks in spring to our sheep when magnesium is deficient in the flushing pasture, to prevent staggers. Makes me think that it's worth giving magnesium to horses at this time too??

I've tried MagOx on a mare who was bat crazy, but not sure it made a difference, maybe she was not magnesium deficient!.

I used to feed a teaspoon a day of MagOx.

 

[bouncing_ball]

I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, as you do, and stumbled across an article arguing that you shouldn't give your horse much MagOx at all. It was on a feed company website, so I'm not sure how reliable the data or their assertions are. They were plainly trying to promote their own supplement. But it got me thinking.... what's the data supporting feeding more or less MagOx? Does anyone know? Or is it all sort of anecdotal?

willing to bet company was Equifeast who sell a calcium based calmer and are anti magnesium calmer.

I feed a forage plus balancer that contains 10gm magnesium (as magnesium oxide)

 

[rextherobber]

willing to bet company was Equifeast who sell a calcium based calmer and are anti magnesium calmer.

I feed a forage plus balancer that contains 10gm magnesium (as magnesium oxide)

I did their diet recommendation thing recently. They want me to take mine off of Pure Easy, as it contains magnesium, and replace it with their chaff, which contains molasses...

 

[bouncing_ball]

I did their diet recommendation thing recently. They want me to take mine off of Pure Easy, as it contains magnesium, and replace it with their chaff, which contains molasses...

I don’t get their logic and have seen some sharp advertising methods by them. Trying to capitalise on the eventing death via advertising was pretty unforgivable, IMO.

Also U.K. forage is typically deficient in magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Added magnesium makes one of mine loopy. So i don't feed it as an extra.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How much magnesium should your horse have? My pony is on Progressive Earth Pro Balancer, which has some MagOx, and he gets a teaspoon of MagOx in addition to that. I'd read -- on here and elsewhere -- that lots of magnesium is helpful for barefoot horses. I'm also pretty sure that there's mag deficiencies in the soil around here, because everything I've owned is a little bit more settled when they are on some of it.

I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, as you do, and stumbled across an article arguing that you shouldn't give your horse much MagOx at all. It was on a feed company website, so I'm not sure how reliable the data or their assertions are. They were plainly trying to promote their own supplement. But it got me thinking.... what's the data supporting feeding more or less MagOx? Does anyone know? Or is it all sort of anecdotal?

Maximum 6%. My mare is sensitive to it so she has to be on mag free things, or it messes with her brain. She is on Equifeast Cool core bombproof, along with fine tune and some salt.

When on box rest I put pony nuts into a treat ball and it sent her loopy, could not catch her touch her or anything, till it got out her system.

 

[Dave's Mam]

This explains it quite well.
https://www.ranvet.com.au/magnesium-for-horses/

 

[rextherobber]

This explains it quite well.
https://www.ranvet.com.au/magnesium-for-horses/

That was really helpful, and easy to understand - thank you.

 

[rextherobber]

I don’t get their logic and have seen some sharp advertising methods by them. Trying to capitalise on the eventing death via advertising was pretty unforgivable, IMO.

Also U.K. forage is typically deficient in magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper.

I also thought you had to say what was in your product . I really dislike all this "secret formula" stuff - I want to know what I'm feeding my horses

 

[Birker2020]

I was always sceptical but read, probably on this forum, that a lady's horse reverted when she stopped it. So I tried it with one of mine who has a history of erratic behaviour. It hasn't cured him but it has definitely helped and is cheap to buy. I feed a heaped teaspoon morning and evening.

Yes it was me. I stopped it twice months apart as I wasn't certain that the first time wasn't a coincidence. Each time within about 7-10 days horse reverted to prior behaviour, each time I restarted within the same time frame my horse was so much better, the spooks were much smaller and deescalated much quicker.

It was NAF Magic powder that I'd been feeding for about 1.5 years by the time I started the first withdrawal. This contains Mag Ox.

 

[bouncing_ball]

That was really helpful, and easy to understand - thank you.

This explains it quite well.
https://www.ranvet.com.au/magnesium-for-horses/

thanks for that, it is good. Just remember 10gms of magnesium is not the same as 10gms of 99% purity magnesium oxide powder.

 

[Orangehorse]

Remember that farm animals, sheep and cattle, are always given magnesium added minerals in the spring.
Cattle with gross magnesium deficiency can go, literally, mad, to the extent of crashing through metal gates, attacking people, both of which I know from personal experience. Of course farm animals are under some stress, they are either giving milk or growing fast.

A mature horse would not be under nearly as much stress and unlikely to show such extreme behaviours, but we have all known the "spring grass" effect. Which is probably a lack of magnesium.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Remember that farm animals, sheep and cattle, are always given magnesium added minerals in the spring.
Cattle with gross magnesium deficiency can go, literally, mad, to the extent of crashing through metal gates, attacking people, both of which I know from personal experience. Of course farm animals are under some stress, they are either giving milk or growing fast.

A mature horse would not be under nearly as much stress and unlikely to show such extreme behaviours, but we have all known the "spring grass" effect. Which is probably a lack of magnesium.

The spring grass effect is due to the increase in potassium in the fast growing, sugary grass
The reason why some horses seen to get worse on magnesium is because there needs to be a balance of magnesium, salt and potassium. Just adding magnesium alone can help, but can make things worse if it's not balanced with salt.

 

[bouncing_ball]

The spring grass effect is due to the increase in potassium in the fast growing, sugary grass
The reason why some horses seen to get worse on magnesium is because there needs to be a balance of magnesium, salt and potassium. Just adding magnesium alone can help, but can make things worse if it's not balanced with salt.

But all U.K. horses should be given 25-50ml of salt daily as a baseline. More if it’s hot or working harder.

So should already be getting salt.

 

[Birker2020]

But all U.K. horses should be given 25-50ml of salt daily as a baseline. More if it’s hot or working harder.

So should already be getting salt.

Not disputing what you say but I've never heard this before. Presumably if they have access to a salt lick they don't need to have it given in their feed do they? Mine has a normal white lick and a himalayan salt lick in his stable.

Previous owner used to say he needed electrolyte every day but i never did work out why, could that have been to keep spooks to a minimum?

 

[Bernster]

Birker - I’ve had the same advice from a nutritionist, horses tend to need added salt and licks don’t give them enough/a consistent amount. I add table salt to their feeds to supplement the lick.

 

[tristar]

Not disputing what you say but I've never heard this before. Presumably if they have access to a salt lick they don't need to have it given in their feed do they? Mine has a normal white lick and a himalayan salt lick in his stable.

Previous owner used to say he needed electrolyte every day but i never did work out why, could that have been to keep spooks to a minimum?

i add salt to feeds here, they have salt licks in stabling as well

 

[Sossigpoker]

But all U.K. horses should be given 25-50ml of salt daily as a baseline. More if it’s hot or working harder.

So should already be getting salt.

An awful lot of people don't give salt, many not even a salt lick so I'm not confident that the average horse is getting his need for salt.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Not disputing what you say but I've never heard this before. Presumably if they have access to a salt lick they don't need to have it given in their feed do they? Mine has a normal white lick and a himalayan salt lick in his stable.

Previous owner used to say he needed electrolyte every day but i never did work out why, could that have been to keep spooks to a minimum?

Salt lick isn't sufficient, an average size horse needs about 2 table spoons pee day. Mine gets that and he also uses his salt lick on top.

 

[bouncing_ball]

An awful lot of people don't give salt, many not even a salt lick so I'm not confident that the average horse is getting his need for salt.

Agree. People I think mistakenly think as people typically have too much salt in diet that horses don’t need salt. Most horse feed does not contain salt.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Not disputing what you say but I've never heard this before. Presumably if they have access to a salt lick they don't need to have it given in their feed do they? Mine has a normal white lick and a himalayan salt lick in his stable.

Previous owner used to say he needed electrolyte every day but i never did work out why, could that have been to keep spooks to a minimum?

Horses tongues don’t allow to get sufficient from a salt lick. Nor do horses reliably self regulate salt.