Sounds like he’s got an energy rich diet, yet all that nutrition can be going to waste (literally pooping it out!) if there isnt sufficient magnesium and b vitamins in the diet.
Out of all vitamins and minerals these 2 are the most vital for energy production - the primary molecule of energy in mammals is called ATP.
For ATP to be produced from fat or carbs it enters the krebs cycle which produces ATP ultimately but it absolutely NEEDS magnesium and B vitamins for continuous energy production.
Horses deficient in mag will be spooky…not necessarily have energy, although their spooks make it seem like theyve got plenty of energy. Its adrenaline not ATP energy.
Your horse being laid back in disposition sounds like he’s got enough magnesium for general everyday maintenance of just his body. Hence why when you work him he seems ‘dull’/not energised/bouncy.
So extra magnesium can give that extra essential cofactor mineral to produce ATP On-demand energy.
(i answered this on another thread a while back - ill paste it here):
Magnesium is needed to produce ATP primary biological energy molecules - also niacin helps. Hence why some folks looking for a calmer use magnesium only to find it’s made their horse rockets!
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshe...Important_High_Energy_Molecules_in_Metabolism
The above gif shows the importance of magnesium for energy release and storage. Also shows why the method of oats/grains for horses work as they are high phosphate. So if you couple some oats with magnesium - you’d better have a neck strap on that beast! ?”
For your particular horse being fed some oil too - you‘re asking a lot from the system to provide enough b vitamins for energy production from 3 primary energy sources, especially if there is a mag/b-vit deficiency.
It could also induce b vit deficiency as the below graph shows how many b vits are required to tranform fats into energy in the krebs cycle. Without these b vits there…theres no energy produced from them.
(its a bit like asking an engine to run on petrol, but its sluggish so you put in rocket fuel too, but still no change because the valves in the engine are worn - the true problem isnt with the foods but the underlying vitamin/mineral baseline nutritional profile of a mammal, and its inability to adequately use the fuel sources provided.)
Here’s a gif showing how crucial B vitamins are to producing energy from fat/carbs and protein….look closely - there’s a key showing which b vits are listed within the whole chain of biological events to produce ATP:
View attachment 87859
https://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn...20061079042&redirect=Dlog&widgetTypeCall=true
So you have a few choices. Youve got alfalfa for high protein, fats for high calorie energy, and fibre, carbs. If you’ve recently added alfalfa and fat for more energy you might consider dropping those, because it’s worth considering if you add a few more grams per day of mag ox and a B-complex from B1-B12 - you might find him too forward.
See how you go - add the B vits first definitely, slowly at first, working gradually to full recommended dose… and slowly add 1 gram extra mag per day. If he’s too sharp, drop the alfalfa/oil. keep the nutrients/minerals drop the energy-rich feeds.
You might well find with the right b vits and magnesium for his workload in his system he’ll be a forward going horse on just a good quality forage with vits/mins!
(I started equimins advance concentrate complete last year and my 2 have done fab on it. Its got b vits and many other very good quality highly absorbable, non-synthetic essential nutrients. Its one of the few non-synthetic multi mineral/vit mixes with b vitamins)
I believe forage plus do B-vitamins complex powder if you wanted that on its own to add to your current mix.
Magnesium oxide amount i add ontop of whatever mix, as generally theres never enough magnesium in these mixes.
Average recommended amount of magnesium oxide for a 500kg horse is around 17grams per day. = 2.5 tablespoons uk.
Other forms of magnesium will require different gram amounts, 17g per day is strictly for magnesium oxide, not magnesium citrate/malate etc. All forms of mag have varying amounts of the element magnesium in them.
I dont add 17g mag ox- subtract off whatever mag ox is in other feeds/forage and give the balance. Mine are not hard working beasts so i give less.
On average most mixes have around 6-10grams mag ox per scoop….so you just increase extra mag on top, slowly day by day and assess his energy/disposition, alongside the b-vitamins.
All the above info appies to humans too who lack energy/weight issues/brain fog etc. Good quality b vitamins are sooo essential and magnesium is a workhorse of a mineral in a mammal…2 incredible groups of nutrients really worth obtaining consistent supply so ATP can be easily made.
My new horse is a Holsteiner, lovely breed. He's laid back when you ride him and needs a whip as back up to the leg, but we think that is due to an existing SI issue so its under investigation and we are monitoring him carefully. He's the type that puts the bare minimum into things, bless him.
